Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would agree to do research for a journalist on suicide bombings in Iraq. In all actuality, I didn't really agree to it, rather my boss kind of signed me up. But I probably would have anyway. Just for the experience.
Anyway, even as a Middle Eastern Studies major, I really never took an interest in America's current war in Iraq. To be perfectly honest, the situation is just confusing - from a historical, political, and moral standpoint - and I find it easier to ignore the topic instead of annoy people with empty postulations. It may sound a bit overly apathetic, but I realize that I have nothing groundbreaking to add to the situation.
And doing this research is having the effect I knew it would - it is depressing me beyond belief (and making me slightly paranoid). My research is pretty straightforward, and the process is ridiculously simple - I look through computer-based archives under the keywork "Iraq", and any article documenting a suicide bomb/mission I paste onto a word document and save them all in one folder. Really simple, eh?
Well, I'm not sure if the money - combined with the assignment's simplicity - is really worth it. Yea I'm making a few bucks, but all I do is stare at headlines of suicide bombing, car bombings, air strikes and shootings. I have gone through four years already - 2008 to early 2004 - and I cannot believe how many suicide bombings there have been. On top of all the other atrocities in Iraq.
The news is just one horrible story after another. Even better, imagine me blocking everything out because my imagination is running rampant with visuals of the news I am reading, and then some stupid young driver revving his engine incredibly loud. Yea, it did make me jump - I was scared out of my mind. It took a good ten seconds to bring myself back into my work office.
This is why I choose not to think about it. Or Palestine, anymore. I wish I could do something about it. Maybe one day I will. Right now I have a voice, and the power of the written word and the media, but even I am not so optimistic to think I will change the world by simply exercising my freedom of speech.
I finished the project today, thankfully. When I finished there were 565 documents I saved in my folder. Although some of them were carbombs, which I included because sometimes they did not specify whether it was suicidal or not. And did I get something out of it? I like to think that I know a bit more of the realities on the ground in Iraq, although I can only imagine since I have not witnessed it firsthand.
What bothered me the most is the number of people who have volunteered to carry out the suicide missions. The suicide bombings seemed to really take off eight months after the US invaded in May 2003. But these groups and their ideologies behind the suicide bombings had to be in place long before American invaded. I am interested in doing more research into that aspect of the equation.
Also there were some trends that I noticed - for some the reasons were apparent, and others not so much. There was definitely a lull in suicide bombings during the winters, and a surge during the summer months. During the Muslim celebration of Ramadan a couple of years there was a decrease, but in other years there was no change. And like I mentioned before, during the first year of the American invasion there were hardly any reports. During a few months the number of reported suicide attacks were incredible - almost one every other day. And the corresponding fatalities were outrageous. Just this past week two women carried out twin suicide bombings in seperate pet markets, killing 99 total.
Obviously this war tactic, and this ideology, is a dangerous one. It is certainly succeeding in spreading terror, and I can't imagine how Iraqis still living in their country go about daily life.
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