Posted on 04/10/2003 1:22:42 PM PDT by MeekOneGOP
Iraqis in North Texas joyful
'A dream come true' for expatriates
04/10/2003
News of Saddam Hussein's apparent downfall Wednesday filled expatriate Iraqis in North Texas with joy and led to impromptu gatherings where expressions of gratitude were directed at American combat troops.
But beyond the general exuberance and expressions of glee, some Dallas-area Iraqis were planning to complete some unfinished business in their homeland.
Haydr Alyadiri, one of several thousand Shiite Muslim Iraqis who fled brutal repression in the early 1990s, said he was making arrangements to return home to seek justice against those who committed atrocities against his family.
Mr. Alyadiri said he moved to Dallas 13 years ago after the Iraqi regime detained two of his brothers during a street demonstration in An Najaf. One was burned alive.
The other has not been heard from since. Mr. Alyadiri said he and other Iraqis in Dallas have painstakingly compiled a list of 100 other people from An Najaf who also "disappeared."
"We are going to go after the Baath Party criminals who killed my brothers and neighbors," he said. "We'll try to activate our cases and get justice. Some of the criminals will try to hide in their tribes. We won't accept that. Any person who committed crimes against human beings need to go to justice."
Other North Texas Iraqis were making similar plans. Most expatriate Iraqis living in Dallas are devout opponents of Mr. Hussein, hailing from communities that suffered brutal reprisals after mounting failed uprisings following the first Persian Gulf War.
Shiite Iraqi Jodi Alsutani, a Dallas take-out restaurant owner who escaped Iraq in 1991, said he expects to finally activate long-formed plans to find out what happened to a missing brother suspected of being executed by the regime. During the 1991 Shiite uprising in southern Iraq, Mr. Alsutani said he was fighting in his native town of An Najaf while his 18-year-old brother was captured fighting on another side of town.
He said he and his surviving relatives in Iraq plan to go straight to a notorious prison camp where they believe the brother was killed along with thousands of other dissidents.
"We'll try to search some documents or people who worked there, if they still work there, and maybe the interim government, whatever it is, will help me find the status of him," Mr. Alsutani said. "Knowing for sure if he's alive or dead will stabilize my feeling toward my brother."
Meanwhile, Iraqis around the nation greeted Wednesday's stunning developments with parades and tears of joy.
In Dearborn, Mich., a crowd of about 200 people and dozens of honking cars paraded by the Karbalaa Islamic Center in the largely Arab Detroit suburb.
For Iraqi immigrants in Southern California, Wednesday became an instant holiday. Basam Alhussaini, 39, left work when he saw the statue of Mr. Hussein fall on TV.
"The moment was a dream come true," the San Dimas, Calif., engineer told The Associated Press.
Back in Dallas, Wednesday's war news sparked impromptu gatherings among Iraqi Shiites, as well as Kurds who also moved to the area after escaping persecution by the regime.
Some Shiites, shortly before gathering in front of Dallas City Hall, expressed joy at the developments and set about planning a parade in downtown Dallas and celebratory picnics this weekend.
"I'm crying because I'm so happy," said Hassan Alijibory, an Iraqi Shiite who, like many, looks forward to returning home to see family he last saw 12 years ago. "I haven't slept since yesterday. I've been watching the TV. A lot of people are happy like me, man. Saddam Hussein was like Hitler, man. I'm going to my country. I want to see my people, my city."
Some North Texas Kurds said excitement swept through their community as well, but with an overtone of uncertainty. Several major Kurdish towns remained in the regime's hands Wednesday, and American military officials were warning of more fighting ahead.
Omar Barzani, a Plano restaurant owner whose clan is prominent in Kurdish politics, said that for him the celebrations were marred by the deaths of seven close relatives and friends in a mistaken American bombing run last week that killed 18.
Still, he said, "Everybody is happy. Everybody's been waiting for all these years, and finally George Bush had the guts, and he did it. No one else had it until him."
E-mail tbensman@dallasnews.com
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| Our troops give so much of themselves, and we all benefit from their efforts. The next time you look at your bank balance, why not find some way to take some money and put it towards supporting the members of our armed services in some way? Maybe find a family who has someone serving, and buy them dinner, or some groceries, or a gift for their children? Maybe find a way to contribute to a fund for the memory of any of those who have fallen? Our armed forces deserve our support in tangible ways.
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