Iraqi Woman Gives Birth at U.S. Military Camp

Reuters ^ | 4-2-2003

[Cagey]

NASSIRIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Doctors supporting U.S. Marine combat operations in Iraq had to brush up their child delivery skills on Wednesday when a young Iraqi woman was brought to their base and gave birth to a baby girl.

The woman, Jamila Katham, approached a U.S. military ambulance in a patrol in the Nassiriya area of southern Iraq early on Wednesday to seek help, U.S. Marine surgeons said.

Katham's family was concerned about her because she had been in labor for a long time, they said.

Surgeons Lieutenant Sean Stroup and Lieutenant Michael Humble delivered her of a healthy six-pound girl only 20 minutes after the ambulance had brought her to a U.S. Marine camp.

The baby, Katham's first child, has been named Rogenia. "I think they wanted an American-sounding name," Stroup said.

The grandmother wanted Americana or something, but the mother wanted Rogenia," said Stroup, of San Jose, California.

The mother and child, both said to be doing well, were given food, water and bandages and were later driven home in a U.S. military ambulance.

The doctors said the family were internally displaced people and were living in a tent city south of Nassiriya.

Nassiriya has been rocked by fighting over the past week. Earlier, U.S. Marines staged a decoy attack to cover the rescue of a female prisoner of war from a Nassiriya hospital where she had been held since her convoy was ambushed on March 23.

The birth is the kind of good publicity U.S. forces sorely need as they try to win Iraqi hearts and minds in the face of a rising death toll among civilians which has sparked anger in Iraq and across the Islamic world.

U.S. and British commanders are keen to get humanitarian aid flowing to Iraqi cities but say the effort has been slowed by the unexpectedly stiff resistance put up by supporters of President Saddam Hussein in many cities including Nassiriya.

[CFW]

Nope. Can't be true. Our guys are shooting all the women and children. (/sarcasm).

[Zavien Doombringer]

KUDOS to our Medical Staff!!!

[thegreatbeast]

This DOES NOT give the kid American citizenship.

[ChemistCat]

I've never heard the name Rogenia before...American sounding? but God bless her anyway.

[TADSLOS]

Should have named her Jessica...

[Uncle George]

Yes; Jessica Victoria Freedom Lynch

[areafiftyone]

Should have named her Laura after Laura Bush!

[lmavk]

Rogenia? Isn't that a topical ointment for baldness?

[denydenydeny]

The birth is the kind of good publicity U.S. forces sorely need as they try to win Iraqi hearts and minds in the face of a rising death toll among civilians which has sparked anger in Iraq and across the Islamic world.

I think that there is an editorial requirement that the latter half of this sentence is automatically added to every single Reuters article about the war.

[netmilsmom]

We just planted a seed of Americanism.
God Bless that family.
I think they were shooting for Regina....

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Congrats to the Iraqi mom and thanks to our fine military medical staff

I doubt that Penis Arnett will be commenting about this in the Daily Commie Mirror

[Aggie Mama]

Propecia or Rogaine. Acutally, Rogenia sounds like a combo of the two. =)

[onedoug]

Navy doctors & corpsmen: Gosh, they're good!

[Cagey]

I think that there is an editorial requirement that the latter half of this sentence is automatically added to every single Reuters article about the war.

They are consistent, aren't they?

[trebb]

This DOES NOT give the kid American citizenship

Hell, with all the illegals being tolerated, it probably wouldn't hurt to make this little girla at least an honorary citizen. She's a tribute to the miracle of life in the midst of all the death and carnage...

[dead]

The birth is the kind of good publicity U.S. forces sorely need as they try to win Iraqi hearts and minds in the face of a rising death toll among civilians which has sparked anger in Iraq and across the Islamic world.

At the time this report was submitted, the U.S. forces had not killed this baby and had instead opted to kill other babies elsewhere.

[k2blader]

A happy bump!

[vastrightwc]

The baby, Katham's first child, has been named Rogenia

Should have named her Condi Rice.

[nicmarlo]

Happy bump!