On
ntambama ekhanyayo ngoJanuwari, uhide lwezitezi ezintathu
amabhasi asuka eLondon alibangise e-Baghdad kuvutha amalangabi abezindaba. Abagibele
zazingaphezu kuka-50 izihlangu zabantu; owokuqala emakhulwini amaningi aseNtshonalanga
Izishoshovu ezimelene nempi ziye e-Iraq. Akekho owayazi ukuthi yini
izinyanga ezizayo zizobamba. Bonke babazi ukuthi kungenzeka bangezi
emuva.
It
konke kwakuqale emasontweni amathathu nje ngaphambili ngesihloko esasiseLondon
Observer lapho owayeyiMarine, uKen O'Keefe, echaza khona
inhloso yakhe yokuhlela uhide lwehawu lomuntu ukuze lizame ukuma
ukujaha impi. Iqembu elincane labantu ababesifundile lesi sihloko
wahlangana no-O'Keefe. Njengoba amasosha asevele ebuthana eGulf,
kwacaca ukuthi isikhathi sasibalulekile. Bekuzofika uhide lwezimoto
okungenani amasonto amabili ukushayela ngaphesheya kwe-Iraq ngakho-ke ukuhamba
usuku beluhlehliselwe uJanuwari 25.
It
kungadingeka ukuthola uxhaso, izimoto, ukukhangisa, ama-visa kanye
okubaluleke kakhulu, amavolontiya azimisele ukushiya amakhaya nemindeni yawo
ngesaziso esifushane futhi i-gatecrash yaseshashalazini yempi.
Ngokuphawulekayo
konke lokhu kwafezwa. Amabhasi athengwa futhi apendwe, isizindalwazi
kwamiswa futhi amavolontiya ehawu lomuntu aqala ukuza ngaphambili.
Kube nezingqungquthela zabezindaba kanye nezithunywa ku-Downing Street kanye
izingxoxo nawo wonke amanethiwekhi ezindaba amakhulu emhlabeni.
As
amabhasi anqamula iYurophu ecosha izihlangu ezengeziwe endleleni, imizamo
zenzelwe ukusiza umphakathi nokuqinisekisa ukuthi abantu
iphrojekthi yesihlangu yandiswa. Kwamiswa ihhovisi e-Amman futhi
amanye amaqembu amabili ezihlangu andize esuka eLondon aya e-Iraq edlula eJordani.
Ngemva kwesonto lihambile uhide lwemikhumbi babengaphezu kuka-60,000
hits kuwebhusayithi yesihlangu somuntu kanye nemibuzo engaphezu kuka-1,000 mayelana
eba yizihlangu. Izinhlangano zezihlangu zabantu zahluma zizungeze
emhlabeni eFrance, e-Italy, eSpain, eSlovenia, eMelika, e-Australia, eNdiya,
INingizimu Afrika, iMexico, i-Argentina, iNew Zealand, iKorea, neJapan.
The
i-convoy yabhekana nobunzima obuningi; mechanical and logistical
izinkinga zandiswa ukungqubuzana kobuntu okunesivunguvungu. Noma kunjalo
Ebunzimeni, udwendwe lwagingqika lwangena eBaghdad kwaba nesiphithiphithi
wamukelekile. Nokho, lapho sebelapho, kwaphakama ukungezwani okwengeziwe, kulokhu
nabaphathi babo base-Iraq. Izindawo zokuthunyelwa kwezihlangu azizange
kwanqunywa ngaphambi kokufika kwezihlangu futhi ngokushesha kwaba
kusobala ukuthi iziza zizokhethwa yizikhulu zikahulumeni wase-Iraq
exwaya ukungenwa yizinhloli zaseNtshonalanga. Ngemva kwamasonto amabili evuthayo
ingxoxo, amahawu anikezwa uhlu lwezindawo eziyisikhombisa kanye ne
i-ultimatum "yokuqala ukuvikela noma ukuqala ukuhamba." Izingosi
zonke bekuyingqalasizinda yabantu okuhlanganisa nokuhlanzwa kwamanzi
izikhungo, iziteshi zikagesi kanye nezinqolobane zokudla, futhi zazigcinwe ngokugcwele
ngenhloso eveziwe yeqembu lezihlangu.
The
isidingo sokusebenzisana eduze nohulumeni wase-Iraq kwakungeyona into
amavolontiya amaningi ehawu azizwa ekhululekile. Abanye bazizwa kanjalo
uhlu olwalethwa yizikhulu lubeke engcupheni ukuzimela kwazo.
Abanye babona kungcono ukuthi bafakwe ezikoleni, ezibhedlela,
kanye namakhaya ezintandane. Lamavolontiya ehawu asuka e-Iraq. Abanye bathatha
phezulu kumasayithi, uhlu lwazo lwathunyelwa ku-Joint
Izinduna zabasebenzi kanye nesicelo sokuthi ziyakuqaphela lokho
okuqondiswe kulawa masayithi kuzokwephula i-Article 54 Protocol
Okungeziwe ku-Geneva Convention. Kwakungekho mpendulo ku-
izincwadi kanye nasekuseni ngoMashi 18, isiteshi sikagesi i-Al Durah,
ikhaya lamavolontiya angama-23, lishaywe yibhomu.
At
inani eliphakeme lamavolontiya ehawu eBaghdad ababalwe cishe
500, kodwa ukuqaphela ukuthi izinkulungwane zazidinga ithuba
yokumisa i-blitz e-Baghdad ayizange ibonakale, kuhlangene
ukwehluleka kweZizwe Ezihlangene ukuvimbela impi, kwasho lokho kuqhuma kwamabhomu
kwase kuseduze. Amahawu amaningi akhetha ukuhlala; abaningi abanye bakhetha
ukuhamba. Kanti abanye, njengo-O'Keefe, bayalelwe ukuphuma ngabakwa-
Uhulumeni wase-Iraq. Ngendlela eyindida futhi edabukisayo, umuntu oneminyaka engama-21 ubudala
isihlangu, uTom Hurndall, wasuka eBaghdad ngenxa yezizathu zokuphepha. Uhambile
ePalestine lapho adutshulwa khona ekhanda umdubuli wase-Israel
ngenkathi sisebenza ne-International Solidarity Movement.
As
impi yasondela, abezindaba baseBrithani baqala ukuba bucayi kakhulu.
Uhlu lwezindawo lapho izihlangu zazizosetshenziswa khona zazivamile
kuchazwe ngokuthi "ukufakwa kwezempi" futhi, ngenkathi izindaba
Izihlangu ezisuka e-Iraq zabikwa kabanzi, iqiniso lokuthi kukhulu
inombolo yasala nokuthi izihlangu ezintsha zaziwajoyina nsuku zonke, kwaba
indiva. NgoMashi 3, izindaba ze-BBC zabhala indaba emabhasini anesitezi esiphindwe kabili
ephuma eBaghdad, โegcwele izihlangu zabantu zokugcina ezidumazekile.โ
Eqinisweni, bekunabangu-4 sebebonke abantu emabhasini nabangaphezu kuka-150
amahawu aseseBaghdad. Kusondelwe ngendaba emayelana namavolontiya ehawu
ehlala endaweni yokugcina ukudla, enye intatheli yaphendula:
โIzihlangu zabantu? Sesikhathele yibo. Ngishayele uma eyodwa
bazobulawa.โ
Ngenhlanhla
azikho izihlangu ezingu-80 ezahlala eBaghdad phakathi nayo yonke impi
babulawa noma balimala. Azikho iziza lapho behlala khona
zabhujiswa. Banikezwa inkululeko yokuhamba uhulumeni
futhi baphathwe ngemfudumalo enkulu abantu base-Iraqi, kodwa banganakwa kakhulu
ngabezindaba. Lo mbono wokuthi wonke amahawu awabalekanga
kubukela phansi kuphela ukusebenza kwesenzo, kodwa futhi kuholele ekutheni
ukuhleka usulu. Kunokuba bavezwe njengabanesibindi nabangenabugovu, i
esikhundleni salokho amahawu ayenziwe ama-peaceniks angamagwala namagwala.
Ini,
uma kukhona, akuhambanga kahle ngesenzo sesihlangu somuntu e-Iraq? I
abezindaba bangasolwa ngombono wokuthi ukunyakaza kwehlulekile,
kodwa angeke athweswe icala ngokwehluleka kwangempela. Ikhono
yokunyakaza kwesihlangu somuntu ukuvimbela impi kuncike ezinombolweni. I
amavolontiya ehawu ayengekho ngaphansi kwenkohliso. Babazi ukuthi kwakuyoba njalo
ukuthatha izihlangu zabantu zaseNtshonalanga ezingaphezu kwamakhulu ambalwa ukuze kunqandwe impi.
Nokho, baba nomuzwa wokuthi impi ende yayivinjiwe nemingcele
lihlale livulekile, inani lamavolontiya ehawu lalizokhula. Nge
amanani ayezofika ngokuphepha okukhulu futhi abantu abengeziwe babeyoba nesibindi
ukuzi bandakanya. Isisindo esibucayi singafinyelelwa.
If
kwakukhona izinkulungwane kunezihlangu zabantu ezingamakhulu ngaleso sikhathi
ojenene bayophoqeleka ukuba balinganisele uhlobo olusha lwesibambiso
umonakalo ezibalweni zabo. Isizathu sokuthi lokhu kungenzeki kwaba naso
okuncane kakhulu okuphathelene nokushoda komqondo kunalokho okwenze mayelana nawo
ukungabi nesikhathi sokuhlela nokuhlanganisa.
Nakuba
izihlangu zabantu zehlulekile ukuvimbela ukuqhunyiswa kwamabhomu eBaghdad, ubufakazi
iphakamisa ukuthi baphumelele ekuvikeleni iziza lapho
batshalwa. Kuzo zonke izindawo lapho amatshe atshalwe khona
zaqhunyiswa ngamabhomu ekuqaleni kweMpi YaseGulf yokuqala. Kulokhu, eyodwa kuphela
izindawo zonakaliswe kancane. Ngosuku ngemva kokuhamba kwezihlangu zabantu,
isikhungo sezokuxhumana eBaghdad saqhunyiswa ngamabhomu. EBasra lapho
azikho izihlangu zomuntu, amanzi namandla kwashaywa okokuqala
izinsuku zempi. Ukuqondana noma inkomba yokuthi umuntu uyavikela
waba nomphumela othile?
The
isivinini kanye nonya lapho izihlangu zomuntu zalahlwa ngakho
ohulumeni baseBrithani naseMelika kanye nabezindaba abaphiko lwesokudla
kungenye inkomba yomthelela wokunyakaza. Ngosuku olulandelayo
ukuhamba kwe-convoy, iNhloko Yezabasebenzi e-White House, u-Andrew
Ikhadi, likhiphe isitatimende esigxeka isenzo kanye ne "Fox News"
ibike ukuthi abaholi baseMelika bacabanga ukushushisa abantu base-US
izihlangu zobugebengu bempi.
In
UMay, uFaith Fippinger kanye noRyan Clancy babuyile eBaghdad ukuyothola
izincwadi ezivela eMnyangweni Wezezimali wase-US zibazisa ukuthi
banesibopho senhlawulo ephakathi kuka-$10,000 no-$1,000,000 noma iminyaka engu-12
ejele ngokwephula unswinyo lwaseMelika. Izijeziso, ezinazo
manje isiphakanyiswe kancane, izakhamizi zaseMelika ezinqatshelwe ukuthi zihlanganyele
โkuzo zonke izimakethe zezezimali eziqondile noma ezingaqondile
noma ukuhwebelana ne-Iraq." Angeke kwenzeke kakhulu, nokho,
ukuthi ukuthengwa okuncane okwenziwa uClancy noFippinger kuwuhlobo
"yohwebo" leyo unswinyo okwakuhloswe ukuyivimba.
Izinhlawulo azikona ukulandelwa okujwayelekile kwemithetho,
kodwa umzamo wezombangazwe wokujezisa abaphikisayo. NgoJulayi odlule,
ngesenzo esifanayo sokujezisa, uhulumeni wase-US wamangalela amaVoices
ehlane, iqembu laseChicago elilethe imithi ku
I-Iraq kusukela ngo-1996 iphula imithethonqubo, evumela ukusiza abantu
usizo, kodwa kuphela yilabo abanikezwe ilayisensi.
Human
amahawu akuwona umqondo omusha, kodwa isikali nomthelela wakamuva
ukunyakaza kwakungakaze kube khona ngaphambili. Ukuhlanganisa i-idealism kanye nobumbano
wama-International Brigades anemigomo yokungabi nodlame
isenzo esiqondile, ukunyakaza kwesihlangu somuntu kungokwakamuva esikhathini eside
isiko lokubhikisha. Umthelela wezihlangu zabantu kule ngxabano
zingabuzwa, kodwa ukubaluleka kwazo emlandweni wokubhikisha
ngeke. Ukuthi isenzo sesikhathi esisodwa sokungahloniphi noma ukuzalwa okubanzi
ukunyakaza kusazobonakala, kodwa akufanele neze siwangabaze amandla
yezakhamuzi ezicabangayo, ezizimisele ukushintsha umhlaba: ngempela, kunjalo
okuwukuphela kwento eyake yaba nayo.
Stefan
I-Simanowitz yasungula futhi yaxhumanisa i-Human Shield Action ukuze
I-Iraq. Ukuze uthole ulwazi olwengeziwe, xhumana [email protected].