Riverbend has this up (h/t to Mia Culpa)
The Rape of Sabrine:
It takes a lot to get the energy and resolution to blog lately. I guess it’s mainly because just thinking about the state of Iraq leaves me drained and depressed. But I had to write tonight.
As I write this, Oprah is on Channel 4 (one of the MBC channels we get on Nilesat), showing Americans how to get out of debt. Her guest speaker is telling a studio full of American women who seem to have over-shopped that they could probably do with fewer designer products. As they talk about increasing incomes and fortunes, Sabrine Al-Janabi, a young Iraqi woman, is on Al Jazeera telling how Iraqi security forces abducted her from her home and raped her. You can only see her eyes, her voice is hoarse and it keeps breaking as she speaks. In the end she tells the reporter that she can’t talk about it anymore and she covers her eyes with shame.
She might just be the bravest Iraqi woman ever. Everyone knows American forces and Iraqi security forces are raping women (and men), but this is possibly the first woman who publicly comes out and tells about it using her actual name. Hearing her tell her story physically makes my heart ache. Some people will call her a liar. Others (including pro-war Iraqis) will call her a prostitute- shame on you in advance.
…
And yet, as the situation continues to deteriorate both for Iraqis inside and outside of Iraq, and for Americans inside Iraq, Americans in America are still debating on the state of the war and occupation- are they winning or losing? Is it better or worse.
Let me clear it up for any moron with lingering doubts: It’s worse. It’s over. You lost. You lost the day your tanks rolled into Baghdad to the cheers of your imported, American-trained monkeys. You lost every single family whose home your soldiers violated. You lost every sane, red-blooded Iraqi when the Abu Ghraib pictures came out and verified your atrocities behind prison walls as well as the ones we see in our streets. You lost when you brought murderers, looters, gangsters and militia heads to power and hailed them as Iraq’s first democratic government. You lost when a gruesome execution was dubbed your biggest accomplishment. You lost the respect and reputation you once had. You lost more than 3000 troops. That is what you lost America. I hope the oil, at least, made it worthwhile.
Go read the whole thing, but be forewarned: it is utterly heartbreaking.
To it I have nothing to add but this:
If you read what Riverbend wrote and your reaction is something like “Merciful Christ. How will we ever be forgiven for what we have done to that country? How will we atone? And how can we still be debating this? How can anyone with a sliver of conscience still be invoking God and Homeland, Freedom and Faith, 9/11 and 'Fight Them Over There' to keep us trapped in this hell we sired?” you’re a Liberal.
If you read it, get halfway through, and your brain locks down and starts desperately scurrying around like a rat in a dumpster fire, looking for a way to rationalize it, to excuse it, to pick at its methodology…
Looking for a “Yeah, but…” to absolve you for having sown this wind and reaped this whirlwind…
Looking for today’s Magic Coward Words from Fox High Command that will let you complete the sentence “But the Democrats…” in some way that permits you to wriggle out from under your complicity in the Iraq Disaster…
Looking for some rebuttal, no matter how slight – maybe some anonymous email from somebody’s second cousin who has a friend, who knows a guy, whose half-sister is married to a guy, who went to high school with this dude who served in Iraq and says things aren’t really that bad – that will let you off the hook…
Or if you just sneer, say “Fuckin’ raghead bitch prolly had it comin’” and go about your business unmoved…
…then you are a Conservative.
And if you find that you are a Conservative, then you can quit bothering to hunt for phantom enemies within, like the Liberal Press and the Dirty Hippies, because you – personally and specifically -- are the enemy.
You – personally and specifically -- are what is wrong with America.
29 comments:
Yep, pretty much.
wow. those are invitations to conversation and exchange.
You want an invitation, Dan? Okay. I'm not really interested in the conversation part, but I'll go for the latter. I cordially invite you to exchange souls with me.
Because apparently yours is okay with more dicking-around about what we've done, while mine is clawing at the inside of my ribcage, trying to escape the cowardly sack of shit who didn't stand on the tarmac at Andrews back in '03 with a sign reading "You'll disgrace my nation over my dead body, you lying sons of bitches."
Soul for soul, brother. Straight-up trade, on the level. Maybe then I can get a decent night's sleep.
Thank you for saying this.
The war is, and always was, as evil and wrong as anything America has ever done, perhaps more so, and it must end now. I know this; I believe it; I breathe it every day. But it's still good to read it, and thus know it, believe it, and breathe it anew via the eloquent outrage of another human.
Conversation and exchange?
Was that what was happening during the full-bore-jingo, America Fuck Yeah! run up to the invasion, when anybody with a shred of doubt about the wisdom of invading Iraq was branded as a traitor, and, among the more excitble of the warmongering Right, called for to be exiled, jailed, or executed?
Was conversation and exchange on the Republican Agenda when Ken Starr was hounding Bill Clinton over a consensual sexual act or the myriad of trumped up scandals that amounted to nothing except $50 million dollars wasted?
Shit on that. The Republicans pissed all over conversation and exchange, preferring demonization and brutality. This is where it led us; The Republicans and Neocons OWN it, and it is theirs to hang around their necks until their Judge calls for them.
"This is BULLSHIT. I CAN'T STAND..."
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz......
the point you are conveniently missing when it comes to the rapes of uday and the others is that We Didn't Do That Shit and this is done BY US.
that's the problem with this. this young woman was raped by and under the eyes and guns of the u.s. invasion.
we could dissaprove of mightily of uday's documented depradations. but does his evil thereby give us a pass? i think not.
drifty - i have been watching riverbend's baghdad burning for a while now. she is brave as truth. and thank you again for a beautifully rendered portrait of ugliness. that takes chops of steel.
This is BULLSHIT. I CAN'T STAND IT...
Jeez, Drifty--you predicted exactly what Undertoad would say before s/he/it said it!
Neocon trolls, no need to reply to Drifty unless you actually have something inventive to say that would shift the blame away from yourselves. We already know that you'll never regret how your policies and "friends" contributed to this woman's misery and dishonor.
Undertoad, the woman of Iraq--formerly free to pursue an education and a career, now burqa'd up so as not to get their throats slit by the lunatics set free by our idiocy--would appreciate it if you'd stay off their side.
Tell me again what a dick Uday was, Cap'n Analysis. Because I'm gonna need a lot more convincing that ONE SCUMBAG is worth the following:
~My country's honor
~Thousands of Americans with their whole lives ahead of them
~Tens of thousands of Iraqis, who--you got me, ace!--I only care about in the abstract, but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable holding the receipt for the ordnance that lit them up
~Any fucking chance whatsoever in a million goddamn years that the nascent pro-Western reform movements throughout the Middle East stand a chance of taking power back from the despots and theocrats now that we've cut them off at the knees
"Moderate" used to mean something. It used to be a legitimate worldview. People like you took that word to the rape room and went to town on it.
I'm guessing Undertoad is a friedman. [I think "friedman" should become a generic term for any right-winger who sincerely believes himself to be a moderate.]
I must return to the Ministry of Silly Walks tonight, so ciao for niao. :)
"Rat in a dumpster fire . . ." You know Driftglass, I seriously, honestly lover your ability to sum up the entire situation we have before us. That is what conservatives are like - desparate rats searching for an escape from the hole into which they have fallen.
As for Uday Hussein - I want proof any of this happened, because, in truth, every time someone wants to smear someone, he is always a serial rapist, probably of young girls. Anyway, even if Usay Hussein was all that and more - we were never responsible for anything he did. We are responsible for the actions of American service personnel, who, among other things, represent our country overseas. What happpened there is what is called "changing the subject".
No question about it. The entire Hussein family was a bunch of psycotic sociopaths. Of course, if
you have ANY understanding of HISTORY, you might recall that it was the United States that sold that monster billions of dollars of waepons during the Regan (R-Idiot) administration.
By all means, put pappa Saddam on trial for gassing his own population. Forget the FACT that we sold him him the technology.
I doubt clarke or undertoad want any meaningful discussion rather than doing exactly what driftglass predicted they would do, but I will put forth an argument anyway.
For starters, try out this piece which takes a look behind the scenes of the reconstruction. Notice how paranoid the Administration is of the State Dept., the UN, and anything remotely connected to nation-building. Sort of puts a lie to all those rhetorical claims of liberation when you undermine every organization and policy that might actually establish a free and functioning Iraq. Especially when you consider the serious thought they gave to appointing a diseased rat like Chalabi to be their viceroy.
The outrageous hubris of it all just staggers me. With no sense of history, political awareness, or basic military planning, they thought they could establish a little outpost of democracy. The inmates are truly running the asylum.
I don't think "a little outpost of democracy" was EVER in the plan.
Uh, Martini? Just because I'm a contentious prick doesn't mean I support or defend this fucking debacle. I can understand the confusion, but I still think you misread me to a degree that can't be entirely pinned on my lack of a way with words.
Far as I can tell, you and I are in complete agreement, although I have to remind myself that even if everything went swimmingly and nobody died and today's Iraq was a beacon of liberty, WE DON'T WAGE WARS UNLESS WE HAVE TO.
When I remind myself of stuff, I do it in all caps so I'll hear me.
Drifty:
Great post, as always. And about this:
How will we ever be forgiven for what we have done to that country? How will we atone?
What amazes me is how few so-called "Christians" can even consider this notion. Our ersatz commander-in-chief and his minions work to destroy Iraq's government, they unleash the dogs of civil war on an entire nation, they lie about it early and often, they let the greed of their corporate masters dictate our national policies, and nobody of the GOP-base Christopath persuasion can even mutter the words "forgiven" or "atone".
What's wrong with that picture?
Keep the faith, Sir Driftglass! And keep up the good work!
thanks for this. i had not been over at baghdad burning for a bit; riverbend's accounts must be included in the reading of anyone who hopes to glean informed on-the-ground insights into iraq.
i'm always concerned during the long stretches that go between her accounts -- i wonder, might this have been her last post? how long can she avoid the chaos and atrocity?
blogging might seem a bit of a luxury when you're living in hell.
So, this is what "We will be greeted as liberators" leads to, four years later.
No, living in Iraq under the Hussein regime was no picnic. But you know what Uday, Qusay and Saddam Hussein all have in common now? They're dead. This young woman's rapists are still walking around.
If that doesn't make you mad and ashamed, yes, you are a concern troll conservative.
Clarke-
My sincerely profound and profuse apologies. I read Dan's comment and your response to it and confused your names. Time to lay off the alcohol I suppose...
We are on the same chapter, but probably not the same page. I gave up a while ago trying to say that the decision to invade was intrinsically wrong, although the way it was done in this case was wrong. The sanctions regime in place was effective for the short term, but eventually Saddam would have to be removed. If you supported the Bosnian intervention, which I did, wars to liberate people from oppression cannot be ruled out automatically. Finally, if the administration had not lied about WMD, that would have provided a minimal level of justification both at the level of world opinion and on the homefront. Perhaps not enough to say that it was the wise thing to do, but certainly enough to say that some of the costs were worth it. At this point, it is a strategic, moral, and financial calamity. Although all of that can be laid at the feet of Bush, the most damning thing is that with a modest amount of planning, honesty and flexibility, the civil war engulfing Iraq was not destined to occur.
Afuckingmen and well said.
See, now I feel bad, Martini, because you just reminded me that my peacenik self-righteousness is brand-spankin' new. No wonder it's giving me callouses.
I was against invading Iraq from the get-go because I didn't think it was smart to fight Islamic fundamentalism by knocking over a secular dictatorship--I mean, wouldn't the only regional bulwark come in handy?
In other words, I was anti-war from a neoconservative standpoint. Christ, I hate to admit that now.
I still love the idea of using our Universal Soldier program for good, but that window of opportunity is closed. And barred. And wiped down with a layer of soap so that stuff inside doesn't fade.
Anyway, the apology is appreciated, but don't feel too bad about slapping me down--9 times out of 10 I had it coming.
One quibble though--"time to lay off the alcohol?" That statement is demonstrably untrue, my friend.
Fuck each and every conservitard asshole who lectures us about inhibitint "conversation and exchange."
You reap what you sow, you sons of bitches.
Clarke,
Peacenik self-righteousness is fine, especially at this point in an immoral war. Though sometimes I wish pacifists would acknowledge that some wars are necessary. I will even concede that all wars are hell, but sometimes they are the only instrument left to remedy a serious injustice.
You make a good point about Iraq being a secular bulwark against fundamentalism. My view of it is that Saddam may have hated certain strands of fundamentalism like Al Qaeda, but he was willing to support a number of groups that were only slightly less toxic.
Btw, the girl's case in the original post has become really ugly. Fourteen hours later and the victim is blamed for the crime and her rapists are rewarded. Hard to say that this is any better than what Saddam would do.
Time to go back to drinking...Cheers!
Unless I am mistaken Uday, Kusay, AND thier daddy were the fault of the USofA. Saddam was our main man in the area, remember? Without the neocon help he got, he may have gone on to become a mafioso or big-time thug, but doubtful if he ever would have had the keys to the drums of poison sold to him by Rummy and his pals.
RIVERBEND is one of the places to go for TRUTH.
We know who is NOT interested in truth (don't we under-toed), they show up here every now and then, and I find PISSING THEM OFF to be very cheap entertainment these days.
I was beginning to get nervous when she'd gine 7 weeks w/o posting. Then I saw a mention of her new posts on Buzzflash.net.
It's such an underreported item, that I'm linking to it in my next, playing-it-straight Assclowns of the Week #60 (sorry, there won't be much snark considering the grim content of the past week).
Hey, guys, if you're someone who supported the phuqueing of the cluster, what has to be really, really, shitty, is that we didn't even get the fucking oil.
And, since the brits are heading for the gangplank, down in Basra, it doesn't look like we will, either.
To Dan and Undertoad (though I know you both just did hit-and-runs):
More Iraqis have died in the past four years than were killed by Saddam in the quarter-century he was in power -- and that's counting the eight-year Iran-Iraq War.
You tell me what the average Iraqi is likely to think is better: Life under Saddam or life right now.
Before Bush invaded, Riverbend had a job. She wore jeans to work and listened to her Walkman on the bus. Now she's jobless and doesn't go outside unless she's with at least two male relatives and wearing a hijab. Oh, and she's seen several friends and relatives go missing.
You try telling her she's better off now. Cowards.
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