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HUMAN RIGHTS, AMERICAN STYLE, PART 3: Without electricity
and water, 52 degrees in the shade, resist or burst! according to
the American « convention »
"Under Saddam's regime, despite all the post-war
constraints, it took 48 days to re-establish electricity in Baghdad
after the destruction of the first Gulf War," says Nahla, artist
and owner of a Baghdad art gallery. And she adds indignantly : "Why
have the Americans, the most powerful country on the planet, not
restored it more than four months after having destroyed our networks
and infrastructure? See how water is getting rare in these boiling
hot temperatures. I have a child of 7 years old and I suffer twice
over to see him enduring this terrible heat. Just think of the millions
of deprived Iraqis, babies, the ill, the aged, who are suffocating
in the heat. How dare people in the American administration talk
about our well-being when they are torturing us?" At that very
moment the electricity was cut. "There you are!" cried
Nahla. "We are entering four hours of hell!" Actually,
the instant the ventilation stopped, a dreadful heat enveloped us.
It was 52°C in the shade today. And it is like that for months.
The whole week I stayed in Baghdad, people never
stopped complaining about the deterioration in their living conditions
since the arrival of the American forces. Even those who believed
the invasion was the evil for the good, no longer hesitate to say
that the American army has colonised Iraq to seize its oil. "They
have been spending our money for four months without concern for
us, or our essential needs like electricity, water and security.
Iraq has never had abductions of children or women for ransom before.
I've been hearing about this for a few weeks and I think that it
is extremely serious for Iraqi society. It really was better in
Saddam's time, believe me. Today, I cannot stop crying about what
has become of my city, Baghdad, disfigured by bombs, looting, vandalism
and all this machinery of war, the soldiers and the barbed wire
that criss-crosses our streets. It is as though we are living in
a vast prison under the yoke of the United States."
Such chaos is reigning in the country that many
people are saying that they miss the stability of Saddam's time.
The absence of authority has allowed the rapid development of all
sorts of social scourges. In the hospitals, they are saying that
the victims of the violence which is destroying what remains of
Iraqi social fabric are being admitted in the hundreds. Many Iraqis
maintain that the occupation forces want this chaos; they cannot
believe that the occupiers would have difficulties in controlling
the situation. In Nahla's opinion, an army that can cross the world
to invade Iraq and possesses an arsenal (land, sea, air) sufficient
to occupy the entire planet, certainly has the capacity to satisfy
the elementary rights of Iraqis. "It is impossible for me to
believe otherwise," she added, continuing, "I will give
you the example of the trouble they impose on us, and mostly to
poor people, just to buy a bottle of gas. You have to join a 500
meter line-up, under the burning sun for hours, to get gas. Many
people don't have the strength to withstand this form of collective
punishment that the occupation army is imposing on us. Is it acceptable
to treat people in this manner? We could be served ten times as
fast if they had 10 wickets instead of one. It's the same thing
for the thousands of Iraqis without salary who begin to form endless
lines at dawn in order to get a few dollars. I find this humiliating
for my people and that's why I was saying that I cannot stop myself
from crying when I go out in Baghdad."
At that point the young woman forced back the surge
of tears which dimmed her eyes. The moment was as painful to me
as to the Iraqi artist. I thought it best to change the subject
and asked Nahla what she thought of the Governance Council. She
smiled slightly and then, "We have seen nothing positive coming
from the Americans. And this is also true of the Governance Council
which they have woven for us."
The artist maintained that any Iraqi speaking in
good faith would say two things about this famous Council. "First
off, they in no way represent the Iraqi people, but rather foreign
interests and those who represent them; and next, it has been structured
in a way which will not advance the reconstruction of Iraq, but
will sow discord and division among Iraqis." On this point,
Nahla's worries are shared by many Iraqis and by foreign observers
who think that the composition of the Council is not in the best
interest of the Iraqi people. To prove her point, Nahla continued,
"Since its constitution, and despite the critical problems
that we are living out, its members have done nothing besides fight
among themselves under the auspices of the American Paul Bremer.
Moreover, all that the press has reported on this subject, corruption
scandals, lack of integrity, diversion of funds, have discredited
the majority of its members. My opinion is that this Council has
no authority, nor legitimacy.
Politicised or not, Iraqis, both women and men,
are beginning to organise to protest the attitude of the American
authorities towards the dramatic situation of the population. In
increasing numbers, they are taking to the streets after 35 years
of dictatorship. This is a new form of struggle and Iraqi activists
say they are counting on the support of international organisations
in order to struggle effectively for their democratic rights and
the end of the occupation of their country.
Baghdad, 2 August 2003 Zehira Houfani (writer and
journalist) Montreal member of the Iraq Solidarity Project
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