Month: November 2004

  • *End Sarcasm*

    Okay, I’ve been off my period for about 4 days now. My daily dose of sarcasm will stop for another month.

    On a warm summer’s evenin’, on a train bound for nowhere,
    I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
    So we took turns a starin’ out the window at the darkness,
    ‘Til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

    He said: “Son, I’ve made a life out of readin’ people’s faces,
    “And knowin’ what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
    “So if you don’t mind my sayin’, I can see you’re out of aces.
    “For a taste of your whiskey, I’ll give you some advice.”

    So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
    Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
    And the night got deathly quiet, his face lost all expression.
    He said: “If you’re gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right.

    “You got to know when to hold ‘em; know when to fold ‘em,
    “Know when to walk away; know when to run.
    “You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table.
    “There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.

    “Now ev’ry gambler knows the secret to survivin’.
    “Is knowin’ what to throw away, knowing what to keep.
    “‘Cos ev’ry hand’s a winner and ev’ry hand’s a loser,
    “And the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep.”

    So when he’d finished speakin’, he turned back toward the window:
    Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
    And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
    But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

    “You got to know when to hold ‘em; know when to fold ‘em,
    “Know when to walk away; know when to run.
    “You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table.
    “There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.

    Written by Don Schlitz.
    (© Writers Night Music.)
    From “The Gambler”, © 1978, EMI.

    from http://www.coquet-shack.com/lyrics/Rogers_Kenny/Gambler_Rogers_0089.htm

  • Tell It Like It Is

    It really amazes me how people overseas seem to have a more solid grasp on the concepts of facism and communism than some of my American-born colleagues here in the United States. I would never endorse Fidel Castro over George Bush, but somehow, a tow-headed kid in California can do so with self-righteous vitriol. Oh, if he would say that to my friend’s face, he’d get a mouth full of knuckle sandwich. Born in Cuba, he remembers it fondly, and still has family there. But for him, Cuba is unliveable due to the corrupt actions of Castro and his followers.

    Below, I’ve captioned another Iraqi blogger who knows his own history better than the Americans who feel ‘sorry‘ for him do.

    Friday, November 19, 2004
    Stupid British! I heard what Mr. Chirac said few days ago and read about it everywhere I turn my head to. At first, it was something I felt I shouldn’t even bother to listen to. It was something like what Al Jazeera keep showing us or what Arab leaders say all the time. But again this was a president of one of the most advanced and civilized countries in our times. It wasn’t Kaddafi or Assad and it made me sad and furious.

    The French government keep surprising me with their intentionally stupid and vicious arguments and I don’t know what to say about it or if it’s even necessary to say something at all. But then I’m an Iraqi citizens and these people are taking about Iraq and usually how the war brought nothing good to Iraq or the world, and I just can’t stay silent about it. I know there’s almost no chance that you’ll read my words Mr. Chirac, but it doesn’t matter, as I’m not writing for you anyway. You live in a different world.

    In the past, I used to swallow my anger and frustration because I could get killed if I messed up with one of Saddam’s personal friends, but now Saddam is gone and I’m not afraid and I won’t stay silent anymore. This is a difference Mr. Chirac, and it’s a great one, probably just to me and the rest of Iraqis but not to you, and you just have to understand that it’s not all about you and your European dream which no one want to steal from you by the way.

    The world is certainly not a better place after the war Mr. Chirac, but that’s your world, while our world, Iraqis as well as tens of millions of oppressed people everywhere who are dying for some help, is certainly MUCH better now, and I’m sure the Americans and the British world as well as most countries (including yours) is better and safer and will keep getting better. However I agree with you, as your world, your own personal world, the world of your fellow corrupt politicians in France, Russia, Germany, China and the stinking UN, your fortune and your influence is definitely suffering. I’m even surprised that you ‘saw’ that Saddam’s departure was positive ‘to a certain extent’, and I can’t wonder why is that! Is it because it left you with some bills you don’t have to pay?!

    Is my language too offensive?! Not as half as offensive and irritating as yours and I will NEVER apologize, not even after you apologize and pay the Iraqis back all the money you have stolen from us in return for supporting your partner, Saddam and keeping him in charge for few more years.

    You see, your problem and what separate you from men like Tony Blair is that you look only for what you might gain, and again ‘you’ is not the French people, but rather you in person and the bunch of hypocrites that so sadly control the French people and manipulate them through lies and silly arguments. You never cared what would happen to Iraqis and the rest of the world had Saddam stayed in power, while Tony Blair did. Do you know why? Because he and the British government with all the brave British people live in our world, while you don’t.

    Stupid British! Why should they care for us, America or their own kids when they can do exactly like you; take advantage of America’s need, blackmail her, support Saddam without taking much risk and gain billions of dollars.

    Stupid British!Haven’t they learned from WW2 when you got your country back and even decided the fate of other nations on victory even though half of you made peace with the Nazis!? You certainly don’t owe the British and the Americans anything for that, as it was just their own stupidity not to do the math and see how much would they gain. Their lands weren’t invaded and the Nazis were trying to make a peace with them, yet they refused and fought as hard as men and women can fight to free your country for you, so that your troops could march victoriously in Paris! And you dare say that the US doesn’t repay favors!??

    If you don’t like the world after Saddam, and if you miss him that much, you can keep living in your own world and we won’t bother you…at all.

    -By Ali.
    posted by Omar @ 02:41

    from http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/archives/2004_11_01_iraqthemodel_archive.html#110082299748022912

  • Prozac Nation

    Every now and then, I get a little annoyed with people my age who complain of problems in the world, and yet fail to do anything about it.

    It seems that it’s these same people who mock those who would see the world for its possiblities. I would hope that these cynics would not mock those in Iraq who are attempting to create a democracy.

    It was hard enough for me to get sailing club members to form an opinion long enough to draft our club constitution. How much more difficult must it be for a country that has been suppressed so long by Saddam and his cronies?

    Iraqis are fighting people who are so hard-hearted that they’d set fire to their own oil fields before allowing those who disagree with them to claim them.

    oilrefineryonfire

    (Their war tactics remind me terribly of one of my patients who claimed she attempted suicide by heroin overdose because she couldn’t make the man she loved stop doing cocaine. Talk about borderline personalities. . . .)

    Corie: “There are Watchers in this world and there are Do-ers. And the Watchers sit around watching the Do-ers do. Well, tonight you watched and I did.”

    Paul: “Yeah. . . Well, it was harder to watch what you did than it was for you to do what I was watching.”

    Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon

    An Iraqi blogger at http://ibnalrafidain.blogspot.com


    Tuesday, November 16, 2004
    Media Fabrications

    Arafat is a remarkable man. His death was useful for the current events in Iraq. It drew the Arabic media attention away from what’s happening in Fallujah. This media pours oil on the fire by spreading lot of fabricated news. Aljazeera satellite channel is one of these which has great role in increasing the Iraqis sufferings. As an example of that is the news which Aljazeera showed on the news bar, few days ago, about fierce fighting claiming that it had happened in my district in Baghdad. I did not read the news; I try to avoid watching Aljazeera since it causes lot of annoyance to me. A series of phone calls (which had just been repaired) to our house and the neighbors from relatives and friends in other districts, cities, abroad asking about our safety, drew our attention to the news. On ground nothing had happened of what Aljazeera said.
    Another story, the chief editor of an Arabic newspaper located in London, widely read in Arab world, recounted an incident which happened to him with one of the editors in the newspaper. He said that a picture, shows an American soldier speaking to an Iraqi girl, was to be published with an article. A comment which says (An American soldier instructing an Iraqi girl) was to be under the picture. What happened, the junior editor changed it to (An American soldier hitting on an Iraqi girl). Such comment stimulates a very conservative religious society as the one in Iraq.
    Now, what happened yesterday of showing an American soldier shooting an injured man in Fallujah will be the tambourine on which Aljazeera and Arabic media will play on for a long time.
    The crimes of breaking into hospitals, snatching injured Iraqi policemen and soldiers, cutting them into pieces by the insurgents are not criticized by Aljazeera. I am not justifying the American soldier conduct but people should be objective.
    Observing carefully the American performance in enforcing law shows the difference between them and us. Mistakes or crimes happen in any society but, in the US, they never stop pursuing the wrongdoer. It is an outcome of freedom. On the other hand we are ready to overlook lot of crimes that happen in Iraq.
    The crimes committed by Saddam’s closest assistants against the Iraqi people, many are filmed, had never been spoken about. No one dared to raise a voice to demand a trail because of fear. And the same fear is used nowadays by the insurgents to keep mouths shut.
    A society which can not enforce law should admit it and ask for help. I can say that the silenced Iraqi majority needs who can help to develop a better society.
    I hope that the Americans would help the Iraqis to, at least, touch the concept of democracy. The transparency in dealing with what happened in Iraqi prisons was marvelous. It is a very dynamic system which looks always forward to achieve better life. And I believe that freedom, democracy and justice made the great American nation.

    posted by Ibn_Alrafidain at 11:26 PM 8 comments

  • The Religious Right and Reproductive Freedom

    I‘ve yet to meet a fellow Catholic in this country who’d beat an atheist to death because he didn’t fast during Lent.

    Some people are complaining that Bush took away their reproductive rights. Last I heard, my friends are still reproducing. One of my high school friends just had her second child, a daughter. And some of my patients are still having legal abortions, elective and spontaneous — and in Middle America, even. Imagine that! I don’t know what alternate reality of the U.S. of A. these whiners are living in, but where I’m at, people still have their reproductive freedom. In fact, high schools are doling out condoms to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to express their reproductive freedom, even if it means they’re more likely to become pregnant and become one of my preecclampsia patients.

    Yup, I still have my reproductive freedom.

    Not so for this fellow:

    2004 Tuesday 16 November
    A 14 year old boy is sentenced to 85 lashes for breaking his Ramadan fast

    breakingramadanfast

    A 14 year old boy died on Thursday, November 11th, after having received 85 lashes; according to the ruling of the Mullah judge of the public circuit court in the town of Sanandadj he was guilty of breaking his fast during the month of Ramadan.

    The Kurdish site Rojeh’heh Lat reports that the young man’s identity has not been disclosed. He was scheduled for burial on Saturday, November 13th (after 3 days at the local morgue), in the cemetery of Beheshteh Mohammadi in Sanandadj. However due to the public’s realization of the events surrounding the boy’s circumstances the cemetery was stormed [in protest] and his burial did not take place.

    According to informed sources, supervisors have instructed that the burial take place in the presence of his closest relatives, surveyed by security forces.

    from http://www.iranpressnews.com/english/source/001327.html

    Or this woman:


    Mutilated Western Woman Found in Fallujah
    Home John Little at 9:33 am

    The body of a blonde-haired woman with her legs and arms cut off and throat slit was found lying on the street in Fallujah, a notorious enclave for hostage-takers, marines said.

    “It is definitely a Caucasian woman with long blonde hair,” said a military official, who cut open a cover that had been over the corpse. . . .

    “It is a female missing all four appendages, with a slashed throat and disembowled, she has been dead for a while but only in this location for a day or two,” said Benjamin Finnell, a hospital apprentice with the Navy Corps, who had inspected the body.

    An AFP photographer embedded with the marines said the woman was wearing a blue dress and her face was completely disfigured.

    from http://www.blogsofwar.com/archives/2004/11/14/mutilated-western-woman-found-in-fallujah/

    To me, “reproductive freedom” means that no one has the right to perform a hysterectomy on me against my will.

    I’m fertile, and I’m proud of it. Hand me another maxi pad, will ya? This one’s sopping wet.

  • America the Beautiful

    I remember the day my parents became naturalized U.S. citizens. I remember the exam book my mom studied at night for the test she had to take. I remember the crowd of people in that assembly hall in Virginia’s state capitol. We were all different colors and from all different countries. Beautiful people, who have a history that CBS never tells. Instead, I get to hear about all the people who are aching to leave the country because their “freedoms are being taken away.”

    To know what freedom means is a painful process. I welcome the whiners (most of whom were born in the U.S.) to leave the U.S. and define the word on their own.

    Please make room for people who have a different definition of the word.

    New U.S. citizens
    Sat, Nov 20, 2004

    immigration

    Dzenita Kajtaz, left, 15, hugs her mother, Samija Bektesevic, after Bektesevic became a U.S. citizen at a naturalization ceremony Friday at the Oneida County Office Building in Utica.

    The list of area residents who became U.S. citizens in a naturalization ceremony Friday at the Oneida County Office Building:

    Marcelo Anibarro, Spain, Utica

    Izabela Bartosik, Poland, Deerfield

    Dulsa Becirevic, Bosnia, Utica

    Mersija Behric, Yugoslavia, Utica,

    Samija Bektesevic, Bosnia, Utica

    Hannah Berkoh, Ghana, Utica

    Luba Nicole Boyko, Russia, Utica

    Asima Buljubasic, Bosnia, Utica

    Midhad Buljubasic, Bosnia, Utica

    Marija Catovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Zuhdija Cejvanovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Faruk Cemer, Bosnia, Utica

    Bing Chen, China, Utica

    Silke Delisle, Germany, Frankfort,

    Suad Dervisevic, Bosnia, Utica

    Suad Dizdarvic, Bosnia, Utica

    Zineta Dizdarevic, Bosnia, Utica

    Esma Dolic, Bosnia, Utica

    Emin Dzehverovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Zijad Dzelilovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Zerina Dzinovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Marisol Genao, Dominican Republic, Utica

    Amir Hekmatian, Iran, New York Mills

    Muradifa Hodzic, Bosnia, Utica

    Salim Hozanovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Ermina Kajtezovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Ismet Kalic, Bosnia, Utica

    Ibrahim Karagic, Bosnia, Utica

    Slavica Karagic, Bosnia, Utica

    Jasminka Karajkovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Galina Karpova, Russia, Utica

    Mirsad Kilim, Bosnia, Utica

    Faruk Kivrak, Turkey, Clinton

    Hasiba Lidan, Bosnia, Utica

    Rasim Lidan, Bosnia, Utica

    Melinda Mayer, Canada, Sauquoit

    Edina Miljkovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Nura Miljkovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Senad Miljkovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Olga Naumenko, Russia, Newport

    Tatiana Naumenko, Russia, Newport

    Lan Chi Thi Nguyen, Vietnam, Utica

    Elvira Pazara, Bosnia, Utica

    Asmira Pehlic, Bosnia, Utica

    Mirsad Pjanic, Bosnia, Utica

    Edina Rosic, Bosnia, Utica

    Hase Rosic, Bosnia, Utica

    Amira Sakanovic, Bosnia, Utica

    Nick Simonchyk, Belarus, Clinton

    Irving Tavarez, Dominican Republic, Utica

    Merisa Tricic, Bosnia, Utica

    Sofya Tur, Belarus, Herkimer

    Ifeta Zvronicanin, Bosnia, Utica

    BECOMING A CITIZEN

    To become a citizen, people must be able to understand, read, write and speak English; know about U.S. history and government; have good moral character; believe in the U.S. Constitution; and be at least 18 years old.

    Candidates must fill out an application, provide documentation, pay a $310 fee, have fingerprints taken, have a personal interview and attend a naturalization ceremony.

    Applicants can apply up to 90 days before the five-year anniversary of their arrival. The process takes five to nine months from the time the application is sent.

    Those who take the oath of citizenship can travel with a U.S. passport, obtain government jobs, hold office and vote.

    from http://www.uticaod.com/archive/2004/11/20/news/13211.html

  • Samir – Someone You Should Know

    Did you ever wonder who that guy was holding Saddam on the ground?

    samir-and-saddam

    Well, KSDK TV (NBC) in St. Louis, Missouri, found him. His name is Samir and he was a translator for the Army during the quest to capture Saddam.


    EXCLUSIVE: Local Man Tells Of Helping Capture Saddam

    By Deanne Lane

    (KSDK) — It’s a world famous photograph, showing a man wearing military camouflage holding Saddam Hussein down on the ground. What few people knew, until now, that man lives in the St. Louis area.

    “I just told myself it can’t be, no way,” says 34 year old Samir. He’s asked us not to use his last name, or identify exactly where he lives. . . .

    . . . “We saw the hole for the bunker but it hard to believe someone live in that hole. It was really small,” Samir remembers. “They shot in there and he started yelling, “Don’t shoot, don’t shoot, don’t kill me.’” So I had to talk to him. I was the translator. I said, ‘Just come out.’ He kept saying, ‘Don’t shoot. Don’t kill me.’”

    In Arabic Samir said he continued to pursuade Saddam to come out. He was about to come face to face with the tyrant who killed his loved ones. Saddam was the reason he fled Iraq in 1991 and eventually moved to St. Louis.

    Samir says, “I was like, ‘I got him.’” We all reached him and pulled him out. And we say Saddam Hussein he looks really old. He looks disgusting.” There was also anger. “You want to beat the crap out of him. He destroyed millions in Iraq. I’m one. I left my family 13 years ago because of him.”

    Saddam couldn’t fight back, but he did speak out. “He called me a spy. He called me a traitor. I had to punch him in face. They had to hold me back. I got so angry I almost lost my mind. I didn’t know what to do. Choke him to death. That’s really not good enough.”

    For Samir, this was sweet justice. One of Iraq’s own, now a U.S. citizen, helping arrest one of the world’s most wanted fugitives. . . .

    . . . Soon, Samir will return overseas for more work as an interpreter. He says he’s glad to do it for the country he now calls home. “I don’t call myself hero. I call it lucky. A lot of people helped but I was there at the right time.”


    Thanks to John Wolff, Executive News Producer at KSDK, for letting me know about the story.

    [Read about more people "that you should know" - here]

    from http://www.blackfive.net/main/2004/07/samir_someone_y.html

    a blog by Blackfive

  • If You Can’t Find It, Make It

    I‘ve always admired people who build boats. I most especially admire designers who, failing to find the features they want, do what I hope to do one day — make it themselves.

    While I was in Newport Beach, I went to Back Bay and met a guy who designed and built a tandem sailing kayak. This beautiful boat has all the features I wish I would have thought of myself. The outriggers provide stability on really windy days. The foot pedals control the rudder, allowing one the freedom to work with the lines. Everything leads right to the cockpit, within easy reach. The hull weighs only 80 lbs (light enough to cartop, although he’s designed trailers for them). The main is roller-furling, which makes rigging and de-rigging 10 times faster than rigging traditional mainsails, not to mention not having to fold it on the sand after use. The outriggers collapse to make the total beam about 3 feet, but they are also removeable.

    The seats face forward and are molded, he said, after chairs designed by some guy who made furniture in the ’60-’70′s. He said he prefers facing foward when sailing because he’s used to facing forward in land-sailing. (North American Land Sailing Association)

    It’s a lovely design, and I was impressed with all the thoughtful details. He said it took him years to design a boat that he wanted, and he doesn’t like to do computer graphics. He said he prefers to just go ahead and build one to see what works and what needs to be changed.


    There are 15 of these cute things in existence.

    He let me sail it around Back Bay for a while, and I have to say, it is a sweet little boat, although the outriggers slow it down a little bit. He said he’d help cover shipping costs, if I wanted to buy one, my being out-of-state and all. Give me another year of paychecks, and I just might take him up on that offer.

    Marvelous idea! But don’t take my word for it. If you’re ever in Newport Beach, I recommend stopping by Back Bay. He’ll probably give you a test drive too.

  • Ubiquitous

    ‘Unhappy with the recent election? ‘Tired of Western society? There are recruiters who are happy to take volunteers for the eradication of Christians and Westerners in the beautiful islands of Southern Philippines. If you join today, you can become one of the many who enjoy guerilla-style training in tropical surroundings. Don’t forget your malathione! After all, in the tropics, malaria is more common than AIDS!

    Terrorism in the Philippines
    by Dirk J. Barreveld

    Editorial Reviews

    . . . Abu Sayyaf, the name means Father of the Sword, was founded in 1991 by Abdurazzak Janjalani, a young Filipino mujahideen, upon his return from the war in Afghanistan. Bin Laden and Al Qa’ida, but also WTC bomber Ramzi Yousef, were instrumental in the creation of Abu Sayyaf.

    Time and again Abu Sayyaf made international headlines for taking hostages, cashing in millions of dollars in ransom money or by beheading their victims. They call themselves freedom fighters for an Islamic State in the Philippines, but they leave everywhere a trail of blood from innocent victims, which makes them ruthless criminals.

    This book looks at the root causes of the problem. How did these young men, all belonging to the fierce Tausug tribe, a tribe where ritual suicide is a custom, become international terrorists.

    Militant Islam
    by Zachary Abuza

    Editorial Reviews

    The recent deadly bomb attacks against Indonesian targets frequented by Westerners make this a timely and important book. Abuza is assistant professor of international politics at Simmons College, and he has traveled widely in Southeast Asia. He disturbingly asserts that al-Qaeda has successfully expanded its influence and military striking power into this volatile region, which could have dire consequences for Western interests. Concentrating primarily on the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, Abuza shows how al-Qaeda has capitalized on lax security, corrupt bureaucracies, and legitimate grievances of Islamic groups to bond with or sometimes completely absorb indigenous Islamic movements in these nations. Many of the homegrown Islamic militants fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan, and now thousands of young men are being educated in Islamic schools across the Middle East, where they are inculcated with a Wahhabi brand of puritanical Islam that is fanatically anti-Western. Chilling and essential reading for both professionals and general readers concerned with the ongoing struggle against terrorism.
    Jay Freeman
    Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

    Seeds of Terror
    by Maria Ressa

    Editorial Reviews

    While the Middle East receives much scrutiny as the home of extremist Muslim terrorists, Maria Ressa offers a closer look at Southeast Asia as a hotspot where Al-Qaeda forces and other organizations are continually growing larger and more powerful. Ressa, the CNN bureau chief in Jakarta, has been based in the region for most of her career and provides a highly unsettling inside perspective to the people and events of that region. Islamist terrorist networks are, by nature, shadowy and complex, especially to Westerners who might have difficulty understanding the cultures from which they spring, but Ressa adroitly explains the various people and factions in ways that are highly compelling and deeply disturbing. Although Osama bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, and other Middle Eastern Al-Qaeda figures are featured here, Ressa also recalls personal interviews she conducted with Abu Bakar Ba’Asyir, the so-called “Asian Osama bin Laden,” who denies any connection with terrorist organizations and acts despite voluminous evidence to the contrary. And personal experiences such as that are what make Seeds of Terror such an engrossing work of non-fiction. Tensions are consistently high in the region, especially for a western woman trying to learn the truth about what various groups are up to, and one comes to admire Ressa’s persistence in trying to get the story even while repeatedly putting herself in mortal danger. Highlights included an explanation of how a failed Al-Qaeda plot in Singapore gave way to a successful attack in Bali, the career trajectory of an Al-Qaeda operative whose training begins in adolescence, and a look at the very real threat of ninja attacks. There are numerous books that provide investigations of terrorist networks but Ressa’s unique point of view combined with how relatively under-publicized the Southeast Asian terrorist threat has been make this a must-read for anyone trying to understand how terrorism grows and spreads. –John Moe

    Did I mention that I love living in the United States? I cannot say how much I appreciate the sacrifices made by the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

    The other day, I thanked a serviceman, and he thanked me for what I do each day as well. I am really happy that I spent my medical school years training at the Veterans Administration Hospital because I got to meet a lot of the soldiers who fought in Philippines in World War II. There are few left who understand what happened in Asia in the early 1900′s. It’s nice to talk with those who remember.

  • For Those Who Weep

    I guess some people feel really badly when their parents ground them for coming home late. Maybe some feel really crappy when they can’t go to Disneyworld on vacation. Some people get upset when the vending machine doesn’t owe up to that bag of Ruffles potato chips, when you’ve already put in the $0.75.

    May they never feel the pain felt by those who were left alive when Saddam Hussein gave orders to kill their family members.

    from http://massgraves.info/

    Kudos to Varifrank and UnixDude for their posts and links.

    I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I voted for Bush, but I don’t expect oil prices to go down after the Iraq War. I pray that the money that was supposed to go to these people for their land’s oil is repaid to them 10-fold for the suffering the U.N. made them endure.

  • Ms. Hassan

    For those who actually have the courage to pray, please say a prayer for the family and friends of Ms. Hassan, whom many fear has been killed by her captors. It is a bitter feeling to not be appreciated for hard work. I’m sure it’s even more bitter to have a loved one die at the hands of people who did not appreciate her life. My prayers for all the innocent Iraqi citizens who have been executed by people who are so blinded by hate of “infidels” that they cannot differentiate between friend and foe.


    Family Heartbreak Over Hassan Fate

    Looking gaunt, her Iraqi husband, Tahseen Ali Hassan, said, “I have been told that there is a video of Margaret which appears to show her murdered. The video may be genuine but I do not know. I beg those people who took Margaret to tell me what they have done with her.”

    Hassan’s wife was kidnapped on October 19 by a group that did not identify itself. Videotapes surfaced Tuesday purportedly showing her killing.

    Arab network Al-Jazeera reported, “Al-Jazeera has obtained a video showing a masked militant shooting a blindfolded woman, who was referred to as Margaret Hassan, in the head using a handgun. Al-Jazeera decided to wait on reporting the news until it confirmed the authenticity of the tape.”

    Al-Jazeera did not show the video.

    CARE, for whom Hassan had worked for more than 12 years, issued a written statement through a spokesman.

    “It is with profound sadness that we have learnt of the existence of a video in which it appears that our colleague Margaret Hassan has been killed. We are shocked and appalled that this has been the apparent oucome of her abduction.”

    Hassan, who was in her 60s, held dual British and Iraqi citizenships.

    British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said, “Our experts have been examining a video which appeared to show that Margaret Hassan has been murdered, to establish whether it is genuine.

    “As a result of our analysis, we have today had to inform Margaret Hassan’s family that, sadly, we now believe that she has probably been murdered, although we cannot conclude this with complete certainty.”

    His written statement continued, “I want to express my deepest sympathy and condolences to Margaret’s family. They have been through a month of the most terrible uncertainty and torment. To kidnap and kill anyone is inexcusable.

    But it is repugnant to commit such a crime against a woman who has spent most of her life working for the good of the people of Iraq.”

    Hassan was a highly respected humanitarian official in the Middle East. Shortly after her abduction, patients at a Baghdad hospital took to the streets to protest the kidnapping.

    They credited her with helping to rebuild the medical facility last year.

    Hassan’s family said Hassan had devoted her life to caring for the poor and vulnerable. They said in a written statement, in part:

    “Our hearts are broken. We have kept hoping for as long as we could, but we now have to accept that Margaret has probably gone and at last her suffering has ended.

    “For the past 30 years, Margaret worked tirelessly for the Iraqi people.

    “Margaret had only good will towards everyone. She had no prejudice against any creed. She dedicated her whole life to working for the poor and vulnerable, helping those who had no one else.”

    from http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/11/16/iraq.hassan/index.html

    Kidnappings like these have been happening for quite some time, even before the Iraq War. Not just in Iraq, but in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.

    No one ever talked about it before, until it became a campaign issue.

    You know, “Vote for Kerry, so the terrorists won’t be so mad.” (And supposedly the Republicans were the ones with the “scare tactics.”) I didn’t need Kerry propaganda to be scared, since I actually know what goes on in other countries besides America.