This is a fact, but what surprised me today as I was reading the news is finding out that there are Americans who claim they are traumatized by him!
Jane Arraf of the Christian Science Monitor reported yesterday that Iraq will pay $400 million for Saddam’s mistreatment of Americans. She writes:
The claims include compensation for emotional distress from the children of two contractors seized near the Iraq-Kuwait border in 1990.
Emotional distress?! Seriously? The entire population of 25 million are already traumatized, not only by the actions of the dictator who brutalized his own people, but also by the two successive U.S.-led wars and the 12 years of international sanctions when hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children died of hunger. Talk about emotional distress!
It is really disturbing to see such people file law suits against a country that is trying to stand up on its feet to rebuild and revive its life. What is more disturbing is that those people are so inconsiderate that just because they have “emotional distress” they want to prevent millions of dollars to be used in rebuilding a country that their very own country took part in its misery. So let the “traumatized” contractor's sons enjoy yet another beautiful day at school with their brand new backpack the Iraqi government paid for, and let the real traumatized Iraqi children battle their bomb-filled, insecure way to get to school.
Give me a break! Give Iraq a break! Isn't it enough what had already happened?
Hi Bassam,
ReplyDeleteI tried to visit your new blog and it was gone, so I thought to try back here. Glad I did. :)
I have read all three of your posts, but I think I'll just write one comment. I am sorry that there are so many bigots in America, some of whom have made you feel uncomfortable, or unsafe. I grew up in Alabama, "The Heart of Dixie" (The State was, for a time, the center of the Confederacy during the Civil War). Some of my good friends were and are black. So, I know about bigots! I can't stand people like Palin, Beck, and Limbaugh! The first Amendment gives them the right to voice their hate, but it saddens me that so many people buy into their crap!
I was following the news about the idiot in Florida closely. I was very concerned about the violence that would ensue if he started burning Qurans! Even though he didn't burn them, I have heard that some people died in protest demonstrations. I don't think the danger is over. Some other idiots will probably burn Qurans somewhere else in America. Legally, there may be no consequences for burning Qurans. However, from my perspective, it seems like a hate crime. I hope it doesn't happen. I don't want to see more people killed in riots, and I certainly don't want American soldiers put in any more danger than they already face.
I share your indignation about the Iraqi government paying $400 million to settle crimes committed by Saddam. That is a lot of money that could be put to a lot of good within Iraq. Maybe victims of Saddam deserve some compensation, but not such a huge sum.
Take care.
Thanks so much for your comment, David! I'm glad you're still checking out my blog :)
ReplyDeleteThe reason you had difficulty is probably because its domain is now www.bassamsebti.com. However, it shouldn't be a problem if you accessed it through the previous domain.
I'm a bit confused. Why can't Iraqis claim they were traumatized as well? I mean if the Iraqi government has opened the door for Americans to file such claims, why not open it for all including their own citizens?
ReplyDeleteVery good point, Natasha! The current Iraqi government does not whatsoever care about Iraqis. All they care about is power.
ReplyDeleteIraqis have been filing complaints non-stop on different issues and they're reaching a dead end. Whenever they do, the government says we are worried about keeping security first and then we'll consider other problems.
Despite all of that, Iraqis have actually been filing complaints. There are several Iraqi non-governmental organizations that are helping them with that but the process is very slow.
It's not easy to build this culture of the citizens rights in a war-torn country. We probably need decades to get to what the American have achieved. Besides, if traumatized Iraqis file complaints, the government will literally have to deal with millions of people, something impossible to deal with.
I think helping Iraqis get rid of their trauma starts with the rehabilitation of the society and the NGOs functioning there to educate people and also by having the government provide security and basic services to let people move on and not think about their horrific past...