Iraqi Blood, Dirt Cheap

Posted by Fatih Abdulsalam, Azzaman at 3:36 AM on July 21, 2008.

Five years ago, international media weighed Iraqi blood drop by drop. Every drop that was shed was newsworthy and occupied their highlights.

That was with the start of the U.S. invasion of 2003.

But as the invasion which the occupiers -- the U.S. and the U.K. -- sold to us as 'liberation' turned into one of the most devastating and destructive military campaigns in man's history, Iraqi blood started flowing in buckles, then barrels, then streams and then rivers.

It was too much for the media to accommodate. It became commonplace and in media terms no longer newsworthy despite the lakes and oceans that began forming as the streams and rivers started discharging their blood.

Iraqi deaths are no longer important. Their numbers attract no more attention. If the deaths are too many, then a subtitle will do the job.

Iraqis are being killed, injured and maimed in droves on a daily basis. But still that is not enough reason for the media to care.

Someone killed anywhere else -- Israel, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, you name it -- gets more attention than the daily flood of Iraqi blood.

Today Iraqi deaths have no place to be buried like millions of Iraqi refugees who have nowhere to go with almost all countries shutting their doors in their face.

There is even no one to collect the body parts of Iraqis as they are torn to pieces during U.S. military operations or car bombings. A respected burial is a dream in Iraq today.

Ancient Iraqis were the first among world nations to compose epics mourning their dead. Today there is no one to accept condolences. The difference between life and death has disappeared in U.S.-occupied Iraq.

Official counts of Iraqi deaths, if they exist, are there for political reasons. In fact there is no authority in Iraq to count Iraqi deaths.

Even the U.S., the 'beacon' of democracy and human rights, says it keeps no records of Iraqis it kills. How cheap!

Iraq has been bleeding profusely since the U.S. invasion.

The U.S. and the authorities it sponsors have been fuelling this bloodshed through their words and deeds.

Whatever they say or do leads to more bloodshed.

Their announcement of fresh military operations means more bloodshed. Their decision to redeploy troops means more bloodshed. The transfer of security to Iraqi authorities means more bloodshed. The decision to send more troops means more bloodshed. The decision to scale back the troops also means more bloodshed.

But as Iraqi blood flows, the occupiers, their stooges and the lackeys of other foreign powers must understand that they will soon begin bleeding as profusely as their victims.

Iraqis now have nothing else to lose. On the road to avenge their blood, it will be time for the others to bleed.

Let no one think that Iraqi blood is so cheap.

Tagged as: iraq, civilian casualties