The Right to Life

Here's the latest from America's Operation Steel Curtain in Iraq, which began in November. Brought to you by a president who smirks: "It's always wiser to err on the side of life."
Read more at Iraq Dispatches.

From an article by Iraqi journalist, Sabah Ali

Modhhir Najim Abdulla, a security officer in the hospital took us to his uncle's bombed house where 17 women, children, and civilians were killed. The house of Arkan was just heaps of concrete blocks; the roof was flattened to the ground. There were 5 families living there. Not one of them was a stranger or a fighter.

"I just want to know why, I want a justification" Modhhir began, "the bombing began on Nov 5, loud speakers were saying stay at home, do not move out, and we did. 15 minutes later the bombing began. They did not announce evacuation. We had no chance to leave." On Nov 7, we heard that our uncle's house was bombed. We could not go to check; we went to the nearest American troops and told them. They accompanied us, and this is what we found."

Modhhir was not crying, but his voice was full of rage. His sister (Najla') who was the wife of his cousin too, was pregnant in her 9th month. She was supposed to have cesarean operation because she was a week late for her due time. "I can not describe her and her baby when we removed the bodies." Another cousin's baby was only 25 days. A third child's body was not found until 2 days later. Modhhir brought the family's IDs, death certificates, and photos.

They are: (name, age, relation to Arkan and cause of death)

Arkan Abdulla Family:
1-Alia Amir, 50, wife, smashed skull, broken ribs, burns and injuries in the chest and abdomen
2- Asma'a Arkan, 23, daughter, suffocation
3- In'am Arkan, 14, daughter, smashed skull
4- Lubna Arkan, 12, daughter, injury in the head and suffocation
5- Abdul Razzaq Arkan, 10, son, broken ribs and suffocation
6- Mahmood Arkan, 22, son, broken skull and suffocation

Saddam Arkan Abdulla Family
7- Khatar Dahham, 28, daughter-in-law, injuries and broken skull
8- Dhuha S. Arkan, 10, granddaughter, broken skull and injuries in head
9- Abdulla S. Arkan, 9, grandson, intestine tear
10-Thammir S.Arkan, 4, grandson, broken ribs, bleeding inside chest and broken legs
11- Amir S. Arkan, 7, grandson, smashed skull, suffocation and legs injury
12- Yahia S. Arkan, 3, grandson, smashed skull
13- Saja S. Arkan, 2, granddaughter, smashed skull, tissue tear and broken ribs

Fanar Arkan Abdulla Family
14- Najla'a Najim, 22, daughter-in-law, smashed skull, suffocation
15- Leila Fanar Arkan, fetus, given birth and death certificate at the same time
16- Ahmad Salih Amir, 25 days, nephew, injuries in head, chest and ribs.
17- Khattab Mahmood Arkan, 2, grandson, smashed skull

"Who of these do you recognize as terrorist? This one, this, or may be this?" The pictures were of women in a party, many children in different occasions ... This is my sister, this is her son, this is my youngest cousin .... etc. He was pointing to the faces and naming them. I felt that the list was endless. "Please stop," I said.

"Why do you think your uncle's house was bombed?" I asked.

"I do not know. I want them to answer this question. They bombed three houses in this street. In the other one 7 children and women were killed. It is Fuad's house, there. The third one was empty, but it is no more than ruins. You can see it. Maybe they had wrong information about these houses, I do not know, may be they made a mistake ... but these are not excuses. Even the American soldiers, the Iraqis, the CNN reporter were crying when they saw what happened to my family." The family was buried in the garden.