Anmar, my cousin, was 23 years old. He left his house a few days ago heading to Syria with two of his best friends, all Sunnis. His plan was to go to Syria, find a big house or apartment, rent it and prepare it for the family to go and live there. He volunteered to go and take care of this issue. Although he was the youngest among my cousins, but he was clever and brave.
Anmar and his friends were stopped by militias a few miles outside Baghdad, the police told my family. No one knows what happened after that, but the bodies were found three days ago in the morgue.
The "surge" is working. This is the fate of the Iraqi youth!
When I talked with my aunt, all she kept saying was “thank God for everything. We still have you and the rest of your cousins. Thank God for everything.”
I will start counting now, one done and no one knows how many to go!
At 4:18 PM, 
At 6:37 PM, 
Iraqi Mojo
I never got the Catholic/Protestant fighting in Ireland,and can't understand the Shia/Sunni animosity either. How can people worshipping the same God from the same book,hate each other enough to kill? So what if they hold their arms different when they pray. How can people be so intolerant? My condolences on your cousins death. It was a senseless reason to die.
Btw Omar,I wanted to voice my two cents on the New Orleans article posted previously. I've lived here all my life,and see things a bit differently. The government has been extremely generous to people affected by Katrina. Many thousands are still living in $40,000 trailors provided free of charge. Many billions have been provided to local and state governments. Many more billions were provided directly to residents in the form of cash and vouchers. Louisiana has paid people for much of their loss,even if they weren't insured. The government isn't in the business of rebuilding homes. That just doesn't happen here. Those homes haven't been rebuilt,because the owners took the money and ran. Or worse,they're still getting free housing elsewhere. My wife and kids stayed in a hotel,at the Red Crosses expense,while I gutted my house and got enough of it functional for them to have somewhere to sleep. FEMA provided several thousand dollars during those first few weeks. That was a GIFT. Taxpayers have no obligation to be so generous. My family was back home 3 weeks after Katrina. It was another month before the insurance adjuster showed up. Yes,insurance is a fact of life in the U.S. Without it,you are shit out of luck after a disaster. Yet,even those people without insurance received compensation this time. Unless the occupants died during Katrina,there's no excuse for those homes not being restored a long time ago. I'll always be grateful to the Red Cross,the Salvation Army(which provided hot meals and cold drinks during the long weeks it took to get utilities restored and businesses re-opened)FEMA,and the good people of the United States for their generosity.
At 12:14 AM,
At 9:51 AM, dancewater
perry1961: your comments on both Northern Ireland and the current tragedy of Iraq shows how uninformed you truly are. These type of situations don't "just happen" there are people in power who are inspiring them to happen, and the motive behind it is control of the area and the resources.
And, doing this shows a total lack of morality, which is unfortunately found in a few in each and every group of people on our small planet.
They cause a lot of misery.
At 1:18 PM, 3eeraqimedic
At 7:43 PM,
Omar,
I feel so sad for you and your family.
In the course of the day, my thoughts often turn to the Iraqi people and to the turmoil within which they struggle to survive.
I dread reading news like this on the blogs I "track".
Through blogging our sense of being part of the family of humanity expands.
I send your aunt a virtual hug from one who is thinking of her loss and wishes she could comfort her.
And as for you, Omar, stay safe. Keep strong.
At 3:04 PM,
At 3:57 PM, RhusLancia
oh my god Omar.