Iraq's New Surge: Gay Killings

Foreign Policy:

When my colleague and I sat down last April with Hamid, an Iraqi man from Baghdad, his trauma-induced stutter said as much as the words he spoke. Huddled inconspicuously in a dingy restaurant, Hamid recounted how militia members killed his partner along with three other men, two kidnapped from their Baghdad homes, two slaughtered in the streets. The next day, Hamid said, "they came for me. They came into my house and they saw my mother, and one of them said, 'Where's your faggot son?' My mother called me after they left, in tears. ... I can't go home."

Read the whole story: Foreign Policy

Comments

[ModernTimes1]

This pretty much summarizes the feeling everyone has about Saddam.
http://plancksconstant.org/blog1/iamges/soldier-pissing-on-saddam.jpg

[exhale09]

Some people in this world just have to have an excuse to carry around guns and use them.

The Iraqi people need to stand up and take ownership of their problems now.

We're kind of busy trying to solve ours.

[zitlight73]

Be careful about attributing all the violence in Iraq on the Iraqis. Corporate mercenaries over there do not wan their billion dollar gravy train to stop and have the means and motivation to keep things stirred up. Congress needs to ban mercenary companies, it way too easy for them to start wars and drum up business.

[ModernTimes1]

Diagnosis: Red Herring fallacy--- irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention from the original issue.

[longtimegone]

Beautiful. You're only aggrieved because you thought you had a corner on that technique. Observation: You're copying Memory Alpha's style.

[NYC07]

Are we sure that this isn't the work of some Compassionate Right Wing Christians that snuck into the country.

[MajorKong]

Not to mention that the Iraqi Christian population has largely been driven out of the country.

[4KixAfter6]

Now there's something the GOP can get behind.

[jefke]

This story broke three weeks ago in the mainstream press here in Europe. Now, weeks later, it appears in a specialized publication in the US. Do Americans find this not worth reporting, or could the fact that before the American invasion, Iraq was the most tolerant Mid-East country when it came to gays have something to do with it?

www.anamericaninbrussels.com

[treboi]

Say what you want about Saddam Hussein but the man kept this country together...when we leave the country will turn away from democracy and more towards fundamentalism. I hope Duba is proud...when it's all said and done we will have spent trillions on a war that created a radical fundamentalist Islamic state and the exact thing bush was trying to prevent will end up happening, just another reason why duba will go down as one of the worst persidents in history.

As far as the gay killings something needs to be done, but we all know fighting 4 gay rights only happens in the developed world....there has to be a way 4 gay rights groups to help get our brothers and sister out of these countries. But since western gay rights groups only care about 'white people's' gay issues (i.e. Gettin a ring put on it) i fear my brothers and sisters will continue to die in vain.

[motoGpifupleez]

Now there's the surge the RightWingers would love to bring to these shores.

[pseudochristians]

so glad we liberated their country. were heros. ANYONE who says that things were so terrible under hussien are totally out of their freakin minds. saddam ran a much calmer and peaceful country than what bushs dogs of war have unleashed. who was hussien a threat to? bush and his continuing policies are the gravest threat to peace in the region. so one tell me different

[Sean 6399]

What I take away from this is that we really need openly gay people serving in the military. The more flamboyant and fabulous the better. Then our glorious conquering armies will really be welcomed with open arms.

[ModernTimes1]

All these hunky solders riding these big brutish tanks with long barrels. Fabulous and chic.

[sense11]

We cant get out of that country fast enough.

[themainpoint]

This is really depressing. As if there isn't enough conflict and trouble in that country.

When will people learn that if they come together in the areas where they can agree and put aside their differences, they will all have more influence and be much better off?

[TiberiusKirk]

Another reason religion must be eradicated.

[NoMercy]

Both Soviet Russia and Maoist China tried it.

Impossible.

[ModernTimes1]

USSR did a remarkablt good job at it.
Majority of ex- Soviet citizens are functional atheists.
This is remarkable, because prior to 1917 Revolution, Russia was extremely devout.

[MikeDu]

America better watch out. The Right Wing has imported Iraqi-style sectarian obstructionism to America. The Right Wing is more than capable of importing this into America as well, and more besides. We are living in very dangerous times.

[ModernTimes1]

Yawn, get out of the basement more.