The Iraq War has been a controversial topic for a long time. There are many different views to whether or not the US made the right decisions, all looking at the issue from different angles. In Baghdad Burning, Riverbend, the anonymous blogger, gives a perspective of the American presence in Iraq from one of the most important points of view, that of an Iraqi citizen. In Baghdad Burning, Riverbend shows the effects caused by the American presence in Iraq through vivid and intelligent descriptions of the Iraqi government, the mentality of the Iraqi people, and the loss experienced by very individual living in Iraq. The American Impact The first insight that Riverbend gives is the impact caused by the American presence in Iraq. The presence …show more content…
of Americans affected 3 main things: the security of the people, the formation of a new government following the removal of Saddam Hussein, and the stereotypes surrounding the Iraqi people. One of the first things Americans did while in Iraq was disband the military and police forces. This not only caused many people to lose their jobs, but also increased crime. There were many kidnappings, robberies, rapes, and carjackings, but when the people asked for help, the U.S. troops said that that wasn’t part of their job. And when the people tried to protect themselves they were still shut down. For a while, the men in certain areas began arranging ‘lookouts’. They would gather, every 6 or 7 guys, in a street, armed with Klashnikovs, and watch out for the whole area. They would stop strange cars and ask them what family they were there to visit. Hundreds of looters were caught that way- we actually felt safe for a brief period. Then the American armored cars started patrolling the safer residential areas, ordering the men off the streets- telling them that if they were seen carrying a weapon, they would be treated as criminals. (Riverbend, 41) Part of the United State’s goals while in Iraq was to form a democracy. The plan was to have 9 rotating presidents, selected by the U.S., each have a month of running the country and at the end of the 9 months there would be an election. In an attempt to provide representation for the people of Iraq, they chose men who were part of different religious groups. However, the men they chose were either corrupt leaders of religious groups or were people who hadn’t lived in Iraq for many years. None of the men chosen accurately represented a majority of the people in Iraq and they were viewed as puppets to the American government. With no support from most of the people in Iraq and no clear constitution of the country, the United States had set up a government that was bound to fail. The Mentality of the Iraqi People Riverbend shares the beliefs of many Iraqis that are not shared by media. She emphasizes that these are the average citizens, not extremists. She frequently acknowledged what is being presented about the Iraqi people, and juxtaposes it with what she knows about the people. When she is asked about her views of Americans she explains that she doesn’t hate the American troops, she hates the American presence in Iraq. Another view Riverbend gives is how she feels about 9/11. I get emails constantly reminding me of the tragedy of September 11 and telling me how the “Arabs” brought all of this upon themselves. Never mind it was originally blamed on Afghanistan (who, for your information, aren’t Arabs). I am constantly reminded of the 3,000 Americans who died that day… and asked to put behind me the 8,000 worthless Iraqis we lost to missiles, tanks and guns. People marvel that we’re not out in the streets, decking the monstrous, khaki tanks with roses and jasmine. They wonder why we don’t crown the hard, ugly helmets of the troops with wreaths of laurel. They question why we mourn our dead instead of gratefully offering them as sacrifices to the Gods of Democracy and Liberty. They wonder why we’re bitter. But, I *haven’t* forgotten… I remember February 13, 1991. I remember the missiles dropped on Al-Amriyah shelter- a civilian bomb shelter in a populated, residential area in Baghdad. Bombs so sophisticated, that the first one drilled through to the heart of the shelter and the second one exploded inside. The shelter was full of women and children- boys over the age of 15 weren’t allowed. I remember watching images of horrified people clinging to the fence circling the shelter, crying, screaming, begging to know what had happened to a daughter, a mother, a son, a family that had been seeking protection within the shelter’s walls. (Riverbend, 46) In her writing, Riverbend shows that the Iraqi people aren’t malicious and they don’t rejoice tragedy. They are just tired of the death and violence. The Victims of the Conflict The most jarring aspect of Baghdad Burning is the effect of the war on families and the country as a whole.
Through descriptions of victims and their families juxtaposed by what she sees people say on the news, Riverbend gives you a personal view of the painful loss people are experiencing everyday in Iraq. She shares the stories of family members going missing and being shot. When describing parents mourning the death of their so she accurately conveys the pain felt by the family. ¨In another area, a 12-year-old boy was shot in his garden while playing. The Americans say he was caught in the crossfire between them and someone else. His mother was almost tearing her hair out and his father was beating the ground and moaning. He looked ready to kill.¨ (Riverbend, 62) In another section she describes a neighbor’s search for her missing husband. The sent people to where he traveled, they retraced the routes he took, they went to hotels and asked Americans for helps, and they looked though areas of burnt cars in search of his body. Eventually, she explains how they found him: They finally found him, this morning, in an area outside his expected course. One of the several burnt cars, dragged into a dusty field, was a white 1985 Toyota with the skeleton of a car-seat in the back. Not far off were the graves. They located the ‘adult male in the white Toyota’ and with the help of some sympathetic men in the neighborhood, unearthed Abu Ra’ad for
identification. ... Tomorrow, at dawn, he will be exhumed by his family and officially buried in the over-crowded family graveyard, under one of the dozens of palm trees, in the place reserved for his father. (Riverbend, 56) Through the personal stories Riverbend tells she shows the emotional toll the war has had on the people and how painful the loss of family members is. Overall, Baghdad Burning gives the reader a personal look at the Iraq War and its effects. The insight given by Riverbend is a necessary piece in fully understanding what happened. Her point of view shows the Iraq war in a personal light that makes you feel more connected to the people who are a part of it. Riverbend’s account of the situation is fundamental in understanding the cost of the war.
Saddam’s government collapse in the US impacted the country of Iraq by creating a democratic government where the citizens have rights. Two years earlier Afghanistan was invaded by the us because their government was believed to be an aid to Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Later the US defeated Afghanistan’s government, the Taliban and established a democratic government like in Iraq today. We can infer that the Middle East has complicated problem going on with the region, that not even the u.s. president can figure out. (Doc C) all in all the US has impacted the region of the Middle East and build a strong relationship with it over the past
In Brian Turner’s poem “Jundee Ameriki” (American soldier), he gives gruesome details of a situation that triggered posttraumatic stress disorder in a soldier of war. The poem, written in 2009, addresses a suicide bombing which occurred during the War on Iraq in November of 2005. At first the poem shares the events of his doctor’s visit. While getting the shrapnel fragments removed, the soldier is quickly reminded of the horrific events that led to the injury. The poem then begins to describe the emotional effects of posttraumatic stress disorder. The narrator uses symbolism and the structure of the poem to demonstrate how the emotional pain of posttraumatic stress disorder is much greater than the physical pain it causes (even if the emotional
In this chapter, O’Brien contrasts the lost innocence of a young Vietnamese girl who dances in grief for her slaughtered family with that of scarred, traumatized soldiers, using unique rhetorical devices
In the aftermath of a comparatively minor misfortune, all parties concerned seem to be eager to direct the blame to someone or something else. It seems so easy to pin down one specific mistake that caused everything else to go wrong in an everyday situation. However, war is a vastly different story. War is ambiguous, an enormous and intangible event, and it cannot simply be blamed for the resulting deaths for which it is indirectly responsible. Tim O’Brien’s story, “In the Field,” illustrates whom the soldiers turn to with the massive burden of responsibility for a tragedy. The horrible circumstances of war transform all involved and tinge them with an absurd feeling of personal responsibility as they struggle to cope.
No matter how well intentioned the invasion of Iraq may have been, it was an act of violence and deception that has left many American men dead for no clear reason.
The course of the Iraq War has been shaped immensely by the geography of the region for nearly 40 years. The movement of Iraq forces throughout the region, for better or worse, has had many effects on the way in which the way has gone. For instance, these forces often threatened certain resources needed by many countries and regions. The result of this was often war or conflict, concluding in a devastating amount of casualties. This also left Iraq with debt as well as very low resources such as food and water. The basis of the whole entire war has been on certain aspects of the geography, which has had a result of creating many small wars throughout this whole ordeal as well as many other consequential occurrences.
As a young teen, she huddled in a bomb shelter during intense artillery shelling of her hamlet, escaping out a rear exit just as US Marines shouted for the “mama-sans” and “baby-sans” (women and children) to come out the front. She got as far as the nearby river before she heard gunfire. Returning the next day, she encountered a scene that was seared into her brain. “I saw dead people piled up in the hamlet. I saw my mom’s body and my younger siblings,” told Ho Thi Van. She lost eight family members in that 1968 massacre. In all, according to the local survivors, thirty-seven people, including twenty-one children were killed by the Marines. She then joins the guerrillas and fought the Americans and their South Vietnamese allies until she was grievously wounded, losing an eye in battle in
This I’ll admit was a very interesting book that looked at what could have really caused the Iraq war and whether we really had to go to war. The book talks about the flaws with the reasons that Bush proposed for going to war with Iraq and why we haven’t had a fuller victory yet. The book basically goes into details about the four observations that arise from examining certain aspects of the war and afterwards. In the next few pages I’ll be summarizing the book then stating my analysis and opinions about ideas presented in the book.
Life can bring unexpected events that individuals might not be prepared to confront. This was the case of O’Brien in the story, “On the Rainy River” from the book The Things They Carried. As an author and character O’Brien describes his experiences about the Vietnam War. In the story, he faces the conflict of whether he should or should not go to war after being drafted. He could not imagine how tough fighting must be, without knowing how to fight, and the reason for such a war. In addition, O’Brien is terrified of the idea of leaving his family, friends and everything he loves behind. He decides to run away from his responsibility with the society. However, a feeling of shame and embarrassment makes him go to war. O’Brien considers himself a coward for doing something he does not agree with; on the other hand, thinking about the outcome of his decision makes him a brave man. Therefore, an individual that considers the consequences of his acts is nobler than a war hero.
...n Iraqi face on the controllers of the city and Iraq quickly learned they could not bring Fallujah under control under their own power. Because of the lack preparation and coordination with Iraq the political situation proved to be too damaging. The situation turned out to have the opposite effect that America had intended. Instead of showing resolve it showed weakness and the Arab press exploited that turning the situation into a rally call to all to fight against the coalition. With things getting worse in Fallujah and with Iraqi concern and cooperation, in November they would have to go back into Fallujah to finish what they started in what was called Operation New Dawn (Gerald, 2009).
Bracken, Patrick and Celia Petty (editors). Rethinking the Trauma of War. New York, NY: Save the Children Fund, Free Association Books, Ltd, 1998.
“Why We Fight” is a 2005 documentary, directed by Eugene Jarecki, inquiring the dumbfounded intent of the United States’ recent intrusion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. It compiles archival footage and incorporates it with recent interviews, many conducted for the film, but, the film has not revealed anything that hasn’t been exposed to the mass consumption. There is also sufficient contemporary footage as well within this documentary: (1) congressmen making the case for military allocation; (2) the principal actors in the Bush administration quarreling for the obligation of intervening in Iraq; and (3) the 2003 incursion and subsequent occupation. This movie also portrays four Americans whose lives have been directly altered due to the Iraq War. None of
The research is about one of the previous presidents of Iraq that ruled from 1987 to 2006, Saddam Hussein. He was born in 1937 near Takrit and hanged in 2006 . As a kid, he was beaten by his stepfather and despised by other children . He was an intelligent man; he studied law in Egypt . Saddam was very powerful but he did not use his influence in a positive way. It is important to know and understand what Saddam did wrong in the past in order to not repeat the same mistakes. Saddam is a relevant character because he has had conflicts that affected pretty much all the North American countries. Saddam Hussein was undoubtedly one of the most powerful men of the world, in a negative way of course. Saddam controlled his country on many facets such as: politics, military and culture.
Many individuals look at soldiers for hope and therefore, add load to them. Those that cannot rationally overcome these difficulties may create Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Tragically, some resort to suicide to get away from their insecurities. Troops, notwithstanding, are not by any means the only ones influenced by wars; relatives likewise encounter mental hardships when their friends and family are sent to war. Timothy Findley precisely depicts the critical impact wars have on people in his novel by showing how after-war characters are not what they were at the beginning.
As we got further and further into the Vietnam War, few lives were untouched by grief, anger and fear. The Vietnamese suffered the worst hardship; children lay dead in the street, villages remained nothing but charred ashes, and bombs destroyed thousands of innocent civilians. Soldiers were scarred emotionally as well as physically, as