Nice Bombs

Everyday someone donates a little money to help us with our trip and project. I do thank you all for your generous contributions.

I've been going through some of my links and reading the various bloggers coming out of Iraq. Things still sound rough over there but there seems to be a faith in better things to come. I really like reading Omar, who is a Civil Affairs Sergeant in the US Army, stationed in Baghdad. He is Arab-American and has a genuine investment in helping Iraq. You should check out his photo albums.
I hope we meet.
You know, I feel like Saddam has kept many of us Iraqis from really loving our country because he kept putting his picture in front of our faces. When I was a young boy living in Basrah I had a large poster of Saddam in my bedroom. It was a color portrait of his younger days, the one that was in every classroom in Iraq.

Are there any Saddam faces up anywhere? Will they create a museum just for his many statues and golden renditions of his face?

So we are about a week away from leaving and we are both anxious and nervous. I think if I just focus on my father I will be okay. My father is able to take everything in stride, even at times of crisis. That is if he doesn't lose it and we end up fighting. That 11 hour treck from Amman to Baghdad will have to be spent in peace or we will fight the whole trip. Really.
That's K's fear.
Anyway I don't want to fight. I just want to go to Iraq and see my uncle Kamal and uncle Abdullah and make some new friends and hopefully not get blown up or shot or robbed or carjacked.
This made me sad.
There was an article I read today about a young boy playing soccer in downtown Baghdad when he stepped on a mine and died. Poor kid... I can't seem to find the artcile, I guess it's yesterdays news. Who is responsible for this attack?

I've also been following the Iraq Diaries (from Dahr Jamail) from electroniciraq.net

in the south of Iraq:

Iraq's most powerful Shiite Muslim cleric has notified President Bush that he won't compromise on his demand for the direct election of an assembly that would select a new government, a senior administration official said Friday.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al Husseini al Sistani is tough. He is not backing down and Bermer and Bush are scrambling. So far there has been a peaceful protest in Basrah. But the threat for something violent is made known.

later

-U