Bye-Bye Baghdad

[marmar]

from Truthdig:


Bye-Bye Baghdad


Posted on Aug 17, 2007



By Anonymous

Editor’s Note: The author of this article is a contractor who has lived and worked in Baghdad for the past 16 months. He has written anonymously in order to offer an uncensored account.

I have been living and working in Baghdad for the past 16 months and will be leaving next week for good. I am one of those overpaid Department of Defense contractors, or, as some would call me, a “war profiteer.” Yes, I have profited. I am out of debt and have money saved. But it has cost me. I am a changed man. I have become hardened. I almost feel like a zombie.

Although I work in Baghdad, I have no idea what Baghdad looks like. I have been told by soldiers that it is “like one of those Mexican border towns.” I don’t live in the “heavily fortified” Green Zone, which, although heavily fortified, has been getting hit with mortars on a daily basis. No, I live on an Army base. I live in a trailer with four other men. We each have our own space and I am lucky to have quiet roommates. There is a common latrine and shower.

I have had a lot of experiences over these 16 months, and the situation has not changed one bit. I feel like I am leaving a sinking ship. The only thing that has changed is that more trailers have had to be added for the “surge” of troops that have come in. Oh, and our laundry now takes 72 hours to get done.

The majority of my co-workers are Iraqi, and every single one has been deeply affected by the war. Everyone knows someone who has been killed or kidnapped, whether a family member or a friend. It’s a daily occurrence, and they feel helpless, frustrated and, of course, very sad. Those that had the means have gone to either Jordan or Syria. The others are trapped. No country wants them.

Every day, the Iraqis risk their lives to come to work because they have no choice. The average salary is $300 a month, and many of them are supporting large families. Some of the Iraqis I work with just live in the building we work in rather than risk going home every day. Also, the building usually has electricity, which means there is air conditioning. In Baghdad there is usually one hour of electricity a day and hardly any water. People pitch in and buy a generator and get just enough electricity out of it to have the ceiling fan and refrigerator run.

Most Iraqis come to work by bus since there is a shortage of gasoline in Baghdad. People have to wait in line overnight in order to get gas for their cars. I wonder how we in America would react if we had even one hour without electricity or water and had to wait in a line to fuel our gas-guzzling SUVs. For us on the base, getting gas is a breeze. We just drive up to one of the many gas depots and fill our cars up. I can’t figure out how we have such easy access to gasoline and the Iraqis have none. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070817_bye_bye_baghdad/

[SoCalDem]

1. Obviously he's lying.. Just this morning a nice general told us

that things are not bad at all in Iraq :)

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Too bad our politicians allowed this war in the first place. :^(

[OwnedByFerrets]

3. K & R

This should be read by newcasters.....and when he gets home, he should be interviewed....but it wont and he wont.

[marmar]

4. Yup.....

I hope he goes public at some point....Although he might risk "offing" by the contractor.

[rodeodance]

5. "Our troops are losing morale."

Our troops are losing morale. They know they are fighting a war that will never end, and I feel sorry for them. I feel that the ship will eventually sink and we will have caused the most terrible suffering for a people that just want a day when they can leave their house without the fear of being kidnapped or killed. For the Iraqis, freedom certainly isn’t free: They are paying a heavy price for it.

[loudsue]

6. This just makes me cry. All of this is for greed and power for a few,

and misery and tragedy for the many. The entire world needs a new meme to live by, and turn this mess on its head.

:kick:

[tomreedtoon]

7. How much is he saying? How much can he say?

As someone who suffers PTSD...although not as severe as the stuff combat veterans are getting...I wonder how much he's really telling and how much he can tell. Remember, he says he feels like a "zombie."

If you read the full account at the link, he talks about how much people have suffered. But he does not talk about anyone whom he knows that has died or been injured. Is he extremely lucky, or is he "blocking," or is he so traumatized that he can't or won't talk about it?

He also isn't saying why he became a contractor. Did he do it thinking it was the patriotic thing to do? Did he do it to become rich?

The only hint I have about him is that he doesn't know why he can get gasoline and Iraqi's can't. He doesn't seem to know that Bush and Company are operating the oil wells without meters, and are stealing most of it during the occupation. He can't make this simple connection, even within sight of the Halliburton people there.

I can only conclude that he didn't understand this point because he wasn't all that observant to begin with. Not even being in a war zone opened up his eyes.