American soldiers at the entrance of a factory, in front of a portrait of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, in Nasiriyah, Iraq, on March 24, 2003. (Credit: Éric Feferberg/AFP)
In Baghdad, Hassan* is playing soccer outside his family home. It is Sept. 11, 2001, and the school year has yet to begin. On days without school, he usually spends hours in line with his three brothers to collect rations of milk, eggs or meat. U.S. sanctions imposed on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq since August 1990 have left store shelves bare.The Baathist dictatorship presides over a kingdom of fear where “even the electricity can hear us,” his father, a retired general, often warns. Still, life goes on. That day, Hassan wants to make the most of the last days of summer. One final game with his friends, until it is abruptly cut short. By mid-afternoon, their parents call them home. On television, Hassan sees images of towers in flames, blood and dust, but also scenes of celebration. He does not fully understand what is happening, but he knows...
In Baghdad, Hassan* is playing soccer outside his family home. It is Sept. 11, 2001, and the school year has yet to begin. On days without school, he usually spends hours in line with his three brothers to collect rations of milk, eggs or meat. U.S. sanctions imposed on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq since August 1990 have left store shelves bare.The Baathist dictatorship presides over a kingdom of fear where “even the electricity can hear us,” his father, a retired general, often warns. Still, life goes on. That day, Hassan wants to make the most of the last days of summer. One final game with his friends, until it is abruptly cut short. By mid-afternoon, their parents call them home. On television, Hassan sees images of towers in flames, blood and dust, but also scenes of celebration. He does not fully understand what is happening, but he...
