an Iraqi soccer player's plea. . .a response ? (long)

[stellanoir]

Before they were gagged on Monday for making anti-American statements, the press quoted three Iraqi soccer players as having said, in response to being used in *'s ("two more countries are free") Olympic commercial, (am paraphrasing),

"We do not wish to be exploited this way."

"How does Bush can expect to be at peace with his god when he has slaughtered so many people. . .?"

"If I was not a soccer player, I'd be an insurgent." (that one was from the garden spot of Falluja.)

Then their coach said,"We are not free. We are under occupation. This is one of the most miserable times."

Then today on an earlier thread, an Iraqi player named Kshaish said,

"Tell the American human beings to help Iraq. Not the soldiers, not the government, we do not believe them. We believe in the people behind them, the human beings of America, and Iraqi's need their help."

As an American whose been deeply disturbed by our actions over the last 3 years, I'm compelled to respond to his request. I simply don't know how.

I'm starting this thread as a test balloon. We cannot rely on traditional channels of humanitarian aid as westerners are so rightfully distrusted at this point, there is so much corruption,
waste, and fraudulance that there is no assurance that the providers of that aid would not be at horrendous risk, or that the aid would even be received by those who most need it. Halliburton, Bechtel, KB & R, and CACI have effectively "insensitively" and irrevocably blown any chance of reestablishing any degree of trust with the Iraqis.

I've spent the last year and a half reading both riverbend's and Salam Pax's blogs.

I thought the whole time I was reading both of their blogs, that these young and vibrant people should have a voice in the new Iraq. They have fantastic handles on both, their and our cultures. They are multilingual and articulate. They would be trusted by Iraqis. Unlike Alawi and Chalabi, they are not long term exiles and CIA puppets.

riverbend has barely posted this summer. I'm sure she's totally exasperated and exhausted. http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com

Salam http://dearraed.blogspot.com hasn't posted since April.
He had a contract with the Guardian but hasn't written anything for them since early summer. In his last article, he was pleading for a job and saying that he had been disowned from his family of whom he had in the past been very proud, undoubtedly for the personal revelations of his blog. I'm deeply concerned about his well being.

We the people, allowed our highly inept government to trash a stable, sovereign, though thoroughly corrupt government, to totally annihilate their infrastructure and stability. We the people, cannot trust the people in charge to rectify this unconscionable situation.

I'm merely proposing here that we have a discussion, pool our collective mideast contacts and write a letter to riverbend and salam and whoever else we may know of over there, and open up a dialogue to discuss how we as individuals can best respond to this Iraqi sport's hero's heartfelt plea, for we, the human beings of America to figure out the best way to ammeliorate their plight. This would constitute a far better example of "group think" than our so-called intelligence agencies have demonstrated of late. (bad intelligence=shear stupidity)

For a very long time, I've been contemplating writing an open apology to both riverbend and Salam, "we're sorry for the horrors we've inflicted on your country. We've been lead for the past 4 years by a virtual incompetant, and we're sorry for your suffering. Now please advise us as to how we can help to rectify your situation. . ." I've yet to do so.

First off, perhaps we need to acknowledge that we completely underestimated these people. They are among the most educated and skilled people in the MidEast (plenty of PHD's), if not the world. But we plowed in there, filled with mistrust, with most of our forces programmed with our dubious leader's stupidly simplistic rhetoric believing that they were responsible for 9/11. How many unnecessary casualties and unforgivable incidents of torture of innocents resulted from that lie? We rendered 70% of the skilled poplulation unemployed when any thoughtful person is well aware that desparation is the true root of terrorism. With no future. . .what would you do. . .?

We gouged our treasury paying foreigners to perform simple tasks, such as truck driving. (no offense to truck drivers-honestly, but don't you think an Iraqi could perform this task for far less than $130,000 per anum and with far greater success (fluency and social acceptance?)

We as human beings, might contemplate the means by which we can fix this. As the Iraqi soccer player suggests, we can't leave it up to our leaders to do it, he no longer trusts them.

As our media ruminates over the atrocities committed over 30 years ago in a lost war, and the stand off at Crawford today (which in truth, was somewhat entertaining). and Kobe, Scott, and Jacko (boring and trivial to those not immediately involved), lots of people, on both sides are dying, being wounded, and the situation in Najaf surronding the shrine is enraging all the Islamic people around the world. Pssssst. . .That's tons of billions of people.

Al Sistani, the most moderate voice in the Shiite community is calling for a march on Najaf. We're again bombing the crap out of what's left of Faluja. Oh joy.

Never mind what's happening in Sudan or how *'s rhetoric has inspired both North Korea and Iran to go nuclear.

I don't have a simple solution for these most untenable situations. I just know that the internet is a medium that enables individuals to speak to other anonymous individuals in far flung places. That is truly unprecedented. Maybe we could take advantage of it for this Iraqi guy.

Perhaps, if we open a dialogue, not to bitch about the media, or campaign tactics, then we can speak directly with the Iraqi's to answer this soccer players simply plaintiff request. "Iraqi's need (our) help." How can we best help. . .?

Please discuss constructively if you so desire.

Thanks

Rant over.

[Jo March]

1. I feel so helpless and ashamed when I see pictures of dead kids

Little ones who aren't political, lying in dirt and filth, dead or dying. I want to scream and shake my fist at the sky but that won't help.

What will help? I don't have the amount of money that it takes to make a dent but there has to be something that I can do.

Those children - I keep seeing pictures of their lifeless bodies. As a parent, I am so filled with grief.

There has to be something that we can do.

[stellanoir]

4. I hear you. But. . .It's not about money

It's about awareness. Throwing money at a problem never works anyway. Let's simply put our heads together communicate with the Muslims we know or have access to and come up with someway of helping these folks in non traditional means.

[silverlib]

2. Wonderful post...

I think you are right on the mark. What can we do? If you should decide to sent a statement, I'm sure many here, including me, would be happy to add signatures.

I don't have a lot of money to offer, but should you get something started, I would be happy to contribute.

Please keep us posted if you decide to pursue this and if I can help you in any way. I have been reading riverside's blog and am in total agreement that this young woman is incredible.

I just saw "Control Room" yesterday evening. I was most impressed by statements made that the Iraqi's trust our Constitution and believe that it will stand and that the Americans will stop this administration. That really empowered me, as up until then, I wasn't sure that I trust the American people to make the changes necessary in November and thereafter to alter this course.

Peace to you!

[stellanoir]

5. Thanks but again

I'm not soliciting money. I'm soliciting ideas We have to come up with a way of communicating with these folks so we can better identify a way of best supporting them, through non traditional means that have obviously fallen short. I mean sh*t,
OBL said that one of the three reasons for 9/11, was that UN sanctions on Iraq, were supposed to debilitate Saddam, only hurt children. I'm not saying that's true. I have no way of knowing, aside from the corruption that's been exposed regarding the old oil for food program. It's a bloody snake's nest.

I just wish we could find a way to respond appropriately to this guy.

[Cronus Protagonist]

3. As usual, a picture is worth a thousand words

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. I have the vague feeling I heard Salam Pax is in Najaf

it was a few days ago, I think on British TV (or maybe radio). However, I can't back this up with anything from the web - and it was just something that someone said in a report.

[stellanoir]

7. OMG

hope he's okay.

[HamdenRice]

8. Kick - because this is sooo important

This is very important because some of the worst foreign policy blunders of the US have been ameliorated by the work of the American people. For example, the shameful support of the apartheid government of South Africa was partly offset by the disinvestment movement and other non-governmental efforts to assist the people of South Africa.

The South African experience was so big and important that the progressive foreign policy scholars began to refer to "people to people" diplomacy and non-governmental diplomacy.

Similar trends occurred with

Whatever happen in Iraq and whatever happens in November, we the people who are opposed to this shameful, destructive policy need to begin to make people to people diplomatic contacts in Iraq.

And you are absolutely right that this kind of forum is the place to do it. We should start pooling whatever conceivable contacts we have with the people of Iraq to show our solidarity and opposition to the war.

[Greenbeard]

9. excellent post

we should do all we can to let the rest of the world know that there are still many of us in the US that do care. The internet is great for getting that message across. Besides that, I just don't know. It sure would help if we could get more citizens within this nation thinking with a little more intelligence and compassion. Then maybe our leaders would follow along.

[stellanoir]

10. thanks so much. . .

Appreciate the feedback from all of you. I'm doing a self aggrandizing kick here.

Perhaps I just posted this at a slow time, but I hardly can belief that more than 6 out of 40,000 people don't feel remotely moved to address this concern. . . ?

[eridani]

11. Is the Sister City program still going?

That has been a very effective way for people to connect without working through national governments, though city governments have to be involved.