Easter Sunday

March 23, 2008

Easter Sunday started with a “Whump-Whump-Whump” of outgoing mortars. I could hear them being launched from somewhere close to the FOB bright and early this morning. And then a few hours later, while at work at the prison, we heard more outgoing headed for the Green Zone on the other side of the river. The prison is between Sadr City and the GZ, so the mortars and rockets always fly over our heads en route to some unknown, random explosion.

Last week all was quiet leading up to the Muslim holiday marking The Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. There wasn’t a single blast or attack that I can recall hearing. That must have been nice for the men who chose to break that peace on this Christian holiday. I wondered where the boundary was that gave them some serenity during their time of celebration. Men planned to attack and kill human beings on this, one of the holiest days of the year. They thought out, laid in wait, and then executed their plan for maximum effect. Thankfully, no one was killed in the GZ today, but not for a lack of trying.

I read an article on the Internet detailing today’s attacks. But it didn’t choose to condemn the group, or groups, responsible for taking advantage of this day of assumed world-wide peace. In fact, the MSN article I read about the attacks sounded a lot like US and Iraq forces were to blame for rattling the fragile decline in violence here. It said, “It’s feared that the recent clashes between US and Iraq forces and militiamen in Baghdad may unravel the cease-fire announced by the Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr.” And it also said, “The attacks in the Green Zone coincided with Easter services, but followed a series of clashes between U.S and Iraqi forces in neighborhoods west of the Green Zone.” It was as if al-Sadr himself isn’t to blame for the violence he and his group wreak in this city. No, it’s the US and Iraq forces that force his hand. And then I thought about the millions of Americans who would read this and say to themselves, “See…we shouldn’t be in Iraq…we’re just there asking for trouble.” The press makes my stomach turn. The Iraqis I know want peace! They want a new country, safe from tyrants and violence. They want an Iraq where their children can grow up safely, go to school, and someday vote. They want their MTV, Coca-Cola, and Levi Jeans. And most importantly, they want the US here to help them. They want me here to help them. They’ve told me they don’t ever want us to leave because when we do it will all fall apart again. They don’t blame the violence and deaths on our presence here. They know who and what is causing the instability, and they hate and fear it.

I’ll be a voice here, mostly fair, but at least trying to be balanced. I’ll tell you exactly what happened today. People here woke up to explosions. Not just Americans mind you. Thousands of Iraqis live and work in the Green Zone too. Their children may not have awoke today bright eyed and looking for a basket the Easter Bunny left for them. But at the very least, they shouldn’t have had to fear their own countrymen and raining mortars on Easter Sunday.

-Jim Franks