Iraqi Informer's Family Is Marked for Death (Uday-Qusay snitch)

[kskiska]

Nawaf al-Zaidan earned $30m by leading the US to Saddam's sons. Now local tribes have sworn revenge


The spot where Nawaf al-Zaidan's mansion once stood is now empty. Bulldozers flattened the building, leaving a neat square of red earth, as if to erase the memory of what happened here six months ago. Scrawled nearby in red paint are the words: "Houses and land for sale."

On July 22 last year, Mr Zaidan left his home in the al-Bareed suburb of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul shortly after dawn. He drove to an American military base with his son, Shalan, where he admitted to incredulous officers that for several days he had been sheltering Uday and Qusay, the two feared sons of the former dictator Saddam Hussein.

By mid-afternoon, after a huge military operation, a torrent of US firepower had destroyed the house and Uday and Qusay were dead, together with the two others inside: Qusay's son, Mustapha, and Uday's bodyguard, Abdul Samad.

Mr Zaidan, 36, last seen calmly smoking in the back of a military Humvee as he watched the battle, was promptly paid a $30m (£16.3m) reward for leading the Americans to two of their most wanted. He was flown to a new life abroad with his wife, Mohassin, their son Shalan, 18, and their four younger daughters.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1130223,00.html

[jamesinca]

1. This is something I find very telling

But he admitted the tribal code remained powerful within the conservative culture of Mosul. "Revenge killings do still continue, just like any third world country," he said. "We will not disagree with the tribal code unless it works against the law. It is a part of the tradition of our society."

But Abu Mushtaq said the family feared the revenge would come soon and would be brutal. "It will not be enough for them to kill just the eldest ones, they will kill even the young boys," he said. "They will not kill them one by one. They are preparing a huge operation."

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Tribal law still rules the day and the Americans seem to be unaware of this cultural thing. They are planning a huge operation, they do think and plan, not something the Bush administration gives them credit for.

[kskiska]

2. They went in with no knowledge of cultural differences

or with anyone who spoke the language. After all, Junior barely left the US before he assumed office. Astounding!

[markses]

3. "Just like any Third World Country"

The very thin veneer of supposed judicial process separates the death penalty from revenge killing. So I guess we're pretty close to this "3rd world country" ourselves!

[daleo]

4. The whole war is a sort of revenge killing really.

Hardly unique to the third world.

Bush - "He tried to kill my daddy"

Millions of freepers - "This will teach those Muslims, wherever they are, not to mess with the U.S."

It doesn't seem to matter that the target of the revenge has no connection with the original provocation. That is the difference between revenge and justice.

[krkaufman]

6. Umm..... and empire

It's about the oil! All else is trimmings.

[daleo]

7. Actually I agree

While the revenge factor is important to create some level of popular support, I don't think the actual planners care about it much. The fundamental reason is oil and money - if it doesn't make money it will be abandoned.

I don't know how seriously * himself takes the "he tried to kill my daddy". He might, or it might just be a put-on, to gain sympathy with a certain kind of voter (the ones that respond to the revenge justification in general).

[pinniped]

5. He got the blood money now death is coming for him.

What a surprise.:eyes:

[IndianaGreen]

8. He will be able to afford a fine funeral

Should we send him flowers now, or should we wait?

[opihimoimoi]

9. They are now in up State Yuva in a fine house driving an ole beat up Chevy

pkup blending in with weekly luaus