"Basra is Now Safe and Secure..Thank God, now we are relaxed, we can do everything with the salary"

06.04.04 | fight_truth_decay

[fight_truth_decay]

Iraqi dentist, ays, reports regularly "Stories and news from Iraq after the liberation" in his blog Iraq at a glance. Not only does his news reflect a positive outlook of many Iraqi, he has added to his masthead the words:
"Liberation, Freedom, Democracy, Now we have the right to act as we choose"

On Wednesday, June 02, 2004, ays had this to say. These short stories may seem so minor compared to the media stories coming of Iraq each day; but remember, as you read below, these are freedoms never experienced before by Iraqi citizens under Saddam.

Hi friends,

*I'm in Basra now, I set out last Friday.

*I heard that the governor of Basra promised to arrest and punish anyone trying to breach the peace in the city (pointing to Muqtada's thugs).. Basra is now safe and secure . The ICDC and IP are everywhere.

*We had a party on Sunday. All the officials gathered in one room and cheered the wedding of a doctor in our center; she got married to a doctor in another center last month. We prepared a simple party for them, they were very happy. The husband said "I've graduated in 2001 and after 3 years I got marred, it's wonderful..How would I do that with 3000 id? Thank God, now we are relaxed, we can do everything with the salary.

*When Ayad Allawy has been elected by the GC members to be a prime minister, the assistant in our center told me his 'great' opinion regarding that, he said "I don't think he's a good man, I don't agree with that.." I said why? What's wrong with him? He said "he doesn't wear a beard or a moustache"!!!!!!! He was speaking seriously, he looked like a kid! I didn't know what to say. I smiled at him and changed the subject.

By the way, congratulations to all Iraqis on the formation of the interim government. I hope the new guys will serve this country in the best way they can.

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 By Mrs.S , Mother of ays, adds to her son's blog:

Hi everybody..

During the ex-regime we received very poor salaries, you know.. 3 or 4 dollars per month, but Saddam’s spies and devils were living in an extravagant life, with extraordinary salaries and gifts without caring to the poor people who were starving and couldn’t afford their living, wearing ragged clothes with bare foot children...

Inspite of all the events and hard time we are passing through due to those extremists and terrorists, many officials and teachers ( like me!) Obtained new furniture, new electric equipments and other things.. We neglected our house for many years, we couldn’t do anything to repair it because of the lack of money, but now we did it up, it is repaired completely, painted, furnished with nice curtains and new chandeliers.. The view became so lovely that a person feels very relaxed and comfortable.. We also planted several kinds of flowers and plants that made the garden so beautiful.. All of these changes came after the liberation, we are so happy with the new Iraq in spite of the difficulties.. But as the saying goes .. No gains without pains.. I wish the future will be wonderful... and what we pass through nowadays will soon disappear, together with the coalition we can defeat those enemies..

Hi friends.. Look at this man.. I admire him so much, he’s blind and poor, but he insists on getting his living, he’s taking this guy shown in the photo to help him in his job, he’s selling hummus ( made from chickpeas).. He refuses to beg inspite of his poverty and you can see many of those who refuse to ask people...

My brother took this photo in one of Baghdad streets.. This man was wearing a suit written on it ‘Long live the great leader Saddam’!!

This man is insane, the people said he’s complaining from a psychiatric disorder.. Others said he was in the prison and he got it due to the torture acts.. I remember many other insane people who were tortured in Saddam’s prison, one of them was always roaming in the streets carrying the old currency that bears Saddam’s photo pointing at it and crying ‘ Is this man who scares you? Is he? You coward people..’! Another one used to hike at noon putting on his torn clothes and shout ‘ Saddam is the small Allah.. Yahya AlBa’ath’ ( viva the Ba’ath)..! It was funny but very sad at the same time..just imagine what types of torture they endured... In fact.. When I remember those people and many other stories about the prisons.. I feel like what few soldiers did in Abu Ghraib is nothing compared to the past decades... Hope nothing like this or that will be committed in the new Iraq..

These are only a sampling of the ongoing first hand reports from within Iraq by ays with added commentary by his mother, Mrs. S. So as you enter the weekend, take with you this positive news from our Iraqi friend, ays. What many Americans only take for granted: Liberty, Freedom, Democracy, and the right to act as we choose."

[fight_truth_decay]

Insane man mentioned above, should your photo link not open.

[No Blue States]

Interesting and encouraging read, thank you.

[livius]

Interesting! Basra looks so - well, normal. (Even the nut in the picture would be right at home in NYC!)

[Weimdog]

More good news here -

BAGHDAD, Iraq  — Iraqi police forces have detained Umar Baziyani, an associate of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (search), U.S. Central Command announced Friday.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,121783,00.html

via here -

http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/

[fight_truth_decay]

From your link as well this news: :: On the shores of the Tigris River sits 40 acres of prime real estate which recently was home to a compound used by Saddam Hussein's secret police. Now, a retired U.S. Navy commander is leading the charge to turn the remnants of the police camp into a first-class camp and training facility for Boy Scouts in Iraq, and have Scouting flourish once again in the region

http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/

[FBD]

bttt^

[Weimdog]

At some point the good news coming out of Iraq is going to reach the "tipping point" and the mainstream news organizations will no longer be able to ignore it.

[fight_truth_decay]

That is what our email program is for. Get it out to family and friends and yes..those liberals that are wringing their hands over the media's doom and gloom reporting.

[GraniteStateConservative]

It will happen when we are praised by the directly elected leadership of Iraq and especially when we're told we aren't needed any longer and that we can limit ourselves to the US base(s) in Iraq and the rest can return home.

[Southack]

Nice!

[Yardstick]

Interesting to see English writing on the signs (orange sign, upper right).

[GVnana]

Nice post. Thanks.

[justshutupandtakeit]

You are dreaming. Get ready for a summer filled with Kobe, Peterson and Michael. Iraq will be barely mentioned unless it is a bombing.