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He still aims to get into the U.S.
Despite spending time in jail and losing money, Iraqi man hopes to try again to sneak into America
Uday Abed's determination to get to the United States has already cost him $22,000 and three days in jail on the other side of the world — but that hasn't put him off.
His quest began last September when, he says, a group of men wearing police uniforms pounced on him and a group of friends as they returned to his apartment one evening. The men pushed him and his friends to the ground, put boots on their heads, asked them if they were insurgents and then stole their possessions.
The incident rattled Abed, a 29-year-old auto mechanic, leaving him convinced he was at risk as a Christian living in a majority-Shiite area of Baghdad.
"I think they were trying to scare me into leaving," he said. "Everyone in Iraq is in danger, especially Christians because we have no one to protect us."
So he decided to leave the country — and not to go to neighboring Syria or Jordan, where an estimated 2 million Iraqis already had taken refuge.
He resolved to get to America, and he knew of only one way: Pay a smuggler.
Through a friend who had made it to Sweden after paying $14,000, Abed established contact with a British-Iraqi man in Syria who said he could smuggle Abed to the United States for $22,000. Abed sold his family's two cars, took out his savings, borrowed from his parents and went to Syria with the money.
At a cafe in Damascus, he handed the cash to the smuggler in return for an airline ticket to Caracas, Venezuela, and a promise that the system was fail-safe.
Once he reached Caracas, the smuggler told Abed, he would find that the Venezuelan Immigration officers had been bribed to let him through without a visa. He would be taken to a house in the city. There he would be issued a ticket for Los Angeles and a forged Cypriot passport, complete with valid Venezuelan and U.S. visas.
Once he reached the United States, he was to confess and claim political asylum.
It all went exactly as the smuggler had planned — until Abed was about to board the plane to Los Angeles. Ahead of him in line, a policeman was pulling aside passengers and asking them questions. The ones who had been set aside looked Iraqi, and when Abed reached the front of the line, he also was asked to step aside.
The smuggler hadn't prepared him for such an eventuality, and Abed quickly confessed that he was an Iraqi and that his Cypriot passport was forged. "I think someone had tipped off the police," he said.
Altogether, eight other Iraqi men and a family of four were pulled off the Los Angeles flight. Before being deported back to Iraq, Abed spent three days in jail in Caracas with the other Iraqi men. They all had stories of fear, of kidnapping ordeals and murdered relatives. And they all had paid the same man in Syria $22,000 in return for a promise to get them to America.
Now back in Baghdad, Abed wants a refund. He has tried to find the smuggler, without success. "I want my money back. And I want to hear from him, why did we get caught?" Abed said. "He was so confident."
Though he is bitter, he is not deterred. He is saving his money for a new attempt and has been trying to find another smuggler, so far without success.
"Would I do the same again? Yes, of course," he said. "It's been five years they're telling us things are getting better, and still there's no electricity, no water and no stability. The war is over, but the violence is still there, the hatred and the revenge." Despite spending time in jail and losing money, Iraqi man hopes to try again to sneak into America ... more -
Iraq PM demanding changes to US military deal
BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is demanding changes to a draft deal on the status of U.S. forces beyond this year, a key Shiite ally in the governing coalition said on Sunday.
"There are points in the agreement that are still pending, and they can't be approved without changes in order to preserve the complete sovereignty of Iraq," the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council quoted Maliki as telling fellow Shiite politicians at a meeting on Saturday.
Iraq's chief negotiator, Mohammed al-Haj Hammoud, had told AFP on Friday that the two negotiating teams had finalized a 27-point deal to put before the two governments and it was now up to the leaders to take a decision.
Hammoud said that the agreement had already been endorsed by U.S. President George W. Bush, although a White House spokesman later said that the discussions were still ongoing.
The statement from the office of SIIC leader Sheikh Abdel Aziz al-Hakim said Maliki's comments came at a meeting of the United Iraqi Alliance, the Shiite bloc that leads the government and in which the SIIC and Maliki's Dawa party are the two main factions.
"The leaders of the UIA focussed on the security agreement between the United States and Iraq in order to ensure that the deal safeguards Iraqi sovereignty and national interests," it said.
Hammoud said Friday that the deal provides for all U.S. combat troops to pull out of Iraqi cities by next June ahead of a complete withdrawal from Iraq by 2011.
But White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said any dates in the agreement under discussion were "aspirational timelines" rather than formal deadlines. BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is demanding changes to a draft deal on the status of U.S. forces beyond this year, a k... more -
US troop withdrawal agreement nears for Iraqis?
BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq and the U.S. are near an agreement on all American combat troops leaving Iraq by October 2010, with the last soldiers out three years after that, two Iraqi officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. U.S. officials, however, insisted no dates had been agreed.
The proposed agreement calls for Americans to hand over parts of Baghdad's Green Zone - where the U.S. Embassy is located - to the Iraqis by the end of 2008. It would also remove U.S. forces from Iraqi cities by June 30, 2009, according to the two senior officials, both close to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and familiar with the negotiations.
The officials, who spoke separately on condition of anonymity because the talks are ongoing, said all U.S. combat troops would leave Iraq by October 2010, with the remaining support personnel gone "around 2013." The schedule could be amended if both sides agree - a face-saving escape clause that would extend the presence of U.S. forces if security conditions warrant it.
U.S. acceptance - even tentatively - of a specific timeline would represent a dramatic reversal of American policy in place since the war began in March 2003.
Both Iraqi and American officials agreed that the deal is not final and that a major unresolved issue is the U.S. demand for immunity for U.S. soldiers from prosecution under Iraqi law.
Throughout the conflict, President Bush steadfastly refused to accept any timetable for bringing U.S. troops home. Last month, however, Bush and al-Maliki agreed to set a "general time horizon" for ending the U.S. mission.
Bush's shift to a timeline was seen as a move to speed agreement on a security pact governing the U.S. military presence in Iraq after the U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.
Iraq's Shiite-led government has been holding firm for some sort of withdrawal schedule - a move the Iraqis said was essential to win parliamentary approval.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad declined to comment on details of the talks. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nangtongo said the negotiations were taking place "in a constructive spirit" based on respect for Iraqi sovereignty.
In Washington, U.S. officials acknowledged that some progress has been made on the timelines for troop withdrawals but that the immunity issue remained a huge problem. One senior U.S. official close to the discussion said no dates have been agreed upon.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations have not been finished.
But the Iraqis insisted the dates had been settled preliminarily between the two sides, although they acknowledged that nothing is final until the entire negotiations have been completed.
One Iraqi official said persuading the Americans to accept a timetable was a "key achievement" of the talks and that the government would seek parliamentary ratification as soon as the deal is signed.
But differences over immunity could scuttle the whole deal, the Iraqis said. One of the officials described immunity as a "minefield" and said each side was sticking by its position.
On Thursday, a spokesman for Muqtada al-Sadr said the Shiite cleric will call on his fighters to maintain a cease-fire against American troops - but may lift the order if the security agreement fails to contain a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal.
The statement by Sheik Salah al-Obeidi came as al-Sadr planned to spell out details of a formula to reorganize his Mahdi Army militia by separating it into an unarmed cultural organization and elite fighting cells.
The announcement is expected during weekly Islamic prayer services on Friday. BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq and the U.S. are near an agreement on all American combat troops leaving Iraq by October 2010, with the last soldi... more -
Troops Remain Ill-Prepared to Interact With Iraqis
A few months ago, Sgt. First Class Robert Rollheiser and his platoon were locked in fierce battle in Sadr City with the Mahdi Army (JAM), a Shiite militia. Today, they're surrounded by a group of locals just a few miles from the city where a woman has accused some local boys of belonging to JAM.
Upon investigation, it appears she wanted to get the attention of US soldiers to seek their help in mitigating a family dispute that arose when her son refused an unattractive bride. The alleged JAM members were, in fact, the bride's brothers and had threatened the picky groom-to-be. Having determined this, Sergeant Rollheiser tells the group, "You need to call the police. We don't handle these types of problems. I am not Dr. Phil."
When major fighting ended almost overnight in Baghdad in late May, US soldiers had to make a sharp transition from fighters to peacekeepers. Counterinsurgency efforts have always required a careful balance between these two roles, but many soldiers say none have required such quick switches as Iraq. The US Army has taken major steps to ready soldiers for an environment in which they are asked both to fight and interact with locals. But many still feel underprepared.
"For just about any groundpounding-type soldier, you train to fight," says Cpt. Drew Lorentzen, Echo company commander for the 1-68 Combined Arms Battalion, who is from Newport Beach, Calif. "The difficulty isn't that we've gone from kinetic [major combat] to non-kinetic – the difficulty is that we've gone from kinetic to non-kinetic so fast." A few months ago, Sgt. First Class Robert Rollheiser and his platoon were locked in fierce battle in Sadr City with the Mahdi Army (JA... more -
Filthy Drinking water in Baghdad raises concerns about cholera
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Just months after Americans repaired a sewage treatment plant in southern Baghdad, insurgents attacked the facility and killed the manager. Looters took care of the rest.
Nearly three years later, the plant remains an abandoned shell. Raw sewage is still flowing freely through giant pipes into the Tigris River, ending up in some of the capital's drinking water. And those pipes are hardly the only source of contamination.
Many residents only have to sniff the tap water to know something is not right.
The water crisis began as a symptom of the problems that plagued reconstruction efforts in the early years of the war. Extremists attacked infrastructure projects, including electricity stations and sewage plants, to undermine support for the U.S. and its Iraqi allies. Law and order broke down, with looters stealing pipes, power lines and other equipment.
But now, the recent decline in violence is raising hopes that the government can focus on repairing critical public services crippled by war and neglect. Perhaps the most complex: trying to control what goes into waterways and what comes out of Baghdad taps.
Two-thirds of the raw sewage produced in the capital flows untreated into rivers and waterways, Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, said in his quarterly report released Wednesday.
U.S. and Iraqi officials insist that the tap water in most of Baghdad is of at least fairly good quality because it comes from less polluted areas north of the city. In fact, more Iraqis nationwide have access to potable water now than before the war - 20 million people compared with 12.9 million previously, according to Bowen's report. BAGHDAD (AP) -- Just months after Americans repaired a sewage treatment plant in southern Baghdad, insurgents attacked the facility an... more -
Kucinich: We went to Iraq for oil
Rep. Dennis Kucinich has accused the US of forcing Iraq to privatize its oil fields and keeping US troops at war to protect Iraqi oil reserves.
Kucinich who has introduced measures to impeach George W. Bush and Dick Cheney said on Thursday that oil executives who secretly met with the vice president in 2001 alongside oil company executives should be held criminally liable for pushing an illegal war.
SECRET MEETINGS
"In March of 2001, when the Bush Administration began to have secret meetings with oil company executives from Exxon, Shell and BP, spreading maps of Iraq oil fields before them, the price of oil was USD 23.96 per barrel. Then there were 63 companies in 30 countries, other than the US, competing for oil contracts with Iraq," the Ohio Democrat said during a speech on the House floor.
"Today the price of oil is $135.59 per barrel, the US Army is occupying Iraq and the first Iraq oil contracts will go, without competitive bidding to, surprise, (among a very few others) Exxon, Shell and BP."
CHENEY MET OIL COMPANY EXECUTIVES
In March 2001, two years before Iraq was invaded, Cheney met with top executives from Exxon Mobil Corp., Shell Oil Co., BP America Inc. and others on his infamous secret Energy Task Force.
Kucinich seemed to accuse participants in that meeting of plotting the invasion of Iraq. There's no indication that the participants discussed military action, although documents later released showed they did eye Iraq's oil fields.
ACCOUNTABILITY
"Our nation's soul is stained because we went to war for the oil companies and their profits. There must be accountability not only with this administration for its secret meetings and its open illegal warfare but also for the oil company executives who were willing participants in a criminal enterprise of illegal war, the deaths of our soldiers and innocent Iraqis and the extortion of the national resources of Iraq," he said.
WMD FOUND- IT WAS OIL
"We have found the weapon of mass destruction in Iraq. It is oil," Kucinich continued. "As long as the oil companies control our government Americans will continue to pay and pay, with our lives, our fortunes our sacred honor." Rep. Dennis Kucinich has accused the US of forcing Iraq to privatize its oil fields and keeping US troops at war to protect Iraqi oil ... more -
6 dead in Baghdad car bombings
"A suicide car bomb and another car packed with explosives targeted Iraqi police patrols Saturday on opposite sides of Baghdad, killing at least five people, police said.
The suicide attacker rammed into a police patrol mid-afternoon in Nisoor Square on the capital's west side, killing a civilian and a policeman, police said. Another five people were wounded.
The other explosion took place nearly simultaneously across town at a crowded bus stop where passengers were lining up to catch rides to eastern Shiite neighborhoods, though police said the target was the passing convoy of a top Iraqi police general.
Three people were killed and 15 wounded, Brig. Nazar Majeed among them, said an officer on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to media."
By Sameer N Yacoub, Associated Press Writer "A suicide car bomb and another car packed with explosives targeted Iraqi police patrols Saturday on opposite sides of Baghdad, k... more -
Blackwater Grand Jury Hears Iraqi Witnesses
The FBI has brought four Iraqi witnesses, including the father of a dead 9-year-old boy, to testify before a federal grand jury investigating Blackwater security guards accused of killing 17 innocent civilians last year at a Baghdad traffic square.
The men were brought in over the weekend and seen today at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., where the Blackwater grand jury has been sitting since last November. The FBI has brought four Iraqi witnesses, including the father of a dead 9-year-old boy, to testify before a federal grand jury invest... more -
Steps backward: women’s rights in Iraq
Women in Iraq are enduring great hardships. Since the fall of Saddam, despite attempts to improve women’s rights, many feel their rights are slipping. Here's a video documentary made by the great guys at Alive in Baghdad. Women in Iraq are enduring great hardships. Since the fall of Saddam, despite attempts to improve women’s rights, many feel their righ... more
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Dog or Iraqi, Who gets waterboarded?
"This is a high-stakes democratic election between dog and man in which the winner will be publicly waterboarded. On the evening of April 21st, 2008 the creature with the most votes will be subjected to the popular interrogation technique in front of a live audience at an undisclosed New York location.Tune in here to find out where, and don’t forget to vote!" By Wafaa Bilal
Vote here:
http://www.dogoriraqi.com/
or for more info about Mr. Wafaa (the Iraqi) see the Washington post article at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20... "This is a high-stakes democratic election between dog and man in which the winner will be publicly waterboarded. On the evening ... more -
Chemical Ali' execution approved
The execution of Saddam Hussein's cousin and henchman "Chemical Ali" has been approved by Iraq's presidency.
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Iraqi parliament passes 'key legislation' after weeks of talks
Iraq's parliament has approved three 'key pieces of legislation' which, following weeks of talks, will see a date being set for the provincial elections, the allotment of $48 billion for 2008 spending as well as providing 'limited amnesty' to detainees being held in Iraqi custody.
The '3-in-1' measures were grouped together after a minority of fearful Kurds reportedly had worries about being 'double-crossed' on their allotment of the budgeted 2008 funds for their partly self-governed region of northern Iraq.
The measures have not been fully approved as of yet, they are still waiting for clearance by the three-member presidency council. Although it seems no-one's in a hurry, the parliament has just begun a five-week holiday. Iraq's parliament has approved three 'key pieces of legislation' which, following weeks of talks, will see a date being... more -
10 things we need to understand about the Middle East.
The title says it all.
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