HW 32: Summarizing Riverbend

I read the following pages required for class, pages 70 to 97. One of the main things that Riverbend talks about in these posts is Aquila Al-Hashimi. On her september 21, 2003 post she writes about how there was an attempt on Akila Al-Hashimi's life. She mentiones how she had heard about it for a long time and were hearing it on the news. Riverbend states, "She lives in Jihad Quarter and was leaving for work yesterday when two pick-up trucks with armed men cut off her car and opened fire on her and her "bodyguards" - her brothers." (Riverbend 75) She said from there that the neighbors and the gang began shooting at each other. Akila was taken to Al-Yarmuk hospital. She had to have her stomache operated on and was then shipped off in an American army ambulance. This post was very emotional to read because Riverbend mentiones that, "It's depressing because she was actually one of the decent members on the council" (Riverbend 75). She was living in Iraq and worked extensively in foreign affairs in the past. She goes on to explain how everyone thinks there's different people who could have done this to her. She says, "Of course, right off, before they even started investigations said, it was Saddam and his loyalists!" (Riverbend 75) However, she says there has been bitterness towards her by some of the more extreme members of the Governing Council. The most important part of her post was her sincerity for her and for her health. She says, "I really hope they find whoever did this, and I hope the punishment is severe" (Riverbend 76).