War Today

In contemporary warfare, there appears to be a level of confusion or a lack of understanding among soldiers and civilians. In the Sand Queen, Kate does not know if innocent people will be free or killed or what will happen to them, “I have no fucking idea what we’re going to do with the thousands of prisoners we’ve taken in. I don’t think anybody knows” (72). When Kate joined the army she wanted to keep the peace, which is ironic considering she trained to fight and kill. In Kate’s mind, as a soldier, she would solve conflict and serve her country. However, it seems that she is unclear about the motives behind their actions in Iraq. It is not peaceful to arrest boys and old men at random, just in case they are affiliated with Saddam Hussein. Helen Benedict and Brian Turner attempt to provide us with information about both sides of the war. Turner does this with his inclusion of Arabic phrases, and Benedict does so more directly by creating the character of Naema. Benedict gives a voice to Iraqi women. She is able to do this so effectively due to contemporary sources like Riverbend’s blog. Naema, like Riverbend, is an intelligent, educated woman. Naema considers how Kate would feel in her shoes, (51) and talks about the dreams that Iraqi women may have (92). In the Sand Queen, more than Here, Bullet, the reader can see the war from another perspective. Nevertheless, both texts illustrate the humanness of soldiers. Kate’s vulnerability is displayed when her fellow soldiers attempt to rape her. In “Sadiq” from Here, Bullet, Turner argues that no matter what kind of person you are, “no matter/ what god shines down on you… it should break your heart to kill” (56). This is an extremely potent message that states that all humans should feel compassion in the same way. It almost reads as an anti-war poem. Contemporary wars can be seen as less clear cut than wars in the past. For example, World War Two was in response to genocide. The wars in Vietnam and Iraq had less support. The soldiers seemed arguably less clear or proud about what they were doing and why.