My trip to the U.S.A
Amman, first step. Treasure of Baghdad’s diary

On Saturday, Z and I spent most of the time in the internet café checking emails and reading blogs and news on media websites. In the afternoon, S and M came to pick us for lunch. At night, we went to a café in the upscale neighborhood of Shmaisani, my favorite place in Amman. Z, M, and I smoked hookah and drank tea while S preferred to have Kapachino.

The first time I went to Shmaisani was in last June when I had my first 7-day vacation. Restaurants, cafes and commercial stores are lined along the street where dozens of people, mostly from Arab Gulf countries and Iraq, spend a lot of money on their amusement while the Jordanians prefer to visit it maybe once a week due to their limited income.

The street where the cafes are lined up reminds me with a similar street in Baghdad. Abu Nuas Street where restaurants and cafes were decorating the Tigris River. This street is now neglected and parts of it are considered now as Red Zones due to the security measures surrounding the Sheraton and Palestine Hotels. Most of the restaurants and cafes are closed now; car bombs often take place there due to the continuous presence of the US forces and the Iraqi police guarding the two hotels.

Back to Shmaisani. At midnight, we had dinner in Lebanon Snack restaurant and returned back at 2 a.m. Z and I couldn’t sleep; we remembered the old days in Baghdad. Z is a very sensitive man. He yearns to Baghdad a lot. He hasn’t been there for along time. His father is working in Dubai and he studies in Amman. We remembered how the war affected our lives and how we spent the best time in our lives in wars and sanctions that stole the smile from our faces.

On Sunday, I woke up at 7 o’clock to get ready to go to the US embassy to get my visa stamped. I went there, gave them the passport, and was told to come the next day at 3 p.m. to receive it stamped. I was very excited. Then, I went to an internet café to check emails and news. At 11:30, I visited my aunt’s family. My aunt’s family is very wealthy and they used to live in Baghdad. They were robbed in 2003, right after the US-led invasion. At that time, law and order collapsed in Iraq where no police or army were seen anymore in the streets. The amount of their robbed money was estimated of 300,000,000 ID, including a Mercedes and all my aunt’s jewels. The worst part, their robbers were about to kidnap the children but they decided to be satisfied with amount of money and jewelry they got. So, they decided to leave the country believing that “there is no place for them in Baghdad anymore”. As most of the families, they moved to live and work in Jordan, Amman as a first step. The children are studying in Jordanian schools now.

My aunt and her family insisted that I stay and have lunch with them. They were very happy to hear I am going to visit the United States. “Bright future is waiting for you,” my aunt told me. My aunt’s husband gave some advises as he has been there several times for trade being a businessman.

After lunch, I returned back to S’s house, changed my clothes and left to Mecca Mall. I was thirsty for coffee. Z and I had our usual Starbucks while S and his girlfriend preferred watching a comic Arabic movie. After that we returned back to the house, had dinner and went to sleep.

This moring, I woke up late. The house was empty as S, M, and Z went to their college. I made some dark Iraqi tea for me and then turned on the TV to watch Saddam’s trial. The trial of Saddam Hussein for crimes against humanity resumed today in a heavily guarded courtroom inside the green zone.

Dressed in black trousers and a gray jacket, Saddam was the last of the defendants to enter the courtroom. The former dictator appeared confident. He was carrying a copy of the holy Quran as if he wants to tell the people how religious and good beliver he is. Huh!
The Associated Press reported that Saddam had a brief but heated exchange with Amin, the chief judge complaining of having to walk up four flights of stairs in shackles because the elevator wasn't working.

The judge said he would tell the police not to let that happen again. Saddam snapped: "You are the chief judge. I don't want you to tell them. I want you to order them. They are in our country. You have the sovereignty.”

Saddam also complained he was escorted up the stairs by "foreign guards" and that some of his papers had been taken.

"How can a defendant defend himself if his pen was taken. Saddam Hussein's pen and papers were taken. I don't mean a white paper. There are papers downstairs that include my remarks in which I express my opinion," he said.

This man doesn’t stop complaining. He thinks himself he is still the man in power and the one who executes without hesitation. For God’s sake! You are in the prsion, man!!
What made me laugh out loud was that former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and former Qatari Justice Minister Najib Nuaimi sat with the defense team inside the courtroom, along with Saddam's chief lawyer, Khalil Dulaimi.

It’s funny to see famous people like these two defend Saddam who is known to the whole world that he was the dictator of the century.

Clark and Nuaimi flew to Baghdad on Sunday from Amman, Jordan, to advise Saddam's lawyers and support their call to have the trial moved out of Iraq.

Why don’t they just leave the Iraqis try the one who tortured them and turned their country into hell?

After the trial was over, I dressed up to get ready to go the US embassy to get my US visa stamped on the passport. Finally, I got it. I am so excited and happy now. The only thing I am waiting for is the tickets which I will get from a colegue of us working here in Amman. America… wait for me. I am coming!!