Posted on 07/28/2003 2:06:59 PM PDT by bulldawg
VIII: The Story of a Palestinian Mujahid - Abu Khaled Al-Ahram's reporter Rasha Sa'ad interviewed a Palestinian fighter when he returned home. The following are excerpts from the interview:
"'I cannot believe that I am alive. I was in hell and Allah brought me back,' said Abu Khaled, who joined other Arab volunteers in the battle at Baghdad's airport in early April. Abu Khaled's - not his real name - story begins one month earlier. It was back in March that Abu Khaled, a Palestinian, was deported from Jordan. Unable to immediately return to the West Bank, he had to travel to a third country. Since Iraq was the only Arab country that would allow Palestinians to enter, Abu Khaled found himself in Baghdad nine days before the Anglo-American war in Iraq."
"'I arrived in Baghdad and felt lost. I did not know anyone there or even what to do or where to sleep. I was later assisted by a kind Iraqi who paid my $100 visa fee, helped me find a room in a hotel and even paid for my stay.' As the ultimatum for war approached, Abu Khaled decided to join the Iraqi resistance along with hundreds of other Arab volunteers. They were trained in Al-Sadeer district in Baghdad along with members of the Jerusalem Army and the Fedayeen Saddam militias. 'My group was composed of a couple hundred Arab volunteers with the majority Palestinian and Syrians of Palestinian origin. The rest were Sudanese and Yemenis. We were assigned to defend the [ Baghdad ] airport.'"
"Asked whether he found the training adequate for such a task, Abu Khaled said that he and all the Arab volunteers had training prior to joining the resistance. 'We were all trained in military tactics. We were better trained than Fedayeen Saddam.' Even though Abu Khaled was unable to determine whether the order came from Saddam Hussein or some other military leaders, he is positive that 'there clearly was corruption and collusion to lose the war.' According to him, logistics were inefficient and nearly half of the military hardware did not function. While these facts were indicative of corruption and inefficiency in the Iraqi military, it was only later that Abu Khaled found cause for serious alarm."
"At the beginning of the war, Abu Khaled says he was shocked at the sense of panic that seemed to pervade among the Iraqi troops. 'The Iraqi soldiers were scared to death, with some even fainting. I did not understand their attitude then.' Now, Abu Khaled believes that the soldiers must have sensed there was a conspiracy. 'It seems that they knew better than us that they were going to be sacrificed. The Iraqi leadership has indeed betrayed and killed them,' he contends…"
"The feeling that something was not right intensified as the volunteers moved to the airport. Abu Khaled believes that there was no military strategy to defend the airport. 'I knew one of Saddam's Republican Guards who told me that the orders he and his division were given was to take their positions in the airport and hold their positions, even if they were fired at. This man was the only one in the division that got out alive…'"
"Abu Khaled and his Arab companions, however, rebelled against their deployment orders. They were moved to the airport hours before the first military strike, where Iraqi troops were already amassed. 'We were the last to arrive at the airport and were ordered to take front-line positions, which would have left us completely exposed. We refused the order and accused the Iraqi military commanders of placing us in unnecessary danger. We asked them to let us choose the positions that we find appropriate. To avoid a confrontation, the military commanders agreed we could take a position within the trees surrounding the airport.'"
"The first strike on the airport by the coalition forces left thousands of soldiers dead. 'I went to the site where my friend Ziad was stationed and found it full of corpses.' At this point Abu Khaled's eyes filled with tears, 'this is his watch,' he said as he waved his hand towards me, while wearing Ziad's black sports watch."
"Abu Khaled also explained that there were some losses on the U.S. side. 'We were able to destroy some jeeps and carriers. The weapons we had were not appropriate to destroy a tank.' The second strike was even more devastating, according to Abu Khaled. 'There was a division 50 metres away from me, after the strike I saw nothing - they were erased.' Abu Khaled decided, at that moment, to desert the battlefield. 'I told myself I would not die in this way. I was then convinced that treachery was afoot, and thought it unacceptable to sacrifice my life for nothing.' As he fled from the airport area, Abu Khaled could find no trace of the tens of thousands of troops that were positioned around Baghdad - now all that could be seen were crushed and deformed corpses."
"Abu Khaled's problems were far from over, however. He had to walk 20 kilometres to reach Baghdad . 'Exhausted, tense and with almost no food or drink for several days, I reached a house where I thought I could finally find shelter.' An Iraqi man opened the door and asked Abu Khaled about his identity. The Palestinian fighter answered proudly that he is an Arab volunteer. 'The man slapped the door in my face and said 'go away we do not want you in our country.' Not only did he refuse to let me into his house, he wouldn't even offer me a glass of water.'"
"It was then that Abu Khaled realised that the Iraqi people had a different agenda. To his astonishment, he was later told that the Iraqis wanted to get rid of the dictatorship and oppression of Saddam Hussein at any cost - and in this context the Arab volunteers were regarded by them as supporters of the regime, who are cashing dollars, only to prolong the Iraqi suffering. 'I do not defend Saddam's regime. I joined the resistance to defend the Iraqi people.' I wanted to take part in the war against our brethren in Iraq . I came to defend the dignity of the Arab nation,' said a shocked and bewildered Abu Khaled."
"After walking several hours, Abu Khaled finally found some people who offered him water and informed him of the whereabouts of Palestinians in the Baladiyat district, a few kilometres from the centre of Baghdad . There he joined fellow Palestinians in resisting intensive coalition strikes. He recalled, 'The Palestinians' resistance delayed the coalition forces' capture of the centre of Baghdad for a whole day. I saw one Palestinian kill five Americans with one missile.'"
"The realisation that many Iraqi civilians did not want to see further resistance to the invasion forces struck Abu Khaled even more staggeringly. 'While we were defending ourselves from the coalition strikes, I saw an Iraqi in a nearby building shooting at us. I had to protect myself and my people so I fired an RPG missile at his house. While he was not killed, the second floor of the house was destroyed.'"
"After the U.S. captured the centre of Baghdad on 9 April, Abu Khaled decided to return to his hotel. He discovered, however, that he was no longer welcome. 'They welcomed me as a Palestinian before the war because they feared Saddam Hussein; now that he is gone they do not see any reason to give me shelter. They told me that they needed the room because they have other people who offered more for the room.'"
"Abu Khaled is now without shelter and is dependent on the generosity of others 'for food, tea or coffee.' I left him as he prepared to head home, leaving the country which now had no space for him. 'I avoid being alone or recalling what happened to me, because whenever I remember what happened at the airport, how I was abandoned – I feel betrayed and devastated.'" [19]
(Excerpt) Read more at memri.org ...
They are popular are they not?
He is bewildered? How about STUPID!!!
He was misled about the Iraqi people's desires. He listened to the BBC.
I notice however, that he was not so distraught that he couldn't take time to rob his friend's corpse. I'm sure though that he was crying while he rifled his pockets and removed his watch, any jewelry, or other things of value.
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