Tech 4 Peace
What is the connection between the picture of George H. W. Bush that was painted on the entrance floor of the Rashid Hotel in Baghdad and the visual artist Leila Al-Attar?
Despite our clarification of the truth regarding the death of the Iraqi artist Leila Al-Attar, a fabricated story about her death is circulated from time to time on social media. The false narrative claims that she was targeted by US forces because she drew a picture of George Bush Sr. on the floor of the Rashid Hotel in the capital, Baghdad.
The truth:
The death of the artist Leila Al-Attar was the result of several missiles launched by the United States on Iraq in 1993. This act was ordered by Bill Clinton as a retaliatory strike against the Iraqi government and a warning after members affiliated with Iraqi intelligence were accused of attempting to assassinate President George Bush Sr. during his visit to Kuwait at that time.
More than 20 cruise missiles were launched, resulting in the death of around 60 people, including the late Leila Al-Attar. Among the targeted locations was the headquarters of Iraqi intelligence in Baghdad, near the house of the late Leila.
After contacting her son, Haider Jraidan, he confirmed:
"Our house was behind the intelligence building, and on that fateful night, 24 missiles were launched. Two of them hit mistakenly. One fell in our garage, and we were out of the kitchen, so the entire house tilted to the side. My little sister, my uncle's daughter, and I survived, but my parents and our caregiver, Aunt Khadija, were martyred. As for the second missile, it fell on the house of the martyr Maan Al-Qaisi. He and his son Muhammad Al-Qaisi were martyred, but his wife survived."
He continued, stating that his mother had no connection to drawing a picture of Bush. He explained:
"The one who did the artwork was someone from Diyala province who worked with marble, commissioned by the engineering department at the palace."
Jraidan concluded his statement by saying:
"The easiest thing in Iraq is to lose the truth, and things get mixed up. This time, it came from social media. Greetings."
What do you know about Laila Al-Attar?
Layla Al-Attar, an Iraqi visual artist, was born in the capital, Baghdad, in 1944. She studied art at the College of Fine Arts. Al-Attar held various administrative positions, including Director-General of the Arts Department, Director of Baghdad Hall, and Director of the National Museum of Modern Art. She created several distinctive art pieces, held numerous art exhibitions inside and outside the country, and received several art awards.
