Fantastic Blog from Iraqi Woman

Mark pointed out this blog, written by a girl in Iraq. It is eloquent, articulate, and moving. Here is an excert.

This was an interesting piece of news a couple of days ago:

The United States has ended its physical search for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq, which was cited by the first administration of President George W Bush as the main reason for invading the country, the White House has said.

Why does this not surprise me? Does it surprise anyone?[...]Over here, it's not really "news" in the sense that it's not new. We've been expecting a statement like this for the last two years
[...]
Zarqawi is so much better than WMD. He's small, compact and mobile. He can travel from Falloojeh to Baghdad to Najaf to Mosul… whichever province or city really needs to be oppressed. Also, conveniently, he looks like the typical Iraqi male- dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin, medium build. I wonder how long it will take the average American to figure out that he's about as substantial as our previously alleged WMD.
[...]
I hope Americans feel good about taking their war on terror to foreign soil. For bringing the terrorists to Iraq- Chalabi, Allawi, Zarqawi, the Hakeems… How is our current situation going to secure America? How is a complete generation that is growing up in fear and chaos going to view Americans ten years from now? Does anyone ask that? After September 11, because of what a few fanatics did, Americans decided to become infected with a collective case of xenophobia… Yet after all Iraqis have been through under the occupation, we're expected to be tolerant and grateful.

Terror isn't just worrying about a plane hitting a skyscraper…terrorism is being caught in traffic and hearing the crack of an AK-47 a few meters away because the National Guard want to let an American humvee or Iraqi official through. Terror is watching your house being raided and knowing that the silliest thing might get you dragged away to Abu Ghraib where soldiers can torture, beat and kill. Terror is that first moment after a series of machine-gun shots, when you lift your head frantically to make sure your loved ones are still in one piece. Terror is trying to pick the shards of glass resulting from a nearby explosion out of the living-room couch and trying not to imagine what would have happened if a person had been sitting there.

The weapons never existed. It's like having a loved one sentenced to death for a crime they didn't commit- having your country burned and bombed beyond recognition, almost. Then, after two years of grieving for the lost people, and mourning the lost sovereignty, we're told we were innocent of harboring those weapons. We were never a threat to America...

Congratulations Bush- we are a threat now.

Bush got inaugurated yesterday, saying he lit a 'fire in people's minds'. The Guardian points out that this is a quote from Dostoevsky, said by a tyrant about the success of terrorists trying to destroy his regime. So, does Bush identify with the Terrorists (who put the fire in people's minds) or the Tyrant (who is being threatened by the terrorists)? Well neither really, it sounds good, and I find it hard to think that Bush has even heard of Dostoevsky, let alone read any of him.
It's also been called the 'Burning Bush Speech,' so now he wants us to burn him? Again, is he the bush, or moses following the bush? The thing is that people respond to the imagery, not to the meaning behind the words, so none of this farce makes any difference : it sounds good.