Once America's friend, now forgotten
Somewhere inside a vast, sprawling U.S. prison compound near Baghdad, the man known as Prisoner No. 152333 remembers the praise that the Americans lavished on him just a few months ago. He was the first mayor of the first civilian government in postwar Iraq.
He was a crucial voice of support to the foreign invaders when they desperately needed local allies. The American army awarded him a certificate for his 'truly historic' assistance to the U.S.-led coalition. It said his 'leadership and dedication' were 'an inspiration to leaders throughout the world.'
Today, Najim Abed Mahdi is a forgotten man. He is in his fourth month of detention in a U.S. jail cell. His career as an English teacher is ruined, his family has gone without income for three months.
The respected 53-year-old educator, widely known as Teacher Najim in his hometown of Umm Qasr, is among thousands of prisoners in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. No charges have been filed against him and he appears to be the victim of a Kafkaesque ordeal that began when he was swept up in a raid by American soldiers.
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