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Subscribe to RSSVeteran photojournalist Spencer Platt just returned from Iraq and took time to share images and his perspectives with us. Platt has been covering Iraq since the American-led invasion in 2003. His understanding and compassion for the people he photographs is apparent by looking at his work.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Samera Kamal, 10, participates in a class with other young victims of Iraq violence at a program operated by Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) on July 28, in Amman, Jordan. Samera, who is from the Iraqi city of Fallujah, was severely burned following a car bomb when she was walking to the market. MSF has been running a reconstructive-surgery program for war-wounded Iraqis since August 2006. The program, which helps Iraqis irrespective of age or ethnic/religious background, has thus far attended to roughly 1,500 cases. MSF was forced to pull out of Iraq in 2004 due to the escalating violence in the country. Following the years of violence in the country, the state of medical care in Iraq is poor. There is a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses and much of the country's hospitals are using outdated and damaged equipment.
JW: What significance does photographing a story like this have for you as someone who has seen firsthand the events play out in Iraq over time?
SP: I have been covering Iraq since the American led invasion in 2003 so there are many memories and strong feelings associated with the country for me. I tend to see Iraq through the kaleidoscope of sadness and violence that I have witnessed over the years and it is sometimes hard for me to see the beauty that is present if you only look for it. It is a difficult and complex country and as a photojournalist, you need to be brutally honest about what you are seeing. And with all you are witnessing, the photographer must recognize what [story] demands to be covered and viewed by a Western media audience that has preconceived ideas about Iraq.
In many ways the photojournalist is a window into Iraq for millions of news consumers who will never set foot in the country; for me that is a huge responsibility to get the story right and to keep it balanced. My primary concern is to keep Iraq in the news, to not let the world forget about it or the millions of Iraqis whose lives have been altered by American foreign policy.
I think we as Americans have a responsibility to keep informed about the country and start on the path of a new relationship, a post-war relationship with the Iraqi people. What I can say from my experience on this last trip is that Iraqis have a general fondness for America and Americans. While it would be naive to say they have gotten over the war I can say that many are ready to forge ahead and open a new chapter in their country`s history.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Makki Ali, 58, participates in physical therapy at a program for victims of Iraq violence, on July 28. Ali was injured in Baghdad in a truck bombing near an American base.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Khaled Hashem, 35, participates in physical therapy at the Red Crescent Hospital for victims of Iraq violence, on July 28, in Amman, Jordan. Hashem was shot in the thigh after American soldiers fired randomly in a street during an attack in 2007.
JW: How did you find the story?
SP: I have had a good relationship with the NGO, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), for over a decade now. It is a relationship that is unique in the sense that they appreciate the exposure that a media organization like Getty Images can bring to an issue and I profit from the access they provide me on some of their projects.
My friend, Michael Goldfarb, who works in the MSF New York office, knew that I was in Iraq and suggested I visit their reconstructive surgery project on my way out of Iraq. It had been something we had discussed years ago, so I was happy that it could finally work out. I think it was a good counterbalance to some of the other issues I covered in Iraq in that it gave a personal narrative to the violence and emphasized that. With all the talk of a military draw down, for many Iraqis the legacy of the war will be forever present.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Falah Hindi participates in physical therapy at a program for victims of Iraq violence, where Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) operates a reconstructive-surgery clinic, on July 28. Hindi injured his leg in a car bombing in Baghdad.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
The hands of Khitam Hamad, 12, bear scars as she participates in a class with other young victims of Iraq violence on July 28. Khitam, who is from the Iraqi city of Fallujah, was severally burned following a car bomb when she was walking with her sister.
JW: Out of the images you took, which stands out or resonates with you above the others?
While it was emotionally difficult to shoot some of the pictures, I would continually remind myself that this doesn’t need to be a depressing story. As a photojournalist, I think we have to always offer our viewers a little bit of hope, a ray of light. The image of the young girl Sonor Darweesh encapsulates this idea for me. While her face is severely disfigured due to a car bomb, she seems to have transcended these wounds in that her personality is that of a curious and shy seven year old girl. She looked right at me and gave me a smile, a smile that serves as a rejection of the values and ideas that fuel the hatred of extremists.
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Sonor Darweesh, 7, of Kirkuk, Iraq smiles while participating in a class with other young victims of Iraq violence, on July 28. Darweesh was injured in an explosion which killed her sister.
Check back for more of Platt's and other photographers' dispatches from around the globe, or get a feel for what it's like to be behind the lens here.
Leave a Comment:
Caring for a broken people! Doctors Without Borders are doing a wonderful job!
Thank you, Spencer Platt, for sharing your photos and insights from your experience in Iraq. The picture that really resonated with me was the one of seven-year-old Sonor Darweesh. I really feel for all those having to recover and to rehabilitate (for a very long period of time) from the physical and emotional scars of war. Keep up the good work, Doctors Without Borders. It's sad to read about the shortage of doctors and medical staff and the lack of updated medical equipment though. Also, great work to Spencer Platt and his fellow photojournalists. What news photojournalists are doing is an important job as well.
What struck me so strongly is that the shameful actions of our government under the Bush administration were the cause of all this terrible suffering. I don't know if the world will ever forgive us. Disgraceful, really.
Problem is that when we leave Iraq, the extremist butchers mainly responsible for maiming these children will still be there and will try their best to brainwash them or possibly kill them when they get a little older so as to negate the wonderful work the MSF is doing.
A sad sight of "Broken People!" Doctors Without Borders are doing a wonderful job.
God bless these children and all those who have been affected by this unjust war. And God bless the people involved with Doctors Without Borders.
The 'men' behind these car bombings... does their 'god' bless them, I wonder?
Why would he? He's the same god as the christian god. Just like the god of the christians is the god of the jews.
Of course their God blesses them. They say so! But, they are Sunni. The Shiite God says they are evil. And, another group somewhere else says that both are evil. And, so on. What does that prove? There is no God. God is just a figment of people's imagination. God is used by religious leaders to gain wealth, power and pleasure.
Yeah im sure all this violence was done by "car bombs" you dumb american @!$%#. One of the kids is from Fallujah, where a supposed car bomb did the damage. That's bull@!$%#. Do you have any idea what the U.S Military did in Fallujah? Please shut the @!$%# up you mindless parrot and go do some research. The truth will come out over the next 20 years and you'll see Americans are as barbaric and savage as they've always been, while having the audacity to look down at the civility of others at the same time. Your civilized nation killed 2 MILLION people in Vietnam. And all you @!$%#ers can talk about is the pain of your own soldiers during that war. Still waiting for the film that shows the Vietnamese civilians killed by the millions. Won't hold my breath.....
Speers:
Besides disparaging parrots, it's just a matter of time before your comment will be "deleted" or "collapsed by the community". Disrespect is not tolerated in this forum.
Sylv: "God" is gender neutral. Just thought I'd clarify that for you. No thanks necessary.
Speers just has trouble with reading skills and comprehension. After his mother changes his diaper and he has his juicy cup, maybe he'll ask her to read him the captions beneath the photographs that clearly states that the young girls where injured by car bombs.
America should have never gotten involved in the Iraq war. America should never have given any kind of military aid to any Middle Eastern or Northern African country and we definately should not have supported any dicatators in any country. We should stay out of their countries and if doctors want to risk their lives helping people then God bless them. America needs to protect and care for its own people first and I don't give a rats tooty if a lefty or a righty doesn't like what I think.
Fight for freedom-2341533 There are many lefties that agree with what you have written. They are mostly likely to have been the anti-war protesters that are being harassed by the security industry. I agree with you 100%.
What threat was this little girl to our country. Where is the terrorism in these people? This reminds me of the Hiroshima maidens of WWII. These were young women brought here for surgery after we dropped the bombs. The ills of war. Sadaam's predecessor was gotten rid of with no war and less than a thousand innocent victims. So the same could have been done in the supposed need to overthrown him.
This is Sad, lets put politics aside and pray for these people.
America is going to pay for what we did to all those innocent people. 1 million Iraqis dead, several million refugees. Not only will Cheney and Bush burn in he!!, but the American people who cheered on this immoral invasion will pay for this by the destruction of our country. It has already started. Bad deeds never go unpunished.
You might want to take note of the innocent Iraqi civilians that perished since Husein took power. He then thumbed his nose and slaughtered many more when the Americans were halted on the border in the first offensive. Our troops were waiting for payback and they finally got a chance. Note the captions under the pictures ..CAR BOMBS. We didnt lay those, the cells did. As for our country, If you believe that the conflicts in the Middle East are to blame for our domestic problems, you need to look at the fault lines again.
Kudos, msnbc ! Thanks for exposing counter-terrorism as a remedy which is as bad as the disease(terrorism) on innocents. This should awaken non-muslims and muslims alike to condemn terrorist violence. Muslims need to withdraw and shun terrorist groups which attempt to brainwash the intellectuals amongst them with jihadi material that build hatred and manipulate the downtrodden with rewards to sacrifice their lives and brutally end the lives of innocent non-muslims and muslims as well. The muslims need to distance themselves from the jihadis, ostracizing them from Islam. For the elements of other faiths who indulge in hate-mongering and keyboard slandering, this should act as a mirror to reflect and introspect yourselves that when blanket abuses are thrown at a religion instead of the right-wing extremists amongst them, the abuses are directed at the victims in these pictures too, who are muslims yet do not deserve your abuses for being muslim - victims of hate mongers despite being scarred for life. They on the contrary need your support to assist them gather and heal whatever is left of their lives.
You DO know that your post makes too much sense. Consequently, it will be considered nonsense by the "few" intentionally lacking any sense. But, for those of us who have a lick of sense, thanks for making sense out of the senseless.
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The Bush regime wet to war in Iraq for the benifit of some members of the administratiion and not for the benifit od the American people .Bush might have gone but the legacy of the Iraq war will linger on for a very long time .
There are other stories of the suffering of Iraqi refugees at iraqistories.wordpress.com.