Iraq - traveling abroad

[shunt]

Having seen first hand the horrors caused by America on the good civilian people of Iraq, and how it will come back to haunt America (working in downtown oklahoma city during the bombing...which was a result of a rightly-jaded gulf war vet), I am interested in communicating the truth to people in the states, however, they hate the truth so much....Im forwarded emails of stories written by people who know someone who knew someone that worked downtown okc during the bombing, and this and that bla bla bla...and I respond to them with the truth as I was there and they call me every name in the book!!! You UnAmerican devil they say...(compliment as we all know...but...anyway...)

so long story short I want to go there, take pics of the horrors, talk to people etc....and return with as much truth as I can to the people here....how hard is it to visit??? Im not afraid to die!!! thats for sure...

(Edited by shunt at 8:16 am on April 10, 2002)

[Angie]

Shunt, your interest in getting the truth across is fantastic, I give you full credit for wanting to get out there and make a difference.

Little thing to remember is that for the last decade Iraq has not allowed American citizens into it's nation unless under extremely strict business-related conditions, so frankly, you'd have to smuggle yourself in. That said, if you've still got the dream, go for it, it's extremely honourable.

Though it sounds dodgy, I recommend that you alert at least one foreign government to your being in the Middle East. They must know the truth - that you're doing a form of photo-journalism. Remember to take heaps of evidence of what you're there for. Smuggling yourself into the country, no matter how you say it, is illegal - however, if you get in with the right people, you can find amazing support in all the right places. People tend to help if they believe in your cause.

Another option instead of self-smuggling is what I refer to as journalistic "mercenary work." In that, if you can convince a media source of another nation to take you on as a contracted worker of their company, you might just be able to get into Iraq using their nation's visa rights relating to business travellers. It's a tough stretch, but it's worth looking into.

It's also worth getting aligned with a development organisation like the Red Cross / Red Crescent, so they can back your claim where necessary. Make Amnesty International your best friend.

Unfortunately, it has to be said that your nationality (I'm arrogantly presuming you're American without checking your profile, my apologies if I'm incorrect) is going to make it extremely difficult - it's practically the last nationality that Iraq welcomes inside it's borders.

Lastly, something interesting I learnt a while back is that there are people in Iraq who are posing as police officers in the main cities, and targeting foreigners - mugging them, etc. They are NOT police officers, always remember that. If you were to go to any Iraqi police station and tell them of what had happened, the first thing they'd tell you was that they never personally approach people for that very reason.

If you do have any solid intentions of attempting to get into Iraq, I wish you all the best of luck. I'm not going to say it would be easy, it would be bloody dangerous (and yes, quite fatal if you fell in with the wrong people), but the cause is extremely worthy.

[shunt]

"if you can convince a media source of another nation to take you on as a contracted worker of their company"

That's a great idea...I've gotten close with a number of students at the local university who are from Syria and Turkey that know a lot of people around there, and love what I have to say...Ive fully infiltrated America's form of Zionism (popular culture) through the dispicable fashion industry (view my webpage fashionquote.com) and therefore can get media credentials here and there (like press passes to a coming talk by Genocide loving Madeline Albright in Dallas, tx)

I know good things can be accomplished, and I do know that the people of Iraq, when they know what im "up to" will be my best friends on earth (as the local university middle eastern students are coming to be...inviting me to dinners often and to huge group get togethers, where as there have been no offers from the American people of this new town im living in...reminds me of the great Muhammed Ali quote on not fighting in the Vietnam War™ "No Vietcong ever called me Nigger"

I will look into the press credential thing, and if I do get to go, trust me I will wear my Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Denver Nuggets jersey which I always wear proudly to sporting events to let people know how I feel when they sing the nat'l anthem....so that they will know I am from America but that I am not of America...


http://fashionquote.com/pop/popculture.html

[Angie]

Sounds like you've got some excellent openings, explore them all! :)

[Guest]

Quote: from shunt on 8:08 am on April 10, 2002
...which was a result of a rightly-jaded gulf war vet
"Rightly jaded"? How was he rightly jaded? He was a right wing conspiracy nut murdering asshole. Try some Exlax to clear the blockage. The shit is backing up to your brain.

[RedCeltic]

While I don't care for that insulting tone the guest poster uses... I do agree that Tim wasn't simply "Rightly Jadded"... he was a big fan of "The Turner Diaries" 20 year old white power fiction that is popular among fanatical religious cults like as Wacco Texas, and middle America white supremists like Tim...

If you don't know about the book...here's a review...

http://pages.prodigy.net/aesir/ttd.htm

[Guest]

Pardon my tone; I was dismayed at the perceived defense of someone like Timothy McAsswipe.

[shunt]

Rightly jaded meaning the things that pushed him over the edge, specificly his tour in Iraq when he had to brutally kill many Iraqi soldiers as commanded by the US army for their oil war, made him jaded for reasons based soely on us impearilism....

im not a fan of mcveigh
im not a fan of guest

we can, however, learn from both.
people that want to make a difference care
enough to speak before thinking.

let me re-iterate..i worked in downtown okc
when this happened, it was my town i grew up
in...mcveigh hurt me greatly, countless nites driving
home in the evenings from work, watching the bright lights of the rescue workers, searching for some form of life...but i overcame it, learned why it happened, and fight everyday to prevent it from happening again, while you sit there and criticize

what is holding you back????

[shunt]

whatever happened with this stereotypical american™ "guest"....I figured this thread would get burried, just like a girl that dates a married U.S political figure and mysteriously gets her head cut off and thrown in a Martha-Stewart™ brand blender accidentally or whatever they do these days....

[chupacabra]

I went to Bahrain and I am so proud that I heard the people there are protesting. I am going to Egypt this summer and would like to see Egyptian reaction to the occupation.

Listen, the world community has always viewed Americans as ignorant. I will not be surprised to see another WTC disaster happen. DO u know why? Because the U.S> is NOT being fair. They should stop giving tax payer $$ to Israel, stop building those frickin' settlements. Those Jews can find another p[lace to live. How many people in Africa, latin America, India, China are starving. Why does the US not help them? WHy? Because they want to control a portion of the Middle East thru Israel. Just like they had a hand in the Chavez coup.