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A young woman sits on the floor of a small house in an exceptionally impoverished neighborhood in Sadr City. She is visibly pained and in mourning, as is the rest of her family who is scattered throughout the house.
Her brother is speaking to a U.S. Army interpreter who is relaying the story back to a platoon commander. He is explaining that their brother was just killed by a Mujahideen death squad and is pleading for help in finding the killers and for his families protection. The man hands over his cell phone while pressing a button. A video appears of a young man, obviously frightened sitting on the porch of a house. The video cuts out and then back in againâ¦from the same angle the man is shown decapitated with his head sitting next to his body on the steps.
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The family then explains that after receiving the video of their dead brother, they went to his home to find it leveled to the ground by an explosion. They show a photo they took of his head, lying in the front yard. I watch as the young children in the house look at the photo of their uncles decomposing head and wonder what a western psychiatrist would say about the damage this may cause.
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The Army commander says that he is truly sorry but there is little he can do. This is just one incident out of the hundreds that occur daily around Iraq. The family brings out a plate of fruit to offer to the US soldiers as we make our way onto the street and continue on our patrol.
That is truly heartbreaking. Thank you for sharing these stories, it is so important for us to be able see the reality of life in Iraq so we don't become complacent. The picture of the little girl being held is beautiful, her eyes tell it all. You images are so unflinchingly honest.
Posted by: Julie | July 23, 2008 at 10:24
You are the worst of war profiteers, I hope the next picture you take is of your own demise. Fuck you, and get out of my country.
The blood of dead Marines are on your hands, and on the hands of the rest of the press that work so diligently to destroy our efforts in Iraq, spitting on sacrifice that has been given there. Die bitch.
Posted by: Marine | July 28, 2008 at 03:56
War profiteers are people most likely contracted by a government or other institutions to perform a myriad of questionable duties in foreign territories, it would most likely mean that they are called contractors. I would like to discuss a specific brand of contractor, otherwise known as mercenaries: "working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal; hired to serve in a foreign army, guerrilla organization, etc.; a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army."
I highly doubt that journalists and war correspondence personnel are mercenaries, it would not be in the best interest of the current American political machine to higher someone with tax dollars that would inform the American population on the state of our current Iraq investment. If you as a Marine are truly disgusted with contractors, otherwise known as mercenaries for profiting off the US lead invasion of Iraq, then why not turn your attention to Black Water and other companies of their ilk. Please see news article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/22/usa.iraq Black Water employees make more money in one month than an enlisted Marine will make in his or her four year tour. If this not enough, then why not turn your eye to America's largest recipients of military contracts: http://www.usaspending.gov/fpds/tables.php?tabtype=t2&subtype=t&year=2007 As you can see, Black Water earned $500 million on government contracts, and that was at the bottom of the list.
I have several questions for you Marines:
1) As so eloquently written: " The blood of dead Marines are on your hands" How so? Was Zoriah in the war room when the generals gave the command to attack Iraq?
2) Clearly an opus: , "and on the hands of the rest of the press that work so diligently to destroy our efforts in Iraq." Is the press somehow involved in the resource allocation process of military funds, personnel and equipment? Could this be a news media conspiracy?
3) "spitting on sacrifice that has been given there." For taking pictures? I would think that George Bush not allocating enough money for disabled vets in the budget to the Department of Veteran Affairs due to the increase in disabled vet claims an atrocity. President Bush was going to veto a bill that would provide free education for all vets that served three years after 9/11: http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/86306/ And somehow the actions of Zoriah are equated to spitting on the graves of fallen soldiers.
4) And one for the ages: "Die bitch." Spoken from a true soldier that upholds American values and virtues.
I suggest that people disgusted with the atrocities of war contact your local congressman and senator. Voting in the November election would be a start. Singing: "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb,bomb Iran dooo whap"
Posted by: Wyatt | July 28, 2008 at 23:20
To the last poster...
If you are going to start talking sense, logic and cause effect then I am going to have to ask you to leave the internet now. There is no place for you here.
Posted by: mikasi | July 31, 2008 at 21:11
Poor Julie is the kind of indoctrinated zombie that helped get Dubya, the war criminal, into the WH. He will also vote for McCain. He is the kind of white trash the neocons thrive on while laughing their testicles off watching them dutifully vote for god and country, not even suspecting that both have long since been bought by the corporations.
Posted by: Russ | August 09, 2008 at 15:33
Zoriah,
Your work is excellent and honorable. Please ignore the hatred and ignorance so foully expressed. Such people are pitiable. No one is so blind as those who will not see.
Posted by: Lisa | August 16, 2008 at 02:18
Zoriah,
Your work is excellent and honorable. Please ignore the hatred and ignorance so foully expressed. Such people are pitiable. No one is so blind as those who will not see.
Posted by: Lisa | August 16, 2008 at 02:18
Likely "marine" has never worn any uniform other than perhaps Cub Scouts; equally likely os that he was deemed unqualified to be a cub scout; hence his crude manner. "Your country?" How dare you?
This guy has likely never read the Constitution, and if he did, he found it incomprehensible.
Then we find russ who is so deeply afflicted with gender and racial issues that his narrative resembles the flight path of a mosquito high on crack!
Please never cease your work on behalf of man/womankind. Bringing the truth to others is the last and best hope we have of avoiding planetary extinction.
Posted by: mark Aleshnick | September 04, 2008 at 14:06
Very nice pictures!!and you will get some prises to sir!!But Want to ask all that people who are passes from this blogs and all them too who will see this photographs at exhibition,This photograph is not for your clapping,It is reality and Do something in life to help them,so you can say with proud that you have done something best in your past.
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You are the worst of war profiteers, I hope the next picture you take is of your own demise. Fuck you, and get out of my country.
The blood of dead Marines are on your hands, and on the hands of the rest of the press that work so diligently to destroy our efforts in Iraq, spitting on sacrifice that has been given there. Die bitch.
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