Beauty and the Beast!

White and pink, setting an impression of candy floss and dispersing the sweet scent of spring in the breeze – I am still wondering at the beauty of cherry blossomed trees!

It's the sunny days I enjoy the most in spring...the sun shines bright spreading warmth and the gentle wind blows with silent grace. Thousands of Cherry blossoms, running in a line all around the Tidal basin is one of the most picturesque sights I have come across till date. It is nature in one of its most perfect forms.

Walking around the Tidal Basin for hours, I smiled looking at the unmatched beauty and calmness of cherry blossoms – which are here to stay only for a few days and people would have to wait for an entire year to see them, when they blossom again next spring. (hmmm…I wouldn't be in DC to enjoy this beauty next year).

I am also in the midst of one of the most exciting and most expensive political year for United States. While Bush is busy pushing for interesting changes in the NATO alliance; back home, Obama and Hillary are trying hard to be the Democratic favorite of the nation. Bush’ regime, for all right reasons, has been the most talked about in U.S., and around the world. In year 2003, US led the invasion of Iraq, calling Saddam Hussein’s actions as an immediate and intolerable threat to world peace. Five years and still on – the Iraq war has left thousands dead on both sides and a significant percentage of Iraqis who lost their homes continue to live life as refugees. Criticism continues in U.S. for spending millions of dollars in fighting the war, for death of many American military men and for the economic recession that country is going through at the moment.

An interesting highlight has been President Bush’ declaration of a zero-tolerance policy regarding human trafficking, and ironic human rights violation that continued in Iraq in the form of contract sponsored trafficking. Some private businesses, under contract to the Defense Department, were found engaging in human trafficking. It was revealed that those trapped and trafficked met a grim fate: on their way to the US bases, they were kidnapped and later executed by Iraqi insurgents. These men had paid the equivalent of a year's salary to "job brokers" working on a sub-contract from KBR (Kellogg, Brown & Root) so they could be taken. Most of them thought that they would be given work in Jordan but once in Jordan their identification documents were confiscated and they were told that they would be sent to Iraq since there were no jobs available in Jordan. These men had no choice but to stay. Free the Slaves in response to the contractor-sponsored trafficking in Iraq launched the 'WarSlavery' campaign in 2006. The issue was raised to move public action to insist on accountability regarding usage of American tax money, which was being paid to these contractors for businesses in Iraq. It was demanded that such contracts be terminated, victims be freed and compensation and assistance be issued for rebuilding their lives.

With this and more, Bush’ administration now has reached it’s probable last phase. Whosoever comes to power after him perhaps already knows that the legacy would not be so much of a pleasure to take over!

In this political world, there are no ‘friends’ for life. What continues to thrive is worldwide love-hate relationship where every nation is living in constant fear of the other. Even premier international bodies like the UN condemn but fail to act in some most critical situations.

Life continues in Iraq, in midst of a shattered economy. People continue to live with a hope for a better future for Iraq and a better life for their kids. Whatever happens…whenever peace may arrive, the scars may fade but the pain will remain forever. This pain of war is immeasurable!