FiveDecember 2011,
Basra, Iraq
The woman had been sitting on the dusty ground next to the main entrance of the NATO military base for fifteen minutes. Immediately after her arrival, the patrolling soldiers had come to her to ask what she wanted. She explained to them and, after radio confirmation, they told her to wait there.
And so the woman sprawled on the ground right next to the road and watched the continuous stream of passing military machines and equipment. A few times she heard soldiers cheering as they headed towards the airport to go home. After ten more minutes, a jeep stopped next to her and she recognized the man who got out of it. It was the doctor who helped her husband yesterday.
“Hello, woman,” he greeted. Not one of them had bothered to ask for her name.
“Hello,” she
