Monday, July 04, 2005

Searching

Yesterday at 8:00 PM, I was in my way home from my clinic, I met four strykers in the opposite direction, when the first one became behind me it cross over the curb in between the two streets and stopped behind me the last one did the same and stopped about 100 m in front of me. There were only about 10 cars in the street including mine. An American soldier shout from over one of the strykers in broken Arabic "get out of the cars" .
All the drivers and the passengers left their cars and stood on the side waiting for the next step. Many soldiers came out of the strykers, some of them stood in front of us with their guns pointed to our chest other started searching the cars. I was very close to the commander of the group who asked me to open the rear box, I answered him in English "It is opened", "you speak English" he asked me, "Yes" I answered him, he asked me several other general questions, maily about the life in Mosul, he looked very happy to find someone who speaks English. He was really very polite and so was his group. I returned home late telling the family what happened to me.

Early in the morning today we awoke on a far away sound of loud speakers, I get out to the street to hear what it was. The sound get closer and it was saying:"To all the people in the neighborhood, stay in your houses with their ID ready and open the doors for the collision troops for searching the houses. Don't panic it is a routine search. There were several accidents in this neighborhood, we look for the explosive devices."

I get back home awoke my daughters, to get ready to the inspection. I didn't go to the hospital, just call them by phone and told them that I can't come.

In front of our house there was a main hole for drainage system, this hole was closed by dirt and plastic bags, water started to accumulate in front of our house. I took some tools from the house and with the help of my next door neighbor we started to clean the dirt from the main hole. It took about 2 hours to finish our job as both of us are old and not expert in such work. When we finished the American also finished their job. They didn't search our houses. They left the neighborhood.

35 comments:

waldschrat said...

I have a very hard time thinking of anybody who points a gun at me as "polite". Even so, I am glad this impression was conveyed.

I find the fact that the commander seemed glad to find somebody spoke english very interesting. The language barrier is important, I think.

I have to believe that someday peace will come to Mosul and things like what you have described in your post will be only memories. I hope that day comes soon. I know it is inconvenient and difficult and no fun at all, even if the soldiers trying to do these things make every effort to be polite.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

I can't stay long, as I am at work and our internet has been down since last Thursday and we are limping along on dial-up.

"..both of us are old.."

Truth Teller,

I am under the impression that you are in your 50's. That is NOT old.

I'm glad to hear that you had a decent experience with our troops. Unfortunately, because of the threat of IED's and car bombs such searches are necessary.

Take care.

Lapierre Médias© said...

hi from canada,
your blog is very interesting!

Truth teller said...

lynnette in minnisota

"I am under the impression that you are in your 50's. That is NOT old."

yes lynnette, I am 57 year old, my neighbor is in his 70. But I think the age is calculated in another way than simple counting years. We passed a very hard time in the past as well as in the present. I can say it was unbearable to ordinary people, but we are extra ordinary. Every year has the effect of a decade on us.

Harkonnendog said...

Hurriah am I right in assuming you are a Sunni? If so I can understand why you would be so angry. If we asked Germans how they felt after we "liberated" them from Hitler in 1945 they would probably reply much the way you do.
The French, Russians, Poles, etc. etc. would probably feel differently.
As part of a formerly dominant minority in Iraq you obviously have not gained as much as the Shias and Kurds. However, I hope that you can agree that, for the MAJORITY of Iraqis, life under Saddam was no paradise.
And I hope that, in a few years, even you will be glad that the US liberated Iraq- because Iraq will be a peaceful democracy- a better country, a more respected country, than it could ever have been under any "Arab-strongman" type of leader.
Here's one Christian praying for God to bless your nation with democracy, peace, and civil rights.

Unknown said...

I hestitate to comment since it seems this is the "Dan and Strykers and Lynnette" message board from the posts I've read here.

I find it especially amusing that Americans are telling someone who lives in Iraq that he doesn't know what he is experiencing. Maybe that's part of the problem. Some of us don't realize that the United States of America isn't always right and who are we to judge people who are not happy with good reason for what has been done to their country?

We promised the citizens of Iraq that life would be better, our government and military made some serious mistakes in estimating the insurgent response. Life in many parts of Iraq is not better than it was, it is worse than what it was and they as Iraqis have the right to be pissed off about it. This whole mentality of comparing life under Saddam to what they are going thru now and expecting them to be "grateful" because Saddam is gone makes no sense. If you take a bad situation and replace it with another bad situation there is nothing to cheer about. Will things get better? Probably at some point in the future but that doesn't change the fact that right now there are people who are tired of being lied to and frustrated.


So thank you Truth Teller for sharing your thoughts and your experiences.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

Truth Teller,

I see your comments section is really heating up again. Alot of new posters too! Despite what Lisa Renee may believe, I think it's always good to hear new voices.

"Every year has the effect of a decade on us."

Yes, stress is an insidious thing. I cannot imagine anything more stressful than what you and yes, our soldiers, are going through in Iraq.

You are 57? You remember what Iraq was like before Saddam, then. What is your fondest memory from that time? If you would like to share it with me/us.

Truth teller said...

mitra

" Truth-Teller - it is time that you and the Baathists realize that US is your best friend."

How could any body realise that those who consider him their enemy and when ever met him, they point their weapons to his chest is his friend?
BTW If you want to talk to baathists, you should address your talk to some body else, I suppose you know very well whom I mean.

"You are fighting for a free Iraq where you can coexist and work with many other ethnicities and religious sects."

before what you call it a free Iraq, we did coexist and work with all other ethnic and religious sects.

"This can only happen under democracy with freedoms."

This happened under Saddam rule. Does it mean that that time was democracy and freedom?.

" IT is time that Sunnis realize their their best interest is to support a peaceful Iraq, and let the Americans go home."

Sunnis were always support a free peaceful Iraq, and their goal is to let the Americans go home

waldschrat said...

Hurria -

I find it fascinating that you never run out of venom. Such perpetual anger is not good for your health, I suspect.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

Dan,
I think you will find that Hurria never answers questions unless she can score a point. She also will fall back on the "you are not in Iraq" arguement if she cannot think of anything better.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

I just read Najma's latest post. I loved this line:

"Anyway, I was saying that when the police said they're going to search the houses, I cleaned my room in case they got in."

LOL! She wouldn't want them to think she was a messy housekeeper!

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

Lani,

I think you misinterpret my amusement at Najma's statement. Because, despite her anti-American posts, I actually like her and would not laugh at her. I also like her sister HNK, who makes cream puffs to die for. It was simply the incongruity of her worry that seemed so amusing.

waldschrat said...

Lynette -

I have vivid recollections of my teenage step-daughter's housekeeping in years gone by. Telling her "The Strykers are coming!" was perhaps the only tactic my wife and I did not use to try to encourage her to straighten her room up a bit!

Truth teller said...

strykerdad

"I know of one incident where a smiling man walked up to some American troops conducting a search, holding the hand of a 4-5 year old girl and motioning to the soldiers that she was injured in some way---the soldier motioned for them to come forward. Yes, the man and girl exploded killing a number of onlookers, one soldier and inflicted many injuries."

I am not defending this criminal act.
I doubt this story very much, but as you are mention it more than once, and your source is a first hand report. I will take it as a fact.
The man who exploded him self with the little girl. is a criminal and terrorist, while the American soldiers doing the search are representing the USA. If you agree in comparing a criminal with the USA, we will have no problem with that.

When an American soldier did some thing bad, you and I am sure you are right says that every where there is bad guys and good guys, we shouldn't take the good by the sin of the bad.

It is a general rule every where here in Mosul, that the US soldiers, the ING, the Iraqi police and the new Iraqi army soldiers point there weapon to the head and chest of the people when ever they met them. We still give them the right to do so for security porposes, but it happened several times , they started shooting at those people when they hear the sound of a round or an explosion. Several innocent people killed every day from such a simpe precaution procedures.

Truth teller said...

dan

"I wonder if the 4-5 year old girl was one of the 72 virgins the exploding man (alledgedly) received for being a martyr to Allah."

This story of a 72 virgins, I only heard it an read it here. May be it is an American fiction, but definitly it is not Islamic or Arabic. There is nothing like this in our religion.

Fighting against occupation is sacred thing to do in every religion including yours.

waldschrat said...

Here is an interesting post from another forum (link):

Some interesting tidbits in reviews of Polk's "Understandung Iraq: the whole sweep of Iraqi history" in the Economist and elsewhere.

1) Not counting deliberate introduction of plague in medaeval times, the first use of WMDs in Iraq was the Brits using poison gas on civilians.

2) The use supplied or caused to be supplied poison gas technology, ingredients and chemicals to Saddam during the Iran-Iraq war.

3) The guy who did the arranging was Rumsfield

4) Saddam used them. Then when the war was over he used them in the his Arabization program for the big oil fields in the Kurdish part of Iraq.

5) The reason that the US was so sure that Saddam had WMDs was because they knew how much they had given him and they knew how much had been used on the Iranis and Kurds, and so he had to have what was still left over.

6) Apparently none of the brass-hats appreciated the rate of equipment-rot in a third world country where stuff is in heaps and not entered by serial number in computers.

7) (My comment) If Rumsfield had arranged for some IBM hardware and a few copies of Oracle then maybe there would have been WMDs still there when we invaded :-)

Ivan

Truth teller said...

I suppose that every one has noticed that I deleted the comments of the so called mitra.
That is because he insulted more than once our religion, a thing I will never accept to be done infront of me.

mitra
You are not welcomed here any more, Every single comment of yours will be deleted.

That is my rule here. If any body use offensive words or insult any religion I will delete his comment.

Truth teller said...

Hurria

The trouble of islam is written by a pakistani woman.
the introduction to her book include this
لنواجه حقيقة بسيطة: يُفتَرَض بي أن أكره إرشاد منجي. فإذا استمع المسلمون اليها سيكفون عن الاستماع الى الأئمة من أمثالي أنا الذي أمضيتُ سنوات في جامعة اسلامية تقليدية.
المؤلفة تهدد سلطتي الذكورية وتقول أشياء عن الإسلام أتمنى أنها ليست صحيحة. وهي لديها لسان سليط وحشد من الحقائق تؤكد بها تحليلها. انها لا تخاف من الموت ، باستثناء الموت الذي يأتي بغلق العقل. وهي سحاقية ، وما تعلَّمتُه في المدرسة الدينية غرَسَ في أعماقي ، حتى كاد يدخل في تركيب مادتي الوراثية ، أن الله يكره المثليين والسحاقيات. فالمفروض بي حقا أن اكره هذه المرأة

angelofhistory said...

TruthTeller, I haven't read through all the other comments, but wanted to say that I am sorry that the government of my country (which I voted against in a possibly fraudulent and at least error-riddled election) invaded your country (I am sorry for the situation in which that has placed American soldiers, too). Thanks for your blog.

waldschrat said...

Information dribbles in from odd sources and sometimes it adds a new perspective on the situation. One tidbit is as follows:
Link to article about leaked British memo
"Emerging U.S. plans assume 14 out of 18 provinces could be handed over to Iraqi control by early 2006," the memo said, although it made clear the U.S. military's tempo for troop cuts is not set in stone, with commanders still divided:

"There is, however, a debate between the
Pentagon/Centcom, who favor a relatively bold reduction in force numbers and the multinational force in Iraq, whose approach is more cautious."


Who knows, maybe things will actually get better some day. As information goes, it's unreliable rumor at best. I can't help wondering if the garbled sentence structure originated with the British bureaucrat who wrote the memo or the Reuters correspondent who quoted it.

waldschrat said...

Another tidbit:

The oh so holy folks who blew up the bus and trains in London recently, and others considering similar acts, might want to consider the fact that the reaction produced among decent people may be anger, not fear. I had ample evidence of this the other day when my wife, watching TV in the other room as I typed at the computer, commented as follows:

"The more I learn about Muslim ideology, the more I think it might be reasonable to bomb them off the face of the planet!"

Clearly Islam in the world today has a serious, serious problem with it's public image. The picture conjured in the minds of many decent people when they think of Muslims is of a homicidal lunatic with a bomb strapped to his chest. I know better, I know there is a doctor in Mosul with urinary tract problems, educated at Johns Hopkins, who tries to do the best he can every day under very hard circumstances for his family and his patients. It is truly tragic that the other kind of so-called "Muslims", the ones with their bombs, give the world a bad picture of that man.

waldschrat said...

One more tidbit of information:

The progress of a small shipment of ostomy supplies on it's way to Mosul Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Hospital can be followed using tracking number 791129723852 at http://www.fedex.com/us/.

This is a first, experimental shipment. I expected and have encountered problems. So far, difficulties include:
1. THe shipment was delayd because the online pharmacy (see beloew) did not have all the materials ordered and had to wait for their delivery. Next time I will tell them to ship what is available immediately and ship back-ordered stuff separately.
2. Shipping weight is more than twice what was expected; part of this is good because the pharmacy said they were adding a contributon of their own, but part may be due to the weight of packing materials. Shipping via Fedex is costly so I am investigating other shipping channels.
3. The doctor in Mosul who truth teller referred me to has not yet responded to my two emails and relies on a computer at his office for email connectivity. Perhaps truth teller can contact him and ask if he recieved my messages.

For folks who want to help in this effort to send supplies for ostomy patients in Iraq, my contact at the online pharmacy I used to send the supplies is as follows:
"OstomyCareSupply.com", http://ostomycaresupply.safeshopper.com/index.htm
Contact: Cynthia Hacherl at OstomyCareSupply.com, (866)207-5909 (toll free in USA), cynthia@ostomycaresupply.com

What I am able to send myself is only a little compared to what is needed. I sincerely hope others will join in to make the total contribution larger.

waldschrat said...

Truth teller -
I again talked by phone today to the doctor you designated as a contact, and he confirmed he did in fact receive my emails OK, although there was some problem with disruption of internet service at the hospital and things were difficult (no surprise, it is Mosul). He was able to give me contact information for some very good organizations helping ostomy patients and I will contact them and ask for advice and assistance.

Truth teller said...

waldschrat

Thank you very much for your sincere effort.
The shipment is supose to arrive Mosul at 18 july, almost a weak later, which is a very suitable speed.
I talked to Director General of the Health services in Mosul, he also offer his help in receiving those assisstant.
I hope all the other who offer their help can do the same as you did. I am ready to send them the address of the designated doctor and his phone number.

Dancewater said...

waldschrat said...


"The oh so holy folks who blew up the bus and trains in London recently,"

How do you know who they are???

"my wife, watching TV in the other room as I typed at the computer, commented as follows: "The more I learn about Muslim ideology, the more I think it might be reasonable to bomb them off the face of the planet!"

That is not anger, it is viciousness. She certainly is not a Christian.

"The picture conjured in the minds of many decent people when they think of Muslims is of a homicidal lunatic with a bomb strapped to his chest."

Unfortunately, the picture conjured in the minds of many decent people when they think of Christians is of a homicidal lunatic with a bomb in an airplane, ready to be dropped. That thanks to Bush/Blair, who certainly are not Christians although they claim such. Somebody should ask them "who would Jesus bomb?"

I know better, I know there is a doctor in Mosul with urinary tract problems, educated at Johns Hopkins, who tries to do the best he can every day under very hard circumstances for his family and his patients. It is truly tragic that the other kind of so-called "Muslims", the ones with their bombs, give the world a bad picture of that man.

Dancewater said...

strykerdad said...

"But the faith has far too many people who claim to share the same faith as you who believe it is their sacred duty to kill all unbelievers and to make all submit to fundamentalist Islamic law."

Lots of so-called Christians feel the same way.... like Ann Coulter for example.

"They quote what seem to be directly from the Koran to justify any violent acts on unbelievers, and including believers who are living among them."

I remember all the bible reading and services before the third *liberation* of Fallujah by US troops.

"Should we blame all Muslims for that? No. but I think we should expect all moderate Muslims to do all in their power to help repudiate the fanatics and see their ideology defeated."

And what did you do exactly, about Timothy McVeigh and Eric Rudolph?

"If these fanatics ever manage to inflict another 9-11 or worse, I don't think people like me, and I'm one of the more reasonable I know, are going to want to hear about all the excuses, and explanations and statements declaring it is our own ignorance that makes us look with disgust on the faith that seems to allow its members to coexist with such barbarity."

So, what do you think of the fact that the so-called "Christians" have managed to kill at least ten times the number of innocents in Iraq that were killed on 9/11? Talk about barbarity!

"That may be unfair, but it is a fact of life. Osama and those who share his ideology have framed this as a war of Islam against Western civilization."

No, he didn't. That is the tripe served up by the Bush administration and the corporate media here in the USA. That does not mean it is true. I guess "know thy enemy" is just a quaint idea with those folks, along with immaginary WMDs.

"Muslims like you had better realize that and clean up the mess from within."

Still wondering what you did about Eric Rudolph or Timothy McVeigh? Did you help "clean that up" or are you as guilty as they are?


"You may tell yourselves it is unfair and all due to the ignorance of unbelievers -- congratulate yourselves for bearing the burden of saving the world while you do it, if it makes you feel better."

I do my best to get the "Christians" to recognize that Jesus was a pacifist in word and in deed and in life and in his death. No exceptions. They still insist on debasing the man and using him for their own violent ends. But then they make up imaginary WMDs too.

"You say many 'leaders' have condemned such acts, and I have read a few articles written by Muslims that are critical of the fanatics. But they are rare and make news becasue they are so rare and are what so many in the West are waiting to hear--Just what is the faith as a group doing to put an end to such insanity?"

I want you to know I am doing my best to stop the blood thirsty "Christians". I am limited to non-violent means however, like all follows of Jesus Christ. It is difficult to stop people who believe in imaginary WMDs and other nonsense and refuse to acknowledge how many innocents they have killed in cold blood. They are violent, sick people, no doubt.

"Are moderate Muslims incapable or uniting and taking action to rid the world of these imams who preach hate and jihad and martyrdom?"

It's the politicans and rich business people we need to stop. So far, we have had no success.

" Can't you find some other prurpose behind which to unite and give your children some hope for a future?"

US Military- poor man's step up!

"An inexact analogy would be Germans in the late 30's who had no interest or affection for Nazism, yet let that ideology become Germany because they resented the condition Germany had fallen into. They paid a price for not speaking out and fighting against it out of nationalistic pride and a collective sense of victimhood."

We (Americans) are going to pay a price too.

"They may be bastards, but they are our bastards, and we have been wronged- way of thinking. This could easily become a war against Islam, another massive attack against Americans or Brits in the name of Allah could do it, and I honestly hope that does not happen for everyone's sake."

You might want to put a little effort into reading and understanding what Bin Laden is about. He is using the name of Allah (just like American Generals and Presidents misuse the name of God and Jesus) but he is not interested in converting all of us, nor does he consider this a religious war.

"But if that simplistic approach seems to be the only solution, then so be it. I and no American I know will ever submit to that tyranny."

I certainly will not support your bombing innocent people off the face of the earth because of some terrorist attack. That is vicious, and stupid besides. That would be like blowing up all of North Carolina to get Eric Rudolph. Hey, WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU DO ABOUT THAT CHRISTIAN TERRORIST ANYWAY?

"Now I anticipate a statement equating america's desire for a democratic Middle east, with respect for basic human rights with nazi Germany, which is why such discussions are really pointless."

Maybe if Iraq had declared war on us, had fought us on a fairly equal footing for years, had invaded and occupied many countries in the recent past, had built up concentration camps and killed millions of people, maybe then we could compare the US invasion of Iraq with the US invasion of Germany.

The invasion of Germany had one thing that this invasion does not: legitimacy.

It makes a difference.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

"And it is not my responsibility nor is it within my power to do anything more about it than I am already doing."

After slogging through this comment section and seeing so many things I would like to comment on, I will limit myself to this one for the sake of brevity.


Hurria,

Just exactly what IS your responsibility?

Lynnette In Minnesota said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Lynnette In Minnesota said...

Hurria,

All those things you listed, that you are responsible for, are commendable.

But to take it a step further, are you moraly responsible for intervening if you see something wrong?

For example:
Do you try and intervene in a domestic abuse situtation?

A mugging?

A situation where someone is being discriminated against?

A terrorist attack?

Do you want to live in a "Kitty Genovese" type of world where no one takes responsibility for trying to stop the actions of others? Do you want your children to live in such a world?

Actually, Hurria, I don't really want you to apologize for bin Laden. I simply want you to come up with a better way of dealing with the bin Laden's of the world, since you don't approve of our ideas. You are good at critiquing us, so let us know your ideas.

BTW, do you commonly surf the internet at 2:51 a.m.? That must raise havoc with sleep patterns.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

"I am however, intelligent enough, and have the judgment to understand that pouring gasoline on a fire will not put the fire out, but will make it worse."

Actually, sometimes you have to start a fire to put one out. In fighting forest fires it's called backburning.


"..and to intervene only when on balance it is more likely that my intervention will make things better than worse."

Sometimes, Hurria, you have to go with the long odds to achieve something good.

As with TT's picture of the spider bite, things left too long will only be more difficult to fix.

Lynnette In Minnesota said...

"..and being nice to it is an even bigger mistake."

Hurria,
Since when have you tried being NICE to us?

Giubotte. said...

@Stukaswife.

"Hurria, I thought I was done with you UNTIL I saw that horrible comment about nuking the US".

Now, 'Strikerwife' (like as for all of you from the Stukas family), I did - mistakenly - believe that you could have some basic decency whatsoever.

My dear she-ape, most of us did read the comments pages to Iraqi blogs in these past two years: how many times did we encounter your genocidal threats about 'green-glassing' Iraq and all Arabic or Muslim countries out of existence? Every single day, some of your Ahmehwican commenters would spout out that threat: to nuke Iraq, and Iran, and Syria, and Saudi Arabia (and Europe, even), and so on & on...

Now, disgusting Stukaswife 'woman' (or she-ape), how do you dare to puke out about Hurria's "horrible comment about nuking the US"?
Ever heard about a word you Americans are rarely able to spell, HYPOCRISY?

I am a Christian European: I do feel that, if you Americans do not do a step back, and go back home, instead of harassing, threatening and murdering the people of the world, that it will be absolutely & morally legitimate (out of self defence) to nuke (yes, precisely, totally exterminate) you beasties out of existence.
I can tell you that it is not very intelligent, on your part, to go on like this: threatening people with 'nuking' them, and then being scandalised if anybody returns your criminal threats (like the hypocrite four-handed vermin you are), is actually not very clever. Be sure, idiotic critters, that many more people and States on the earth than you would like are planning precisely for that scenario...

Remember it, you US warmongering fools (including an especially crazy comment by our Stukasdad): the inhabitants of the US of America are no more than 300 millions (humans, and apes & monkeys included); which means that only 1 out of 24 inhabitants of the world is an American. Do you truly think you'll came up on top? You must be truly delusional: for sure you'll be able to do us (the 23 out of 24 inhabitants of the world) much harm, but in the end you'll be defeated (and completely destroyed).

Pumping up, as many of you American warmongers did in this thread, sectarian wars (in this case, against Islam), is both criminal and ridiculous; nobody, outside the US of America, is falling for such ludicrous crap. Nobody, either Jewish, or Christian, or Muslim; the only ones who adopt your criminal views are proper atheists (like, in Italy, this Oriana Fallaci, who lives in the States, BTW).

I am astonished, my mad warmongering Americans, by your total lack of sense....

Giubotte. said...

Hey hey, my dear 'Dan'.

I was quite surprised, after some weeks on holydays, that you are still here, and not just that: that you are challenging Hurria to answer whatever stupid & instrumental question on your part!

Now now, me four-handed pal Dan, that's rich, since you did not care to answer a basic question on my part: I did ask you, Dan, what has the murder of your late president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, has to do with Iraq?

Now, me man, you did introduce that issue yourself (it wasn't anybody in here).

Did you manage to catch, in the meanwhile, those who murdered JFK? Do you remember my useful comments on the issue?

Now, dear Dan, I do definitely feel that you should answer some questions about JFK and his murder, before asking ANYTHING out of ANY Iraqi.

madtom said...

"most of us did read the comments pages to Iraqi blogs in these past two years:"

Actually I really want to read the old Iraqi blogs, you know the one before the war. But for some strange reason no one can point me to one. Maybe you can, got any URL's I've been dieing to read the saddam years blog.

"HYPOCRISY?"

waldschrat said...

Lets talk about horror stories. One of the worst I can think of is a cancer hospital with a total lack of chemotherapy drugs. Here is a list of chemotherapy drugs and a description of the shortages at the hospital in Mosul:

===============================================================
Mosul Oncology & Nuclear Medicine Hospital
Mosul, Iraq

Anticancer Drugs Urgently Needed (Not Available)
July 2005
Priority Generic Name Formulation
1. Vincristine inj. 0.5 mg. vials.
2. 5- Fluorouracil inj. 10 mg and 50mg vial
3. Adriamycin inj 15 mg amp.
4. Carmustine vials 100 mg vials
5. Procarbazine Hydrochloride 10 mg. and 50 mg. vials
6. Actinomycin-D inj. 20 mg. vials
7. Bleomycin inj. 100 mg. amp.
8. Cisplatin inj. 250 mg/ amp.
9. Etoposide inj. 1gm and 2 gm. Vials
10. Oxaliplatin inj. 50mg and 100mg vials
11. Gemcitabine inj. 50 mg caps
12. Docitaxel (Taxotere) inj. 1 mg and 2 mg. vials


N.B.
1. This hospital gives medical care for cancer patients living in Mosul (2.55 million population) and nearby northern provinces (Erbil, Duhok & Kirkuk - approximately 2.85 million population )
2. In 2004 the hospital treated 2115 new cancer patients ( Mosul : 1175 patients, nearby provinces : 940 patients )
===============================================================

I'm told by the hospital contact that Truth Teller put me in touch with that requisitions are submitted but supplies never arrive. I'm beating the bushes bigtime over the phone and the internet trying to figure out how to resolve these shortages but neither Truth Teller's contact nor I fully understand the best way to do this yet. The shortages seem totally believable considering the pathetic state of the Kimadia website (link) which is full of broken links and has apparently been penetrated by a hacker who replaced the organizations news releases with a list of online games.

My trial shipment of ostomy supplies to the hospital was stuck in Dubai for a few days waiting for a flight but seems to have begun to move again according to FedEx tracking.

If anybody out there knows how to lay hands on even limited quantities of those drugs, post here or email truth teller!

That's all for now. Go back to your nice discussion, folks.