January 5, 2010

This month I received the long-awaited phone call from the International Organization for Migration telling me that they had put me on their schedule to leave Iraq within the next few weeks.
This will be the second time I leave Iraq for a lengthy period, but this time it might be forever.
I cannot deny that I have mixed feelings about leaving my country and going to another, one completely different from my own. But I am satisfied that going into the unknown is better than staying here, as Iraq has become a guinea pig for its leaders to test which security measures will succeed in stopping the mass killings of Iraqis. This, after 400 Iraqis were killed in three high-profile bombings during the last five months of last year.

The above is from Mohammed Hussein, an Iraqi correspondent for the New York Times, posting at the paper's At War blog. The correspondent will become part of Iraq's ever growing refugee population, the largest refugee population in the world. Meanwhile, as noted in yesterday's snapshot, Saturday the USF announced the death of a US soldier in Baghdad and the Defense Dept identifed the fallen Monday as "Spc. Brushaun X. Anderson, 20, of Columbus, Ga.". Newport Television noted, "An initial press release from the Department of Defense said Spc. Anderson was attacked by an unknown assailant. A corrected release issued later omitted the reference to any assailant." The office of New York Governor David Paterson issued the following news release:

GOVERNOR PATERSON DIRECTS FLAGS TO BE FLOWN AT HALF-STAFF

Governor David A. Paterson has directed that flags on New York State government buildings be flown at half-staff on Wednesday, January 6, in honor of a Fort Drum soldier who died in Baghdad on January 1.
Army Specialist Brushaun Anderson, a resident of Columbus, Georgia, died of wounds suffered in a non-combat related incident. Specialist Anderson was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
"On behalf of all New Yorkers, I would like to express my sympathy to the friends, family, and fellow soldiers of Specialist Anderson," Governor Paterson said. "While he was not a native New Yorker, we consider all members of the 10th Mountain Division to be honorary sons and daughters of the Empire State. We regret his death, but we will honor his service."
Governor Paterson has directed that flags on all State buildings be lowered to half-staff in honor and tribute to our State’s service members who are killed in action or die in a combat zone.

From Brushaun Anderson's MySpace page:

The King Of Being SOL
Brushaun Allen Anderson

		Male 20 years old Fort Drum, New York United States Last Login: 12/28/2009
Mood: impatient

His last login was December 28th, the 20-year-old soldier died January 1st.

But the illegal war's not a tragedy for all. After all General Dynamics found a way to profit from the tragedy and crimes. Will Daley (Bloomberg News) reports that they will make "tanks and Gulfstream business jets" for the occupied government in Iraq having been awarded a $198 million US Army contract. The Toledo Blade explains that the manufacture/construction will take place "at its Lima, Ohio plant and facilities in Scranton, Pa; Anniston, Ala., and Tallahassee, Fla."

And Hibah Yousuf and Blake Ellis (CNN Money) report, "Oil continued to rally for an eighth straight session and closed at the highest level in more than fourteen months as a pricing dispute and disruption in crude exports between Russia and Belarus worried investors. Oil for February delivery rose $2.15, or 3%, to close at $81.51 a barrel, the highest settlement since Oct. 9, 2008." And some experts predict that whatever passes for stability in Iraq could push oil prices even higher. Alsumaria TV reports that last month saw Iraq averaging "1.977 million barrels per day" which is a .075 increase.

Meanwhile Emily Charrier-Botts (Index-Tribune) reports on 22-year-old Michael Caratti who "first graced the pages of the Index-Tribune when he was just hours old" (a New Year's baby in 1988) but now is preparing to deploy to Iraq for 12 months, his second deployment to Iraq and explains, "That's why I joined. College money. It's hard to get nowdays."