Father Seeks Vindication But Finds Death in Fallujah

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24571-2005Feb14.html/?nav=yb-t1

Bereaved Insurgent 'Was Ready for Martyrdom'

By Anthony Shadid
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, February 15, 2005; Page A01

BAGHDAD -- On a piece of paper torn from a notebook and folded four times, writing in Arabic that was at once reserved and casual, Saadi Mohammed Abu Shaiba penned what would be his last testament.

To his childhood friend Abu Sufyan, he declared that he was returning to Fallujah, where he and his family had left their home at the height of the U.S. offensive to retake the guerrilla stronghold in November. He had given money to his wife, he said, and he wanted Abu Sufyan to administer the funds and ensure that his family was never in need.

"If I am killed please take care of my wife and children," he wrote. "I hope you will be with my family after I am absent."

The Washington Post profiled Abu Shaiba, 39, known to his friends as Abu Mohammed, in December, as the former blacksmith turned insurgent bided his time in a cramped house in Baghdad. He waited to return to a city deserted by residents and occupied by U.S. troops, swaths of it destroyed.

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[gottaB]

1. important story --n/t

[struggle4progress]

2. kick

[Monkie]

3. haunting read...

from the article page 5..

"As for his fight, he said, it would go on
For him, it was not ideology, not really political. In essence, it was personal.

"When Saadi told me he wanted to avenge his son, I understood," he said.

Intiqam -- Arabic for revenge -- was a word he used often.
It was both justification and explanation, its meaning implicit.
As he and the others stood at his brother's grave, Abu Gailan said, it was intiqam that ran through their minds.

"When my brother died, I had the same feeling that he did. Revenge," he said.

"I want to take revenge." His words were more matter-of-fact than angry. "We decided. This is our principle. Revenge."

this is i think america's biggest miscalculation,
the vietnamese came from a more peaceful and forgiving culture and its been a while since the USA has openly killed this many people without justification.
i fear/predict personal revenge on a scale not previously seen once relative calm returns to iraq and the people there have the time to start to reflect on their very personal losses