I have been thinking of leaving Iraq to somewhere safer since things were getting worse and worse every day in Baghdad, but the job I was doing for the Daily Telegraph and my fear for the other member of my family were the two obstacles in my way.
Two more reasons have motivated me to adopt such decision the first one was closing down the Daily Telegraph office in Baghdad and the second one was the kidnapping of my wife's brother (who is also my sister's husband).
Three days after my brother-in-law was kidnapped the news came to me saying that my close friend was killed by unknown armed group.
I could not take any more bad news and damn surprises and I could not stay any more in my home city especially when the Telegraph office was closed down.
The journey started on the October 15th and we had to drive through Ramadi road to Syria which means death for every body drives through there.
As the driver started driving his car I was totally isolated from the present and stuck to 33 years of my life left behind me. My childhood memory, my friends and the good time were flashing in front of me as ghosts.
How is it that a man leaves his life behind him and tries to start a new one and for what, for crazy reasons.
For at least three hours I could not utter any word, I was completely isolated from the world.
Why all that is happing in my country? Why is all this is happing to me and to Iraqis?
What was our fault?
People are getting killed every day for silly, crazy reasons. Just for being Sunni or Shiite.
I came to Syria without any thought of what job I would do here.
How I would meet my family's needs? How I can afford the new life I decided to live?
At that time I had no idea what to do, just fleeing the country as quick as I could.
I have been in Syria for 25 days. Have no job, no friends no memories.
The new life costs me 600 US Dollars every month, therefore I have been using up my money I have saved through my work for the Daily Telegraph for 4 years.
I have no Idea when this is to be over? And I have no idea when the new real life begins.
This is one of the advantages of the US occupation to Iraq and this is the fruit we are having from the American democracy in Iraq.
Ahmad Ali.
Baghdad.
