So prideful you Amerikans are. You throw away billions and send your
soldiers to die just because you don't want to admit you were wrong.

Perhaps you thought you could fool the world, having years of experience

Hollywood con artists and corporate criminals.

the Truth, not matter how much $$$ you spent, or how advanced your
technology or refined your lies.

Judgement Day has already arrived, and you Amerikan scum have been found
guilty...

The US has no idea what it has gotten itself into
Dahr Jamail

(ICH) BAGHDAD:- Yesterday we get the news of a US military convoy north of
Baghdad hit by a huge IED. A US convoy is searching for IED's, when a huge
bomb explodes under a Bradley, killing 3 US soldiers, and 2 Iraqi Civil
Defense personnel.

This morning at 8am, a huge blast shakes my hotel, rattling my windows. At
least one suicide car bomber with 1000 pounds of explosives has detonated
his bomb at the front entrance of the CPA, killing 23 Iraqis, 2 Americans,
and wounding at least 180 others.

The entrances to the CPA are extremely fortified.huge barricades of sand
bags, razor wire, concrete blocks, machine gunners. But this entrance, in
particular, is where many people line up to file through the security
checks to go to work inside the compound.

Now there are new checkpoints throughout central Baghdad clogging traffic,
and people are weary. The morning fog has burnt off to reveal a beautiful
sun.

This helps, as my mood is dark and somber. Having been here 2 months now,

have grown weary of the violence, bombs, chaos and destruction. Before I
begin to feel too sorry for myself I feel a deep sadness and respect for
the Iraqi people, who have had to live with this for so long. All of the
wars, sanctions, a brutal dictator, and now an even more brutal occupation
which is attacked daily by a resistance movement that obviously isn't
concerned about taking out innocent civilians, as long as they hit a US
soldier or two.

How can people live and work in this environment? When the future doesn't
exactly appear rosy-everyone knows the Americans and British are here for
the long haul. And as long as they are here, suicide attacks are sure to
continue, along with resistance attacks.

One thing I've noticed since I've been here is to be weary of the periods
of relative calm; for they are inevitably followed by extreme violence in
one form or another. Each time I've allowed myself to become lulled into a
sense of feeling that the resistance is slowing down, there are fewer
attacks now, blah blah blah, a terrible strike like this morning occurs to
remind me. To remind me that the US has no idea what it has gotten itself
into here. That they are swimming as hard as they can just to keep their
nose above water.

I walk down the street today and pass a small bus stop. In black spray
paint, on one of the walls it reads,

"U.S. Out"

Meanwhile, down in Basra 2 British soldiers and 2 Iraqi police are wounded
by a roadside bomb.

Keep in mind that these are only two incidents of the '17' daily attacks
that the CPA admits to in Iraq. What about the others? How many Iraqis

killed by IED's? How many US soldiers were wounded? How many US soldiers
now suffer permanent disabilities from these unreported attacks? How will
they be compensated by their government when they get home? How much money
will that lost leg get them? $8,000 US a year?

I am troubled by the mainstream news I see on the internet in the US-it
seems that about the only news from Iraq being reported are the most
heinous, high casualty bombings, or demonstrations that surpass the 20,000
protestor level. What isn't being shown is the terrible living situation
for millions of Iraqis, US troops being permanently disabled (physically
and/or mentally) on what has become a daily basis, and generations of
younger Iraqis being raised with a deep disdain towards the US and British
who sanctioned, bombed, invaded and now occupy their country.

There are demonstrations daily in Baghdad-two days ago a large

of Sheikhs marched to the gate of the CPA (same one that was bombed this
morning) demonstrating for the release of a powerful Sheikh from US jails.

Today a large demonstration marched down Sa'adoun Street in support of
women in France being allowed to wear their Hijabs.

A few of us get a report of a house in Al-Adhamiya being searched by the
Americans, so we race across Baghdad to check it out. We just missed the
search, but we hear the usual story.

On September 23 the home is raided, and two men, ages 31 and 41 are
detained. After 8 days they are released after being forced to sign a

stating they promise not to join the resistance. One month ago the home is
searched again, doors kicked in and furniture damaged. Why? The Americans
had already released the innocent men.

The family is too afraid to ask for compensation.

Last night at 3am a neighbors house which is attached to the home of the
aforementioned men is searched. Two holes are punched through the wall

joins the homes. The small children living next door are terrified. Their
father tells me, "An American soldier came to us last night and apologized
for kicking holes in our walls. He said they didn't know this was a
separate house. He told me, 'This is our job, and we must do it.' But my
children haven't stopped shaking they are so terrorized. How can we live
like this?"

I am told a man has been detained from this house as well, but then
released. Another man from across the street, and another from the house

the corner, detained. They too are released. The man I speak with (who

to remain nameless) tells me he thinks the Americans are trying to
intimidate people.

"But they've already proven to themselves we are innocent. Why do they

terrorizing us?" he says holding his hands up to the air.

The home which was searched last night is completely trashed. Broken
furniture, smashed windows, holes dug in the earth in the backyard,

thrown about.

The family is too afraid to return to their home, even though the man
detained several weeks ago during a different raid has since been

We drive out of Al-Adhamiyah, passing the walls with the usual graffiti
that has become more and more common around Baghdad.

"Americans go Home!"

"US out of Iraq!"

Dahr Jamail is an independent American journalist reporting from Iraq



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