|
An Interview With the Bishop of Kirkuk
Q. The news media speak of an interminable post-war period. What is life like in Iraq now?A. âLike in a country emerging from thirty-five years of dictatorship, during which the people were deprived of everything: of oil, but even of air to breathe. Saddam Hussein had transformed Iraq into an enormous barracks. Two wars, first with Iran and then the Gulf War, and twelve years of embargo produced a massive exodus of Iraqis abroad and a million deaths. And yet, faced with such a disastrous situation, today the people are satisfied with the change, with the renewed possibility for freedom. In just a few months eighty new political parties have arisen, five of them Christian, freedom of the press has blossomed in dozens of new publishers, six of them Christian. And even some of the television stations that have sprung up in the zone of Mosul are Christian. None of this was here with Saddam! Even from the economic point of view, everything has changed: before it was not possible to make any plans, but now we can construct projects, albeit modest ones, for the future. One example: state employees receive 150-200 dollars a month, before only 3-4.â Q. But all of this was achieved through war. A. âYes, but the civilians were not the targets. The Americans did a lot of bombing, especially in Baghdad, striking government buildings, and the bombs were usually precise.â Notice how the European interviewer tries to steer the Iraqui Bishop into criticizing the U.S. The Bishop praises the American action nevertheless. (Note: I have added the Q & A signs to better identify the speaker.) Are you afraid that there are still some of Saddamâs men around? âThere arenât any more people linked to the dictator. What we have instead are Arab fighters who have entered Iraq, financed by fundamentalist movements in nearby countries, or maybe even by the governments. There are those who do not want Iraq to be open and free. Those responsible for the stream of attacks are loose cannons, without any popular support.â The bishop disagrees with George W. (who blamed recent attacks on Saddam loyalists) and agrees with the Iraqi council, who blamed the attacks on foreign Jihadists. Letâs hope W. is wrong on this one. (It is easier to destroy foreign fighters.) Q. What future do you imagine for Iraq? And what role do you see for the United Nations? A. âThe United Nations is finished; we need to think of other instruments. Europe must have a crucial role. Before the war its support was strong, but now we lack its political support. It would be an error for Europe to leave the reconstruction of the country to the Americans.â A U.N.-hating Chaldean bishop. Things are looking up! Posted by: Sorge 2003-10-30 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=20560 |