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Curfews Turn Mosul Into Ghost City
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US
military trucks patrolling
Mosul
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By
Khaled Yassin El-Yassari, IOL Correspondent
MOSUL,
December 7 (IslamOnline.net) – Residents of Iraq’s northern city
of Mosul have been living a continuous nightmare due to the mid-day
till early morning curfew imposed by US troops and city council.
The
soldiers in the city give no damn about any considerations whatsoever.
No emergencies are allowed. Any one who ventures out at night risks
being targeted by the
US
forces – viewed by most Iraqis as occupation forces so far -- and
the Iraqi national guardsmen.
Shortly
before sunset, shops close, streets look deserted, as residents hurry
to their homes to avoid attacks by occupation forces and Iraqi
guardsmen. No matter the emergency is, residents must not leave their
homes, according to IOL correspondent in the city.
This
correspondent tells of a horrific experience he personally was forced
to go through.
“My
nephew picked the scary hour after mid-night to come to this life. No
ambulance could make its way to our home over fears of being targeted
by the occupation forces. We found no way but to leave the relative
security of our home for the hospital to help my sister-in-law who was
in labor.
“Quietly,
we headed to the street, waving white flags. It was pitch dark, adding
another fearful element to a situation already filled with the smell
of death and ghosts.”
Still
Alive
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US
soldiers prefer night to launch crackdown operations.
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He
went on saying that as the car reached a crossroad, “we were
immediately surrounded by four
US
military trucks which opened fire to force us to stop, even though we
had no intention of doing otherwise.
“Stopping
for almost five minutes, waving the white flags with no response from
the occupation convoy, we believed we will surely be dead.
“Four
US
soldiers then cautiously and suspiciously moved forward toward us.
Explaining reasons why we were out at night, the soldier, who looked
extremely scared, gave a deep sigh of relief.
“After
talking to his senior officer, the soldier allowed us to continue our
way.”
Praising
Allah for still being alive, the group of terrified civilians slowly
moved forward in the deserted city, enveloped with a sad atmosphere of
darkness and silence.
New
Danger
Trucks
loaded with supplies for the
US
forces are always a target for resistance, so, seeing a
US
military convoy followed by tens of these supply trucks meant another
danger for the civilians on their way to a hospital.
“Hurryingly,
we stepped into a side street, turning down the car’s lights and
stayed for almost 15 minutes to make sure the military convoy has
passed away.
“Approaching
the hospital in such bad rainy conditions, a voice screamed at us to
stop. Disgustingly approaching us, a member of the Iraqi national
guardsmen checked us before allowing us to continue our way.
“Stepping
into the hospital compound in western
Mosul
, we got surprised to see a large number of people waiting in the
hospital.”
As
they occupied a bench along with tens of people resting on the ground,
this correspondent started a conversation with one of those waiting.
“I’ve
been here since 4 p.m.,” the man said, adding others have been
staying at the hospital for days.
“This
person there has been here for two days. He is from a village located
50 km far away.”
Explaining,
the Iraqi man said the hospital was the only one still working in
town.
Doctor
Yasir Tahseen, at the
Mosul
hospital, also decried the tough decisions the medical crew faces to
cope with the catastrophic situation.
“We
work at half man power as most doctors had apologized for not coming
due to bridges closure and deteriorating security conditions.”
On
attendance of female doctors in the hospital in such bad security
conditions, he said “I’m the only doctor here in the hospital,
while the rest of the medical crew is formed of female doctors and
nurses.”
Nada,
a nurse, said she had no other choice but to brave all these chaotic
and risky conditions to show up for “her duty at the hospital”.
She
added that although the hospital is suffering a shortage of medical
supplies, many patients had been treated.
Born
at Last
Stepping
out of the hospital for some fresh air, this correspondent had to run
back in after hearing sounds of exchange of fire. Members of the Iraqi
national guard were heading for shelter in the hospital, chased by a
self-styled armed group.
Asked
what happened, an Iraqi national guardsman screamed at me, “It’s
none of your business.”
Seeing
the hospital receptionist hanging up the telephone speaker, another
guardsman hurried to him and smashed the telephone, accusing him of
trying to inform the resistance group on their place.
The
Iraqi soldiers left the hospital, seeking shelter in another place.
At
six a.m., they left the hospital after my sister-in-law gave birth to
her baby, who experienced a great adventure even before coming to this
life.
“I
looked at the newly born, angel like nephew and wondered about the
kind of future that might be there for him in this devastated
country.”
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