As Bush readys his veto pen, I’ve been listening to some new and interesting voices about the situation in Iraq. A New York-based firm Chat the Planet worked with Iraqi producers to get video cameras to several young Iraqi men (too bad they’re all men – but so it goes). They are doing video diaries about their lives that are posted at a web site/blog Hometown Baghdad. At the blog, there are also wonderful conversations going on between young people all over the world, including the young men featured in the videos.
Here’s a sample of one of the 20 videos that are currently posted:
In the blog discussion about this video, one of the commentors asks these young men if they want the US troops to leave. Here is how Ausama, one of the young men in the video answers:
it would be great if the american troops leave the country ( it’s not only good for us but good for the american famillies ! ) but Unfortunatly , there’s a terrible instability in my country … all the militias are growing stronger ! ! !
so now if you ask me if the pull out is good or not ? I would definity say it’s not , they have to change their policies and try to be honest about building good , fair Iraqi security forces not just to leave the country…. or you know ? they just have to let the UN forces handle the Iraq.
Iraqis are dying , the american soliders are dying … they have to act fast while they still can , and leaving the country and lying about how did they built a good democratic system is not the solution !
There are alot of Solutions , they just have to lose that arrogance for a while !
(what I mean by ” they ” is the american government ofcourse ! )
The videos range from a tour of the college campus where teachers and students have been killed, to a group of young men who sneak into an abandonded house to swim in the pool and escape the Baghdad heat. In total, a pretty good picture of what life is like for young men in Baghdad these days. But here’s the one that had the most impact on me:
I’d invite everyone to go – watch, read and learn.
