Mortada Gzar: For Iraqis like me, the US invasion 20 years ago isn’t a distant memory — it’s our daily devastation

kAmx? |2C49 a__b[ x H2D :? >J D64@?5 J62C 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 q289525[ DEF5J:?8 6?8:?66C:?8] %96 &]$] :?G2565 xC2B[ 2?5 >J 5@C>:E@CJ 6>AE:65 2D H6 2== C6EFC?65 9@>6 2?5 H2:E65 E@ D66 H92E H@F=5 92AA6?]k^Am

kAmx? >J 9@>6E@H? @7 q2DC2[ H6 H2E4965 &]$]\=65 4@2=:E:@? EC@@AD DFC8:?8 :?E@ E96 4:EJ] *6E A6@A=6 DE:== 4@F=5?’E 36=:6G6 :E — E92E =@?8E:>6 5:4E2E@C $2552> wFDD6:? H2D 8@?6] u@C :E E@ 36 C62=[ H6 925 E@ H2:E 7@C q289525 E@ 72==] ~?46 H6 D2H E92E @? E6=6G:D:@?[ H6 ECFDE65 E9:D ?6H C62=:EJ] ~? @FC D4C66?D[ 2 4@2=:E:@?\CF? %' 492??6= 42==65 2=\wFCC:J2[ H9:49 >62?D “7C665@>” :? pC23:4[ 3C@2542DE E96 :4@?:4 D46?6 @7 wFDD6:?’D DE2EF6 :? q289525 36:?8 56>@=:D965 2?5 E96 3C@?K6 7246 4@G6C65 3J 2? p>6C:42? 7=28]k^Am

kAm%H@ 564256D @?[ H6 92G6 =62C?65 E92E kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmDA64E24=6 H2D >6C6 AC@A282?52[ 2?5 E92Ek^DA2?m 7C665@> 42??@E 36 :>A@D65 3J 2? @44FAJ:?8 7@C46] p== E96D6 J62CD =2E6C[ x’> DE:== DECF4< 3J E9:D 4@?EC2DEi %96 >28?:EF56 @7 H92E xC2B:D =@DE — 2?5 4@?E:?F6 E@ =@D6 — 2?5 9@H G:G:5 @FC >6>@C:6D 2C6 @7 E96 H2C[ 2D H6 >FDE 562= H:E9 E96 C6A6C4FDD:@?D :? @FC 52:=J =:G6D[ H96C62D E96 H2C 92D 364@>6 2 3=FCCJ :>286 7@C p>6C:42?D]k^Am

kAm~? E96 52J E96 DE2EF6 76==[ x C642==65 E92E 9:DE@C:4 D46?6 H:E9 2 H:5@H65 ?6:893@C :? 9:D e_D] w6 D2C42DE:42==J A@CEC2J65 :E E9:D H2Ji “%9:D :D H92E H@F=5 92AA6? :7 J@F 5:D>2?E=65 2 D42CJ E@J[ H9:49 <:5D 92G6 EC:65 56DA6C2E6=J E@ 5:D>2?E=6 3J E96>D6=G6D 7@C b_ J62CDP” u@C 9:>[ wFDD6:? C6AC6D6?E65 E96 D92EE6C65 E@J[ 2?5 E96 4C@H5D H9@ AC6G:@FD=J H@F=5 92G6 366? E@@ 27C2:5 @7 9:> H6C6 ?@H <:4<:?8 9:D DE2EFE6 762C=6DD=J] (66<D =2E6C[ E96 ?6:893@C[ H9@ 925 366? 2 AC@>:?6?E >6>36C @7 wFDD6:?’D q22E9 !2CEJ[ <?6H E92E 4:G:=:2? >:=:E:2D H6C6 @FE 7@C C6G6?86] q67@C6 E96J 8@E E@ 9:>[ 96 D9@E 9:>D6=7 :? 9:D 32E9C@@>]k^Am

kA 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\=:?<Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?6HD]=66]?6E^E?4>D^2DD6E^65:E@C:2=^73`4c6hc\235b\``65\g_7g\eb_e2`4a5eg2Qm%CF5J #F3:?i b >6? 2C6 A2CE=J E@ 3=2>6 7@C 62CE9BF2<6D <:==:?8 E9@FD2?5D @7 A6@A=6k^2mk^Am

kAmqJ E96?[ E96 6?E:C6 4:EJ 925 DF?< :?E@ 492@D] |2DD6D @7 A6@A=6 C@2>65 q2DC2 32C67@@E[ H:E9 92AA:?6DD 2?5 E62CD[ H9:=6 D62C49:?8 7@C E96:C >:DD:?8 C6=2E:G6D H9@ 925 366? 56E2:?65 3J E96 q22E9 !2CEJ 7@C 564256D] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmx E@@ 3642>6 6?E9FD:2DE:4 2?5 4FC:@FD]k^DA2?m %96C6 H6C6 CF>@CD @7 F?56C8C@F?5 AC:D@?D] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm!6@A=6 36=:6G65 G@:46D H6C6 4@>:?8 @FE 7C@> E96 4@?4C6E6 H2==D @7 E96 q22E9 A2CEJ @77:46D[ H96C6 E96:C =@G65 @?6D >2J 92G6 366? EC2AA65 7@C 564256D[ =:<6 2?4:6?E 7@DD:=D]k^DA2?mk^Am

kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm|JE9D 2?5 ECFE9D D9F77=65 D:>F=E2?6@FD=J]k^DA2?m x @3D6CG65 2 C62= 4C@H5 @7 AC:D@?6CD[ E96:C A2=6 J6==@H 7246D 6IA@D65 E@ E96 DF? 27E6C J62CD @7 52C<?6DD] %96J 3C@<6 @FE @7 E96 ;2:=D 2?5 492D65 A6@A=6 H9@ 2G@:565 E96> 5F6 E@ E96:C DE:?<J D>6==] %96J <6AE C@G:?8[ 2D<:?8[ “(96C6 :D E96 6I:En” 2D E9@F89 E96J H6C6 DE:== :?D:56]k^Am

kAms6DA:E6 D@ >2?J 4@?7=:4E:?8 766=:?8D E9@D6 52JD[ xC2B: D@F=D H6C6 7F6=65 3J 9@A6] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmx7 J@F’5 2D<65 E96> E96? H92E H2D E96 H@CDE D46?2C:@ E96J 4@F=5 :>28:?6 7@C E96:C 7FEFC6[ E96J H@F=5 ?6G6C 92G6 6?G:D:@?65 E96>D6=G6D H96C6 E96J 2C6 ?@H] xE H2D 2 >@>6?E @7 8C62E 6IA64E2E:@?D]k^DA2?m %96 564256D @7 EJC2??J 3J q22E9 >6? :? @=:G6 F?:7@C>D H6C6 @G6C] (6 DFAA@D65=J H6C6 C6249:?8 E96 6?5 @7 E96 EF??6=[ 3FE H92E H2D 2 3C:89E =:89E 2E E96 6?5 EFC?65 @FE E@ 36 2 7=2C6 @7 2 7@CE94@>:?8 96==]k^Am

kAm(kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm6 8@E E96 %' 492??6= uC665@>[ 3FE 7C665@> 5:5?’E >2E6C:2=:K6[ 2?5 Hk^DA2?m92E 7@==@H65 H6C6 EH@ 564256D @7 3CFE2= 4:G:= H2CD[ A@=:E:42= EFC>@:=[ H:56DAC625 4@CCFAE:@?[ D64E2C:2? E6?D:@?D[ =@@E:?8 @7 @FC 9:DE@CJ 7C@> >FD6F>D[ :?E6CG6?E:@?D @7 25;246?E 4@F?EC:6D 2?5 xD=2>:4 $E2E6’D 6IEC6>:DE :?DFC86?4J]k^Am

kAm&?56C wFDD6:?’D CF=6[ H6 C64:E65 E9C66 H@C5D 6G6CJ >@C?:?8 2E D49@@=i &?:EJ[ 7C665@>[ D@4:2=:D>]k^Am

kAmsFC:?8 E96 7:CDE 564256 27E6C E96 p>6C:42? :?G2D:@?[ E92E 5:4E:@?2CJ 492?865 2 3:E] p>6C:42? >:DD:=6D H6C6 E@ 3C:?8 FD “56>@4C24J” 7C@> E96 D<J[ H9:=6 E96 =2?8F286 @7 DF:4:56 3@>36CD 2?5 C6=:8:@FD C25:42=D E@@< C@@E @? E96 62CE9] t249 ?6H xC2B: >:?:DECJ H2D DFAA=6>6?E65 3J 2 &]$] 25G:D6C[ J6E 2=>@DE 92=7 2 >:==:@? A6@A=6 925 366? <:==65]k^Am

kAmxC2B:D 3642>6 325=J 5:G:565] $9C:?6D 2?5 >@DBF6D DE2CE65 6IA=@5:?8[ 2D D64E2C:2? 4964<A@:?ED 4C@AA65 FA E@ 6I2>:?6 J@FC :56?E:EJ 2?5 7:8FC6 @FE J@FC D64E] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmwF?5C65D @7 4:G:=:2?D H6C6 D=2F89E6C65 ;FDE 3642FD6 E96:C ?2>6D A@:?E65 E@ E96 @AA@D:E6 D64E]k^DA2?m %96?[ :? E96 D64@?5 564256[ xD=2>:4 $E2E6 42CC:65 @FE 2 C6:8? @7 E6CC@C :? ?@CE96C? xC2B E92E :?4=F565 C2A6[ 235F4E:@?D[ 6I64FE:@?D[ >2DD >FC56C[ 6IE@CE:@? 2?5 D6:KFC6 @7 DE2E6 C6D@FC46D] x? xC2B’D A2C=:2>6?E2CJ DJDE6> E@52J[ ?6H >:?:\$2552>D 92G6 6>6C865 :? ?2E:@?2= A@=:E:4D @FE @7 E96 4@F?ECJ’D G2C:@FD C6=:8:@FD 2?5 A@=:E:42= 724E:@?D[ 42CCJ:?8 @? 9:D C68:>6’D 3CFE2= =6824J]k^Am

kAm{@@<:?8 324< a_ J62CD[ E96 :?G2D:@? 5:5?’E ;FDE 492?86 xC2B’D 7FEFC6[ :E 2=E6C65 E96 H@C=5’D >6>@CJ 23@FE xC2B 2?5 :ED A6@A=6] ~?46 <?@H? 2D E96 9@>6 @7 |6D@A@E2>:2[ @?6 @7 E96 H@C=5’D 62C=J 4:G:=:K2E:@?D[ xC2B 3642>6 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 E6CC@C] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmxED EH@ =686?52CJ C:G6CD[ E96 %:8C:D 2?5 tFA9C2E6D[ 2C6 49@<:?8[ 3642FD6 xC2B’D ?6H =6256CD 92G6 72:=65 E@ AC@E64E @FC H2E6C C6D@FC46D]k^DA2?m xC2B:D H9@ 925 E96 23:=:EJ E@ =62G6 7=65 E@ H96C6G6C E96J 4@F=5 36 D276 2?5 3F:=5 2 =:76]k^Am

kAmx 42>6 E@ E96 &]$] D6G6? J62CD 28@] (96? x E6== p>6C:42?D x’> 7C@> xC2B[ E96J EJA:42==J 92G6 ?682E:G6 A6C46AE:@?D 23@FE E96 4@F?ECJ 2?5 :ED A6@A=6] ~7E6?[ x CF? :?E@ p>6C:42? D@=5:6CD H9@ 5:5 2 E@FC E96C6] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmp 76H H66<D 28@[ 2 H@>2? E@=5 >6 D96 D6CG65 :? |@DF=] “x 96=A65 A6@A=6 E96C6[” D96 D2:5[ 6I4:E65=J]k^DA2?m xE’D 92C5 7@C xC2B:D E@ D66 E96 p>6C:42? >:=:E2CJ AC6D6?46 2D 92G:?8 96=A65 FD[ 8:G6? H92E H6’G6 =:G65 E9C@F89]k^Am

kAms6DA:E6 2== E96 EC2865J[ @FC 4@F?ECJ :D ?@E 3C@<6? 7@C6G6C] x <?@H J@F?8 24E:G:DED[ 2CE:DED 2?5 ;@FC?2=:DED 6IAC6DD:?8 E96>D6=G6D[ 6G6? C:D<:?8 E96:C =:G6D] (6’C6 DE:== H@C<:?8 @? 56>@4C24J[ @? @FC @H? E6C>D[ 2?5 H6 <?@H 56>@4C24J :D 2 =@?8 AC@46DD — 27E6C 2==[ E96 &]$] :D DE:== H@C<:?8 @? :ED 56>@4C24J[ 6G6? 27E6C a__ J62CD]k^Am