Afaf, a teacher and a mother of four, described what happened: “We left 3 weeks ago when the bombing on Al-Qa’im began. Some families left earlier after the Defense Minister, Sadoon Al-Duleimi, threatened Al-Garbiya area of an overall attack. They were clever because they had time to take some furniture, clothes, food and stuff with them. When the bombing began we had to leave as quickly as possible. It was a very sad day. People were running out of the city, holding white flags, terrified, some in cars, some on feet; some got trucks and helped the old and the families.”

All these families had more or less similar reasons to run away. But all of them agreed on one thing: they were afraid of the impending American-Iraqi invasion. “We have our daughters to worry about. Every thing can be fixed except honor,” Afaf told us. They were afraid that the invaders would rape their girls. “We saw what happened in Tal-Afar. They arrest all the men, the women are left on their on, and the roads are closed. We do not want to find ourselves in this situation,” Afaf said.

Other families are living in horrible conditions in various refugee camps scattered throughout northwestern Al-Anbar province.

Keep in mind that this visit took place just before the current major military operations began. Reports from that area now confirm that the situation has grown far, far worse.

Another friend of mine recently returned from the Al-Qa’im area where she brought aid supplies to refugee families. During a phone call she reported, “You can’t imagine the situation these people are living in Dahr. There are so many of their homes bombed by warplanes, people living in camps, and families in the desert who just need blankets and food. It’s horrible.”

And now, according to a recent IRIN report, “Nearly 1,000 families have fled their homes in Haditha in western Iraq following the launch of a US-ld military operation to hunt down insurgents in the town in the Euphrates river valley, according to residents in the area.” 1,000 families have fled their homes in Haditha in western Iraq following the launch of a US-led military operation to hunt down in insurgents in the town in the Euphrates river valley, according to residents in the area.”

(c)2004, 2005 Dahr Jamail.
All images, photos, photography and text are protected by United States and international copyright law.

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