In February I started a thread about Safila Taleb al-Souhail titled
Who was The Iraqi Woman In The Balcony, about Bush's State Of The Union address and the curious woman sitting in the seat I like to call the "Chalabi" seat of the House of Representatives.
What started as a curiosity developed into a pretty crazy story. So much so that the diary was moved to the front page.
Anyway, I admit that I kind of forgot about al-Souhail and stopped doing research on her. I kind of hit a brick wall in terms of resources, but mostly because it started to dawn on me that whatever motivations she had for siding so strongly with George W. Bush and his war, the direction of the "development" of Iraq was not going to allow for a woman to have any tangible power. All of her efforts to be on the "right" side of W's history have failed her.
And over at Billmon, there is nice long thread of relevant quotes.
"When we came back from exile, we thought we were going to improve rights and the position of women. But look what has happened -- we have lost all the gains we made over the last 30 years. It's a big disappointment."
Safia Taleb al-Souhail
Iraq's ambassador to Egypt
Reuters interview
August 24, 2005
_______
Souhail said the United States, a crucial backstage player keen for a deal that meets U.S.-backed deadlines, had let the Shi'ite Islamists and Kurds in government do as they wish. "We have received news that we were not backed by our friends including the Americans. They left the Islamists to come to an agreement with the Kurds," she said.
Reuters
Iraq secularists denounce "Islamist" constitution
August 24, 2005
________
There was an emotional moment during Wednesday's State of the Union address when the mother of a 25-year-old Marine killed in Iraq, Janet Norwood, embraced an Iraqi voter, Safia Taleb al-Souhail. They were among the guests invited to sit with the president's wife Laura Bush for the annual address.
Voice of America
Iraqi Voter and Marine's Mother
Embrace During State of the Union
February 3, 2005
________
As lawmakers stood and cheered, al-Souhail, holding back tears, flashed a "V" sign and showed her voting finger, too.
CNN
Bush pushes his agenda
February 3, 2005
_________
"One of Iraq's leading democracy and human rights advocates is Safia Taleb al-Souhail . . . Three days ago in Baghdad, Safia was finally able to vote for the leaders of her country -- and we are honored that she is with us tonight."
George W. Bush
State of the Union Address
February 2, 2005
Anyway, I just post this thread as a reminder of exactly how bad things have gotten. And it's interesting when one of the biggest players in the game, the woman that was supposed to boost the image of Bush's "America" to the Iraqi people, and the woman that was supposed to boost the image of Bush's war to the American people...well, she's pissed. And whatever gains -- political, personal, and financial -- she was counting on, she's apparently given up on being cordial.