Everett man aspires to move back to Iraq

The Herald ^ | 3/21/04 | David Olsen

[mamarainsberry]

EVERETT -- Ahmed al-Mahana's biggest fear when he returned to Iraq for his first visit in 12 years was not falling victim to a terrorist bombing. It was that his 10-year-old son Ali would not like Iraq.

As it turns out, he had nothing to worry about.

Ali enjoyed himself so much that when it was time to return to Everett on Feb. 20, he started crying and held onto the stairway railing in his grandparents' home, screaming that he didn't want to leave.

[mamarainsberry]

A regular Iraqi and his feelings about the US and Iraq

[xJones]

No, there's nothing wrong about them wanting to go back home. And that boy will have good memories of America.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[SJSAMPLE]

What with all the zombies and such, I don't blame him for wanting to get the hell out of Everett.

[solzhenitsyn]

Thank you, mamarainsberry. What a wonderful, wonderful story!

This man sounds like a really nice guy. I hope he'll be the richest man in Najaf some day. Glad he thinks well of us. Good thing people weren't nasty to him here in the States.

[TheDon]

All you ever need to know about how things have improved in Iraq.

[ApplegateRanch]

Child endangerment! Doesn't his father realise that his son could have been killed in that Hell-hole of violence?
That he could have been caught in the quicksands of the quagmire, and sucked under without a trace?
That stray bombs and bullets of the irresponsible, trigger happy American troops could have savaged him at any moment?
That he could have caught any number of disease from being forced to lap water from the mudholes that used to be wells?
That he could have stepped on a cluster bomblet or mine that America has irresponsibly littered the landscape with?

Or, is the media lying (they wouldn't do that, would they?) to the people about conditions?

Hope more stories like these start getting wider play, and that Ali gets to visit his gandparents again soon.

[Jack Black]

Maybe we should invade Mexico?

[eeman]

We did that once, already! I suppose we could do again to get rid of weapons of mass immigration. :)

[eeman]

I wonder if the Seattle Times or the Seattle Post-Intelligencer will pick this story up? (/ sarcasm).

All I can say is kudos to this guy and I hope he does well whether he stays here or goes back to Iraq. I wish he would stay here, though, because he seems like the model immigrant. He owns his own business, and is contributing to our society rather than going on welfare. He is not some leaching illegal alien who is demanding a driver's license based on third-world documents that have as much legitimacy as Monopoly money.

[freethistle]

Very nice story.

[gorush]

"What with all the zombies and such, I don't blame him for wanting to get the hell out of Everett."

There are some very nice people in Everett...I used to know both of them. But seriously, I remember Everett as a very drab city, but that was before the Navy came in.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Ahmed al-Mahana's biggest fear when he returned to Iraq for his first visit in 12 years was not falling victim to a terrorist bombing. It was that his 10-year-old son Ali would not like Iraq.

As it turns out, he had nothing to worry about....

Al-Mahana wants U.S. troops to stay in Iraq until the country stabilizes. He wants the troops to train Iraqis and gradually hand over security to them...

The bombings don't make him fearful of returning. After all, he said, the United States, Russia and many other countries are also targets of terrorist attacks...

 He is optimistic about Iraq's future. Unlike some of his countrymen, he is patient about the progress the United States has made in returning Iraq to normalcy. Those who say the United States has moved too slowly in constructing roads and sewer systems don't realize the monumental task of rebuilding the country, he said.

"When I get back to Iraq, I'll miss America...America will always be in my heart. It gave me shelter, a job, everything. But it's time to go back. My reason to be here in America is done. Saddam is no more."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Freedom (bless our troops), ping!
 

[blackie]

Freedom ~ Bump!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[maxwellp]

"America will always be in my heart".

An extraordinarily nice thing to say. Go home to Iraq, be happy and keep it free. And please give thanks to our American military!

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!