Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Yes Siree, Bush Sure Did Liberate the People of Iraq
The Independent has published the confidential memo from the U.S. ambassador to Iraq that explains in horrific detail how bad conditions are. Women, in particular, are so much better off that they've completely lost most of the rights they had under that evil dictator, Saddam Hussein.
2. Two of our three female employees report stepped up harassment beginning in mid-May. One, a Shia who favors Western clothing, was advised by an unknown woman in her Baghdad neighbourhood to wear a veil and not to drive her own car. She said some groups are pushing women to cover even their face, a step not taken in Iran even at its most conservative. 3. Another, a Sunni, said people in her neighbourhood are harassing women and telling them to cover up and stop using cell phones. She said the taxi driver who brings her every day to the green zone has told her he cannot let her ride unless she wears a headcover. A female in the PAS cultural section is now wearing a full abaya after receiving direct threats. 4. The women say they cannot identify the groups pressuring them. The cautions come from other women, sometimes from men who could be Sunni or Shia, but appear conservative. Some ministries, notably the Sadrist controlled Ministry of Transportation, have been forcing females to wear the hijab at work.The memo details the lack of basic necessities of life: drinkable water, and electricity (in a city where temperatures can reach 140F at this time of year). It cites an embassy employee who said he attends a funeral "every evening". This memo describes conditions in Baghdad. We can assume that conditions outside the city are worse.
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