Times interpreter is forced to choose between being "house-jacked" or slaughtered like his neighbor.

[Pirate Smile]

LA Times:

Iraqi insurgency hits home
Gunmen took over his family's Baghdad house. Who will intervene? And then what?

By Said Rifai, Times Staff Writer
7:41 PM PST, February 13, 2007


I'm dialing my family home in west Baghdad.

The phone rings, but no one picks up.

I know that someone is living in our house.

But it's not my family.

-snip-
In early January, I went on an assignment outside Baghdad. When I got back two weeks later, my mother sent me a text message from Jordan, telling me to check on our house. When I called our neighbor, Abu Adil, he told me armed men had come through the neighborhood telling everyone to leave or be "slaughtered."

"Can you ask the Americans to intervene?" he begged.

I could not. The gunmen took over our house, Abu Adil's and others in the neighborhood. A few days later, Abu Adil's 22-year-old son went to his family's house. He argued with the insurgents. They killed him, dumping his body in the street.

-snip-
In the old days, a driver could traverse Baghdad east to west in 20 minutes. Now the roads are perilous, filled with Iraqi security forces and gunmen of unknown loyalties — all potential killers. No taxi driver wants to travel to my old neighborhood, which is now known as a hot spot for trouble.

-snip-
A few days ago, my landlady's father was kidnapped by Shiite militias. While I was working on arrangements for his ransom and eventual release, Abu Adil called to say that U.S. forces had raided my house. They arrested the gunmen and discovered a car bomb in the garage.
The raid was good news, but the problem was now more complex. I worry that U.S. troops will think my family harbored insurgents. After all, we owned the house.
I fear that the Americans will share their information with Iraqi Interior Ministry officials, who have connections to death squads.


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-house14feb14,0,3394388.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[MADem]

1. Jeez, that's hideous. It's just getting to be too much, isn't it? NT

[rodeodance]

2. who to trust is the problem.

[rodeodance]

3. The raid was good news, but the problem was now more complex. I worry that U.S. troops will think my

The raid was good news, but the problem was now more complex. I worry that U.S. troops will think my family harbored insurgents. After all, we owned the house.

The raid was good news, but the problem was now more complex. I worry that U.S. troops will think my family harbored insurgents. After all, we owned the house.

I fear that the Americans will share their information with Iraqi Interior Ministry officials, who have connections to death squads.

I think the house is empty now.

But who knows?

I dialed the house again yesterday.

The phone rang, but no one picked up. who have connections to death squads.

I think the house is empty now.

But who knows?

I dialed the house again yesterday.

The phone rang, but no one picked up.

[Auntie Bush]

4. Who's the enemy?

Who should we shoot it? :shrug: How the hell do they know?

How the hell can George want to continue/extend this war?

What's the matter with him? Rhetorical question...don't answer...unless you have all night.

[Pirate Smile]

5. kick