Zeyad's reward for standing tall among the uncertain people of Iraq didn't come without a story worth telling:

This was scary. An American patrol was distributing leaflets in our neighbourhood today. This isn't an uncommon practice. But the pictures on the leaflets caught my eye, and I nervously picked one up and looked closely. The pictures were mine, the ones I took on Dec. 10 at the anti-terror demonstrations. The writing on the leaflet said:

"The spirit of tolerance between different religions, political organizations, sects, and ethnicities is part of the democratic society. All Iraqi citizens are equal and free to voice their opinions. Respecting others will help make Iraqi a better place for all Iraqis".

I sighed in relief. For a short moment, after recognizing my photos, I seriously thought the leaflets had to do with something from the blog and I was a bit anxious. I then started to get amused and I told one of my neighbours that the pictures on the flyers were mine, he smiled at me as if I was raving and said "yeah, sure they are". Arrgghh. I AM OUTRAGED! hehe... Can I sue the CPA for printing my photos without permission? LOL.

Take a look at those photos: Iraqis demonstrating peacefully, smiling, appealing for a better life. They have been given this chance by Americans and others risking — and sacrificing — their lives. How is it that those who accuse the president of unilateralism and isolation wish to disengage America from our fellow citizens of the world?