The Day the Silent Bombs Fell
On September 11,2001, the United States faced, what we saw as the most horrific form of terrorism. On March 16,1988, the northern Iraqi city of Halabja endured the greatest chemical and biological assault on a civilian population in the history of mankind. Today this is our worst fear, being bombed by chemical weapons. What should have been a day of celebration was a day not to be forgotten according to Sabir Abdullah Ahmad. "The air smelt like apples and onions. It was a bad smell. I saw people who smelt it and they were affected immediately. In front of me six people, three of them my brothers, tried not to breathe, they tried to hide in some water, but the water was poisoned by the chemicals too and they died." Those who were very close to the bombs died instantly, those who did not found it very difficult to breathe and began to vomit. The gas stung their eyes, some suffering temporary blindness. Many villagers ran towards water, jumping into streams to escape the spreading gases.
I really do not know a lot about politics nor do I understand why Saddam Hussein does what he does. Those who survived and are still alive today, remain in the city of Halabja. Not long after the bombings stopped, there were helicopters flying overhead taking pictures and dropping paper. There are so many aspects of the situation in the Middle East that we could go from one topic to the next, one thing I do know is that I thank the lord everyday for my life, but also fear that one day we could face what the Kurds faced on that fateful day of March 16,1988. People also suffer from neurological disorders as well; they will never forget that day. These people live their lives in fear everyday. In fact, the no fly zone imposed by the Americans and the British (which has protected the Kurdish) administered Northern Iraq from Iraqi offensives since 1991, does not cover this town at all. In the 1950's the Kurdish Democratic Party was formed. This is one of the only organizations helping the victims and conducting research into long-term effects of chemical weapons. Since these attacks Mike Amitee, who is the executive director of the Washington Kurdish Institute, has formed the Halabja Medical Institute. There is virtually no assistance available for these people. They were attacking the city with a deadly cocktail of chemicals, including mustard gas and various other nerve agents that can cause death as well as medical and genetic problems. Mardin Hahumud Fatah, there has not been a "normal" delivery in the last five births. The UN will not assist for fear that this would anger the Iraqi regime and jeopardize their continued role in administering UN 986 program, which is the program that allows Iraq to swap oil for humanitarian needs.
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