RIVERBEND, STILL BLOGGING
I was pleased to discover, via a link from Healing Iraq, that Iraqi blogger Riverbend is still writing. I had gotten mixed up about her url and thought she’d quit. Riverbend is probably the best writer among all the Iraqi bloggers I’ve read. She’s also the only woman, and the only one opposed to the war and the occupation, to balance out pro-American bloggers Iraq the Model, The Mesopotamian, and Healing Iraq. Mostly she’s just horrified by the bloodshed and chaos. Here’s a typical sample from a few days ago:

I tried futilely to cling to the last fragments of a fading dream and go back to sleep when several more explosions followed. Upon getting downstairs, I found E. flipping through the news channels, trying to find out what was going on. “They aren’t nearly fast enough,” he shook his head with disgust. “We’re not going to know what’s happening until noon.”

But the news began coming in much sooner. There were clashes between armed Iraqis and the Americans on Haifa Street- a burned out hummer, some celebrating crowds, missiles from helicopters, a journalist dead, dozens of Iraqis wounded, and several others dead. The road leading to the airport has seen some action these last few days- more attacks on troops and also some attacks on Iraqi guard. The people in the areas surrounding the airport claim that no one got any sleep the whole night.

The areas outside of Baghdad aren’t much better off. The south is still seeing clashes between the Sadir militia and troops. Areas to the north of Baghdad are being bombed and attacked daily. Ramadi was very recently under attack and they say that they aren’t allowing the wounded out of the city. Tel Affar in the north of the country is under siege and Falloojeh is still being bombed.

Everyone is simply tired in Baghdad. We’ve become one of those places you read about in the news and shake your head thinking, “What’s this world coming to?” Kidnappings. Bombings. Armed militias. Extremists. Drugs. Gangs. Robberies. You name it, and we can probably tell you several interesting stories.

Is it worse than Saddam? And what can you do about it? Riverbend has no answers. But that’s not the point. Riverbend is not a problem-solver. But she maintains her humanity in grim circumstances. I’m glad she’s still writing.