Love and Hate
in a Safe Haven.

My Friend the Iraqi Doctor
Just Wants to Go Home.

The First Letter

By Jack G. Vines
DATELINE:
Monday, March 24, 2003.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The war has started. I received calls from Japan, Australia, the USA, and the United Kingdom inquiring about the situation in the United Arab Emirates. My response was, "What do you mean? Are you inquiring about the weather?"

Believe it or not, there is very little mention of the war here — even though I teach in the UAE Armed Forces. Talking politics is totally frowned upon and not allowed when speaking with the local population (Emiratis). So, to calm concerns from friends, I told them everything was fine in Abu Dhabi. It really is!

UAE's Official Position

As for the UAE's position, H.H. Sheikh Zayad came out a few weeks ago in the Arab Summit and requested that Saddam Hussein step down. This was a bold move on his behalf as no Gulf Arab ruler had done this before. Since then Bahrain and Qatar have also joined in and asked that Saddam step down; of course, those countries did so after the war had started.

Also, four thousand UAE Armed Forces personnel were sent to protect Kuwait a few weeks back. I think it is evident that the UAE government is extremely pro-UK and pro-USA. The people, on the other hand, seem to have a less positive image of America... to put it mildly. The people will not voice their opinion, however, because it would be viewed as going against the government's official position of being pro-West.

My Friend, the Iraqi Doctor.

I have been involved in lots of dialogues recently and wish to share some of the points-of-view about the war in Iraq. A good friend and colleague of mine is from Baghdad. I will keep his name anonymous for his safety. He has a PhD from Scotland and has not been in Iraq since 1979. He is really ready to return home; he and his wife have been praying for an American invasion on a daily basis since I have known them (two years). Life in exile has really put the age on my friend. Even here in the UAE he fears Saddam's secret agents.

I do not view his caution as paranoia because the UAE is just a 'skip-jump-and-a-hop' from southern Iraq. Most likely Iraqi agents are in operation here. Just last week the US Embassy and the UAE authorities warned all westerners about hanging out at public venues in Dubai, especially western businesses and bars. As a precautionary measure I now only enter 'watering holes' which are patronized by as many locals as possible. I suspect these bars and clubs are safe.

As for my friend the Doctor, I hope he gets to go home soon to see his mother. We have talked about the possibility of her not surviving the war. She refuses to leave Baghdad. His brothers and sisters evacuated Baghdad and are supposed to be heading toward Mosul, which has been witness to America's destructive attacks — and with luck, onward to safety in Turkey. Say a prayer for them and the other Iraqi people.

As for the Doctor, if the war escalates there is a big chance that he will be deported. Why? Most Gulf Arab countries deported all persons who were Iraqi or pro-Iraq during the first Gulf War (this included Yemenis and Palestinians).

The Muslim on the Street.

Since I came here almost two years ago, I've tried to come to a working understanding of the original type of everyman I'll call the Muslim on the Street. I work with lots of Arabs from countries other than the UAE. About 2.5 million people live in the UAE. About 700,000 are nationals and the rest are imported laborers. Almost everyone here is Muslim — and most of them view the war as an act by the Great Satan America, once again flexing its muscle. To follow the generalization to its logical conclusion, they really hate the idea of America and everything that comes from America. And yet, they love it. It's the typical love-hate relationship I hear so often when the Muslim in the Street talks about the USA.

Despite the climate of war in the region, westerners have no trouble here. I have seen a few GIs here on R 'n R (a soldier's shorthand for rest and recuperation). The USA and UK Embassies are so influential that to harm a westerner would basically be considered treason against the UAE. Keep in mind that the Sheikh is the leader and everyone follows him. Security around western businesses is not evident. All the same, I dare not go near the Embassies, which resemble forts. A touch of irony: The guards on patrol around our embassy are hired hands from Iraq.

Political and Economic Issues.

That Saddam must be dealt with is an issue almost every man on the planet agrees with. However, the question of exactly how to deal with Saddam seems to raise eyebrows.

The French and Germans were working on this issue from their far-away European perspective. Obviously, everyone wants a piece of the Iraqi pie. Did Iraq switch from a dollar-based economy after the first Gulf War to a euro-based economy? Yes! I wonder if the currency of favor means that lots of contracts have been signed, sealed and almost delivered to the frogs and krauts?

Saddam is a shrewd and masterful game player. He definitely had the United Nations Security Council members playing with each other.

I am reminded of a line from Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. A marine tells one guy: "You walk the walk. Do you talk the talk?" The new world order imposed by the military might of the USA and UK seems to be able to walk and talk at the same time.

Liberation Is the Only Hope.

I've heard some folks call these turbulent times The September 12th Era. We are in a different world now. It is time to clean house.

Go ahead and liberate Iraq and the Iraqi people, who have suffered under a brutal dictatorship for several decades now. The men from Tikrit (Saddam's home; hence his family name is Al-Tikriti) are evil and no longer deserve the mandate to rule Al-Iraq!

Yes, people will die. What is my response? Life is hard. My dear friend the Doctor just telephoned and told me his only wish is to return to his homeland before he dies. He is about sixty years old. The attempt by the USA and UK coalition to liberate Iraq is his only hope.

As for my feelings about the USA and the people: You guys are so damned lucky! You guys are so damned sick. You are able to sit in a secure place and watch all of this crap, live and in living color in the diffused reality of television and the Internet. Keep in mind that the action on the other end of the screen is all real — all too real. People are dying! It doesn't matter if the dead are Muslim, Christian, or atheists. They are each and all dead citizens of the planet Earth.

What Happens Next?

Wake up. It's not a video game you're watching. Didn't Nine Eleven wake you guys up? The war in Iraq can easily unleash repercussions that will touch you at home. It may be a neighbor's son or daughter falling in the line of duty. It may be another terrorist attack.

My hope is for a quick and merciful end. Again, I am out of harm's way here in the United Arab Emirates, a very liberal Muslim country that offers safe-haven for Westerners. All the same, the psychological challenges of working and living here during the September 12th Era are becoming more and more difficult. At times I ponder the urge to pack a bag, say a few quick farewells, and head for home. Then I suck it up and go to work. I'll see what tomorrow brings.

Oops! There is a knock on my door. It is one of my students. He is showing me some pictures of maimed Iraqi children. He is asking me how I feel. What will my response be? Think, Jack. Think!

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Mr. Vines is an instructor for the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. He has worked in Abu Dhabi since July 2001. Not yet thirty, he has also taught in Japan. We would tell you more about him, but it just wouldn't be prudent.

You can communicate with Mr. Vines by E-mail
through the webmaster at threadspinner@corndancer.com

*This is the logical next step
toward the NEW World Order.

Step Four: *Your exclamations tossed like missiles o'er the level shore!

Love and Hate in a Safe Haven.

My Friend the Iraqi Doctor Just Wants to Go Home.