May 16, 2006


More news from Qasem in Ramadi:

During the time of our being in the dark hot room, we heard sound of single shots, the sounds coming from above the house-seems like on the roof. I asked the Iraqi soldiers about these sounds of shooting. They told me that there is some American snipers staying on the roof of my house.

Oh my! They used my house as a snipers base, to kill the people. This is what happened many times for the last year. They will shoot all the people who are leaving their house in the early morning, yes they will.

We kept silenct and some of us tried to sleep but nobody can-it is too hot and became wet, in addition to difficulty breathing. Maybe because the air cant be recycled, the room is completely closed, the window and door.

I felt hungry and thirsty…oh it is not fair…hungry and thirsty inside my own house…

And I felt bad because my house will be a killing tool, it is very criminal for me…

At 11am there was the sounds of tanks near my house. After awhile, US soldiers run down stairs and left the house. The Iraqi soldier, from behind the door, said to his friend "what happened???"

I don’t know, maybe they found some thing outside!!!!!" the other soldier answered.

"Oh they’re riding in the tank-they are leaving, we should follow them. We can’t stay." One of the Iraqi soldiers said.

Then I shouted to them, "Open the door now, you will go and nobody will open it!!!"

"Ha, ok, ok. I will give you the key," the Iraqi soldier said.

He put the key under the door and ran to follow his friends

I wait until the tank left and I became sure that US soldiers go ….

I opened the door and asked my brother to take care and keep all the family inside until I came back. I looked around inside the house and roof and all the rooms. Then I came back to the room and let my family get out of the room.

It seemed like breathing freedom when I got out of the room. "Oh it was terrible night! A hard one and dangerous for me, my father, mother, brothers and kids."

I found that American snipers used the beds of the kids for cover in their place on the roof. In addition, they broke holes in the front walls to look though them at the street and garden.

Anyway we are OK now we got back our lovely house, and while we were eating breakfast together we were discussing about this experience and some jokes were made by my brother who found that it is funny that American soldiers almost forgot the Iraqi soldiers in the house.