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Are you listening George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard?

George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard no longer occupy any political office. As architects and advocates for the Iraq War - remember the Coalition of the Willing giving the Iraqis Shock and Awe?- they can now enjoy their "retirement". And their consciences?

The legacy of the ill-fated War will linger in many tangible way for years. An article on truthout.com [from Inter Press Service] "Jordan: Where Iraqi Women Are Also Fathers" graphically explains the fallout of the invasion on the women of Iraq:

"According to UNHCR estimates, over 4.7 million Iraqis have been displaced since the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, with at least 700,000 of them settled in refugee camps in Jordan.

Today, Khayzaran shares her basket-making skills with other Iraqi women, facilitating workshops at international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for extra cash. She, like other Iraqi refugees here, must navigate semi-legal avenues and the underground economy in order to survive.

The founder of the Bushra Institute for Research on Women, Jehan Nourjan, says that the Iraq war and its aftermath resulted in an over representation of households led by single mothers. This change in family structure has strongly affected women who now find themselves either the primary or the sole heads of their households.

"Iraqi refugee women are bearing a disproportionate burden of family responsibilities," says Nourjan. "Many have had their husbands either killed, disappeared or seriously injured. The onus is now on the women to find a way to secure income," adds Nourjan."

Comments

BlairSupporter said…
I expect the then leaders are listening. But are you? Have you noticed WHO EXACTLY it is that has made most of these women widows? No, thought now.

Clue: it isn't western troops.

When naysayers like you finally get around to supporting women in the Middle East against their "position" in their societies, I'll sit up and take notice of this propaganda from anti-Iraq war groups.

Unil then, you've lost, and Iraq has won, no thanks to you.

Blair, Bush and Howard were right.
March 03, 2010 4:12 am
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