Once again heavy black smoke rose after an explosion between Baghdad and Al-Fallujah. Suddenly, the traffic became clogged. I could not stand the heat of dusty Baghdad and swore. An answer came from someone who raised his arm in the car next to me, "Are you a Turk, my friend?" In a panic I answered, "Yes, how about you?" He spoke in a rather good Turkish and said that he went to university in Turkey. And I told him that I am a reporter and want to talk with the resistance fighters. He said, "It would be difficult. Where would you find them?" He spoke with those in his car. He said, "Come on, jump in the car" and showed the car next to me. Despite the warnings of the driver of my car, "It is very dangerous", I got into the car of the Iraqis who had studied in Turkey.
They Gave an Appointment
When we came to the checkpoint of the US soldiers, the Iraqi person who spoke Turkish said to the driver of the car, "Slow down", and quickly passed the checkpoint himself. We met up several kilometers later. He did not give his name. Frequently, he said that he likes the Turks and Turkey very much. After learning where I was staying, he said that he would let me know. The next day, someone was making signs with his hands and arms at the meeting point somewhat beyond my hotel. I got into an old orange and white Volkswagen taxi. We tried to speak in English with great difficulty. Another person got into the car when we were passing from places like heaven, with palm trees on both sides. When we were traveling on the freeway, he noticed my uneasiness and said in Turkish, "Do not be worried".
He Spoke Good Turkish
We passed through side roads, where I could not understand where we were, and came to a village. I noticed that we had gone away from the main road. We stopped in front of one of the houses next to each other and entered it. Suddenly, the person who brought me there spoke rather good Turkish. But this new friend was determined not to give me information about himself. Someone else also came inside. They were looking at my identity card. I told them that my name is "Muhammed Sebahattin" and it was not written on the identity card, as there was no room for it. We prayed together. Subsequently, we ate a meal of meat and rice on a large tray. I was telling them continuously that I am a reporter and I am not in a position to criticize or support anyone. I did not agree with the harsh anti-American statements. The person with whom I came said that he was disturbed because I did not criticize the Americans. He asked me how he could trust me. I said, "Just as I trusted you, you should trust me. How do I know that you are not counter-guerrillas working with the Americans?"
Do You Know Anyone From the TKP?
The room became crowded. Someone else entered into the conversation. He asked whether or not I knew anyone from the Turkish Communist Party (TKP). I mentioned some popular names: Nazim Hikmet, Laz Ismail, Nabi Yagci, Haydar Kutlu. He said that he was a dentist and a communist. Then he stood up and said that we would go. We once again set out in a different car. We drove for more than one hour. Helicopters were flying in circles above us. We stopped at a place where the palm trees decreased and the reeds increased. A young boy who came out of the reeds took the car and went away. The dentist said, "We will wait here". A short while later, some people with their faces covered came out from the reeds and approached us. Someone with a shovel in his hand also passed by us and dug the ground. He dug the ground by advancing somewhat ahead. One by one, he removed heavy machine guns. But they did not permit me to take photographs.
War of Independence
The communist resistance fighter said that it is comical to call them terrorists. He said that this is a war of independence. He said, "Just like what Mustafa Kemal Ataturk did". By now, I firmly believed that they were resistance fighters. He introduced his friends, who are fighting together in the Al-Fallujah region, with their professions: Architect, computer engineer, officer, and medical student.
The Man Who Proposed "Democratization" to Saddam
Abdulcabbar Al-Kuveysi is a civil engineer. He is a member of one of the largest families of Al-Fallujah. He spent many years in France after two of his brothers were murdered by the Saddam regime. Before the Americans came to Iraq he made a proposal to Saddam, "Come and let us democratize". He said that Saddam challenged by saying, "I would not present on a platter the administration I got with arms and blood". He is the chairman of the Independent United Iraq Party of Al-Fallujah. Furthermore, he publishes the Vatan Al Nida newspaper, which supports the resistance fighters. He said that all of the foreigners in Iraq should leave the country.
We Would Never Have Been Able To Get Rid of Saddam Without the Americans
A medical student joined in the conversation by almost completely covering his face. Evidently, he was very happy when the Americans first arrived. He said that we could not have gotten rid of Saddam in any other way. He said that to get rid of the Americans could be easier than getting rid of Saddam. He said that he had even offered cold water to the Americans who were on duty on top of their tanks when they first came. When he saw the raid made by the American soldiers on the house of a neighbor, who was in the resistance movement, which started two to three months after the occupation, he joined the resistance fighters. He told us that they dragged his wife and daughter on the ground and put them into vehicles. Despite the fact that he had never even held a gun in his hand previously, he was included in a group, which eliminated a large American convoy on the highway last month. He said, "In a few months I will also use an RPG (rocket propelled grenade)". When I asked, "Are you not afraid?" His answer was, "I was even thinking of leaving the resistance fighters in the beginning. We came out without losses in major raids. Now, I am less afraid". He told us with pride how they made a Hummer, which was at the back of a convoy in Abu Ghurayb, into charcoal with a single shot. Among them there is also a young person who is said to be an officer. Thieves had robbed his house when he returned home after a raid. The thieves stole the generator.
I Returned in the Trunk of the Car
I spent one hour with the resistance fighters while the US helicopters were flying over us. The dentist came next to me. He asked me whether or not I would go on the raid with the group. I asked them whether or not they would allow me to take photographs. They said, "No". After a while, I was put in the trunk of a car. I was let out on a bridge in the dark of night after a trip in the trunk, which lasted for one hour. From there, I continued to Baghdad.
They Killed the Informers One-by-One
When I asked whether or not there were informers, they were showing someone called Muhammed: "He slashed the throats of 14 persons. The Americans have in their hands the names of 450 resistance fighters, only from the Al-Fallujah region. He killed one-by-one those who gave these names". He said that all of the members of the countries, which have soldiers in Iraq, including journalists, were targets for them. Foreign businessmen are also on their list.
(Description of Source: Istanbul Hurriyet (Ankara edition) in Turkish -- center-right, mass appeal daily, country's top circulation paper, owned by Aydin Dogan, head of the Dogan Media Group)
Translated from the original by WNC.
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