Singer-Songwriter Stephan Smith Tells of His Iraqi Relatives' Experiences Under U.S. Occupation and War

Interview with Stephan Smith, singer and songwriter, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

As violence continues to escalate in advance of Iraqi elections scheduled for January 30th, the insurgency has assassinated several high officials of the U.S. installed interim Iraqi government including the governor of Baghdad province and Baghdad's Deputy Police Chief and his son. The insurgents are employing new and more deadly tactics to attack U.S. troops by using powerful explosives to blow up heavily armored American military vehicles.

Stephan Smith is a singer/songwriter and activist who has spoken out against the US war in Iraq. His father was born in Iraq and now lives in the US, but Smith's entire extended family on his father's side continues to live in Iraq. Smith, who sometimes uses his birth father's name, Said, rather than his stepfather's name, recently established phone contact with many of his Iraqi relatives.

His family members are Sunni Muslims but did not cooperate with or support the Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein. Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Smith who shares some of what he recently discussed with his aunts, uncles and cousins. Although he says they are afraid to give their opinions openly about the Iraqi election scheduled for January 30th, or the anti-war movement in the US, Smith says they appreciate Americans standing against the occupation.

An essay "My Family In Iraq: Views on a Silenced Majority," written by Stephan Smith can be read online at www.commondreams.org. For information on Smith's music and touring schedule, visit his website at www.stephansmith.com

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