10/24 Jaber Alturfee & Ahlam Ahmed Mahmoud

Back at the Jeremy Deller exhibit at the MCA, I was visiting with Jaber Alturfee with Ahlam acting as translator.  I listened more this week, as he talked to people.  He was saying that if the Americans pul out now, they are only half done training the security forces (military, police).  Democracy takes time.  After the 2003 invasion, there used to be meetings of leaders from around the country to talk about shaping the future of Iraq, but they had all stopped before he left in 2008.  He noted that the defense agreement between the US and Iraq was for defense from foriegn invaders - or he might have said that it should be - and that there is a great need to build up a civil society.  He stated that the security now is better than it was 3-4 yrs ago. 

We talked about meeting to see what is suitable, what can be done for widows in Iraq.  He said that we need to sit together and think about who to help and what their need is.