A child's view of the Iraq war

[Spazito]

NEW YORK (AFP) - The Tigris River running red with blood, a military plane dropping a key of freedom on Iraq (news - web sites) and a child asking, "Where is my father?"



All three images form part of an exhibition currently showing in New York of drawings by Iraqi schoolchildren who witnessed the US-led military assault on Baghdad.


Made by pupils at the Iraqi capital's Al Assail primary school in June, one month after President George W. Bush (news - web sites) declared an end to major combat in Iraq, the drawings bring a child's sensibility to bear on the human impact of the US "shock and awe" bombing campaign.

snip

"This is the children of Baghdad speaking, ... voices that were never heard here because of the skewed media coverage of the war," said Carl Rosenstein, owner and curator of Lower Manhattan's Puffin Room gallery.

more

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1506&e=14&u=/afp/us_iraq_children

[kimchi]

1. rate this story, and the picture.

2 votes on the picture--some freeper gave it a one and I gave it a five. How in the world can anyone downplay a child's rendering? It sickens me.

[Spazito]

2. This is something we should all see....

we all know the saying "through the eyes of the children", well, here it is, in all it's horror.

[Iraq_Vet_For_Peace]

3. New Guy Alert

Hi all, and a good article on a very underreported topic. The most heartbreaking things i saw over there was the plight of the Iraqi children. You even see it before you cross the border, as there is a huge sign,"Iraq border ahead, beware children in the road". What happens is the adults make the children run out into the road to slow convoys so the elders can run up and sell items to troops or beg food or water.
Sadly many children get struck by vehicles who just can see the road(dust storms,etc)these unfortunate incidents compound the already inherent problems of "hearts and minds". I can't tell you how much of my own money i gave to the children over there.Give them a 5,10, or 20, tell them to hide it and run staight home with it.

[Flubadubya]

4. Welcome to DU Vet for Peace...

Am delighted to know that you have made it back safely. I wish we could bring all the rest of your cohorts home safely as well.

I hope you will be a regular here and continue to relate your experiences on DU, and in many other places as well. Of course, you know you will be "singing to the choir" here, but I'll bet you have some important things to tell those who don't share our views.

Thank you for your input!

[Iraq_Vet_For_Peace]

5. Thanks

It is so refreshing to talk to like minded people without being shouted down as a treasonist or be labled as unpatriotic(which somebody tried to tell me!) Like Gen Clark said, it is time for a "new patriotism"

[0007]

6. To hear your words today

have made me a happy man. Wish more were like you. Welcome!

Your a class act.

[Lisa]

7. Welcome home!

Glad to see your posts, Iraq_Vet_For_Peace -- you're the one who is truly patriotic, not those who blindly wave flags and condemn dissent.

(I bet you gave more money to those Iraqi kids than Halliburton ever will ...)

[Iraq_Vet_For_Peace]

8. Funny Halliburton Story

Thank You :). I hope this story reflects the sheer obscenity that is how much Halliburton and KBR are intertwined into our Military. I am in the chow hall in a camp located in northern Kuwait. Like any good GI i go to cozy up to the mess Sgt. "Sorry Soldier, i dont cook here" stated the mess Sgt to my advances for extra chow. "Who does"i inquired. "KBR", They cook, serve, and clean the chow hall."So why 'ya here mess?" "Because the Army doent truss all of 'em, so i watch them(KBR would sometimes employ locals). So, in this era of deficit and Troop shortage, not only do we give KBR & CO plum contracts to do the jobs and replace soldiers, we also deploy those very same soldiers to watch them do it!

[tlcandie]

9. WoW .. yet another eye opener! Thanks!

Welcome home and so glad to have you among us! Hope we don't get on your nerves too much. :D

Hope that settling back into civilian life goes well for you! :hug:

[ConcernedCanuk]

10. __Glad to see ya here "IVFP" ___

. . As you can see - I've been around awhile here, but I think you are the FIRST Iraq "warrior" I've seen on here. . but I'm sure that there are many others that share your views.

I think alot of y'all over there are starting to realize that GeeDubya sorta got Y'all into a War for no good reason other than GeeDubya's personal vendetta against the guy who "tried to kill my Daddy"

Just my Humble Canuck Opionion