Posted on 10/17/2005 6:30:52 PM PDT by SandRat
CAMP SLAYER, Iraq - As the world waited to see whether the Iraqis accept a new constitution or if the necessary step toward democracy in this embattled nation will have to start all again, three expatriates are hopeful the ayes for a new beginning in Iraq will win.
For security reasons, their real names are not used in this article.
"The Iraqi people have been locked up for 35 years under Saddam (Hussein)," said Ali.
Concerns about the sensitivity of their work translating Iraqi documents for the U.S. government and that they still have family in Iraq led them to ask that their names not be used.
The trio of Iraqi Christians, now U.S. citizens, fled their homeland between 1977 and 1992. They work for one of the intelligence agencies that abound on this camp, and they cannot leave the installation. They listen to Iraqi radio to keep in touch what is happening outside the barbed wire that surrounds this camp.
On Sunday, the day after the referendum, they spoke about their aspirations for their homeland.
A second man, Ahmed, said the future for the nation is a question the people will have to answer: "How will Iraq live in freedom forever and forever, all with the same level of equality?"
If the constitution is turned down "problems with the insurgents will continue," Omar said, adding "we will know (the results) in a couple of days."
The best way to overcome the outside influence from "foreign fighters" is for the constitution to be approved, the three men said.
"Iraqis must start a new life. If the constitution is passed it will be the start of the end of the insurgents," Ali said.
The others nodded in agreement with his comment.
Sitting outside one of many structures Hussein built along a man-made lake, they said if it wasn't for the United States, Iraq would still be in the grasp of a mad man.
With Hussein's trial scheduled to start this week, they agree it is a waste of time.
"He's guilty and should have been killed when he was captured," Ali said. "But the world expects a trial. OK, have a trial and then hang him."
Under Hussein, innocent people were murdered without any trial, said Ali, who left Iraq in 1982.
Ahmed said he, too, wishes Hussein was gone but the trial, that will be televised, will be good for the Iraqi people to see that under a democratic government, even an evil person will be judged in public.
It was in 1977 when Ahmed left Iraq.
The pressure was too great on him to spy against a foreign embassy, he said.
Hussein's security forces wanted to know who visited the embassy and the final straw was their demand for him to film documents on the ambassador's desk.
He fled to Kuwait with his family and was in that country when Iraqi forces entered. Keeping a low profile until American forces freed Kuwait, Ahmed then came to the United States.
Ali and Omar had similar stories of attempts to make them spy on fellow Iraqis and westerners.
Omar departed Iraq in 1992, saying the constant wars under Hussein were too much to bear.
Ahmed added the war with Iran was particularly hard on the Iraqi people.
It was not only the Iraqi dead but the badly wounded, those who lost arms and legs and were relegated to begging in the streets while Hussein lived in luxury, that was disheartening, he said.
In the United States there is opportunity for everyone, which the three hope will be the norm for the people of Iraq.
All the men are married and have children with Ali's two sons attending Arizona State University and a daughter in a Minnesota law school.
It will be awhile, but Ali said he believes the world, and most importantly the Iraqis, will recognize the "the sacrifice of the American soldiers in freeing Iraq."
The trio is working as document translators to help pay back some of what America has given them, Ahmed remarked.
Ali smiled and added it would be nice for a thank you from President George W. Bush "with maybe a little dinner at the White House," as a way showing appreciation to those who born in Iraq but now call the United States home.
However, more important is for Iraqis to show their appreciation to America, the three men exclaimed.
"What I want is for America to leave Iraq with pride," Ahmed said.
What the United States did, no other nation could have achieved, he said, adding, "God did not free Iraq. America did."
Herald/Review senior reporter Bill Hess is embedded with the 69th Signal Company. During this overseas assignment, he can be reached by e-mail at 4291@townnews.com.
Gee I wonder why the big-time papers can't get a story like this???? Oh yeah, they can't leave the Bar.
"For security reasons, their real names are not used in this article." So he called three Iraqi Christians Ahmed, Omar, and Ali!
But it was a very nice article; thanks for posting it.
at the bar YEAH that sound like rest of CNN crew LOL!
BTTT
Good people doing good things, reaping good results!
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