Goodbye Saddam, hello Iraq: exiles head home

The Age ^ | August 1 2003

[demlosers]

Tears flowed and long-parted relatives embraced as more than 200 Iraqis set foot in their homeland again after years in exile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

"I feel like my soul has returned to my body," said Ali Salman, his eyes swimming with tears at the Umm Qasr border crossing. "I can't believe I am actually home and that I will see my family again. I just can't believe it."

Like most of the 240 men, women and children who were repatriated on Wednesday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Salman is a Shiite Muslim who fled to Saudi Arabia after a failed 1991 uprising against Saddam Hussein.

Other returnees were former Iraqi soldiers who defected during the 1991 Gulf War.

The fearful refugees sought asylum in Saudi Arabia where they lived in relative luxury at the frontier Rafha camp. But the idea of returning home remained a remote dream until US-led forces ousted Saddam in April.

In contrast with the bleak existence of many Iraqi refugees elsewhere, Rafha residents were given a monthly stipend by the Saudi Government, food rations and air-conditioned houses. But the lack of jobs and the residents' inability to practise their Shiite traditions frustrated many in the camp.

The 240 returnees were among a group of 5200 Iraqis in Rafha who held sit-ins and hunger strikes to pressure the authorities and the UN agency to repatriate them.

Moments after stepping off the bus, Yacoub Ghazi spied his sister Fatima among the crowd of relatives straining against the customs area fence. He flung himself into her arms and sobbed like a child. "Beloved, beloved, I didn't think I would live to see you," Fatima said, kissing her brother's greying head repeatedly.

A British soldier prevented Najm Ali from scaling the fence to embrace his son Mohammed, who sank to the ground to kiss his father's feet through the bars. "He has changed so much in the past 13 years," Mr Ali said. "I never thought I'd see him. Thank God that Saddam is gone."

- Reuters

[Rhetorical pi2]

Try to tell THESE people that the war to liberate Iraq was not justified!

[Coop]

Wonder if this will make the front page of the NY Times or ComPost? [not holding breath]

[PhiKapMom]

Where is the article from the mainstream media? Their boycott of these type of stories that give insight into how the Iraqi people feel about the Liberation of Iraq are disgusting!

These people are overjoyed to be going home to Iraq since Saddam is gone -- this should be all over our media outlets to show the positive aspects of the ouster of Saddam.

[RoughDobermann]

after years in exile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia

Oh goody.

[RoughDobermann]

"...Thank God that Saddam is gone."

Okay, thank God but I think that some thanks are due the United States' Armed Forces too.

[McGavin999]

What an incredible story, I can't believe it's from Reuters.

[dsutah]

But they may be looking at the fact that God sent the US and the UK and others in to save their country; and for that they're grateful!

[RoughDobermann]

But they may be looking at the fact that God sent the US and the UK and others in to save their country; and for that they're grateful!

Which God is that?

[TheDon]

Iraq is a gold mine of great stories like this one.

[sjersey]

Glenn Beck talked about this on his show today.