The Lynnertic

Riverbend is alive and safe in Syria!

Riverbend, the twenty-something Iraqi girl whose blog about civilian life in Baghdad has captivated me for years, has published her first blog entry in five months today, where she recounts her family’s escape to Syria on July 19, 2007.

I am so happy that she’s safe. I hope she stays safe.

Here’s her blog, Baghdad Burning.

Also, look at “Four Essentials” by artist Mary Vollero. Vollero uses photographs to illustrate, slideshow-style, excerpts from Riverbend’s blog. It helps an average American understand and appreciate basic things they take for granted, that our invasion and occupation has forced the average woman in Iraq to go without for more than four years. Four years!

Earlier this week, George Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq and personally told soldiers that The Surge is Working. (Perhaps he traveled under cover of secrecy because it wasn’t safe enough to announce his visit in advance.)

The Surge is working for me — I’ve never been more convinced that our troops and the Iraqis they have ‘freed’ from Saddam Hussein only suffer more by our continued occupation of Iraq, and that we should pull out now. And this Surge is working to convince more Americans every day to agree with me.

The Surge worked to drive Riverbend out of her homeland. It made her a refugee. But she’s safe. I hope she stays safe.