And Lord knows, there's been a shortage of first class Fiery Abuse on Rantburg lately.
While Iraqi troops fight U.S. and British forces in the field, the Baghdad government is digging deep in the lexicon of Arabic insults for verbal salvoes to lob at the "evil invaders."
| "My mother's moustache is bigger'n yo'rn!" |
Following the rich literary tradition of their country, Iraqi officials from President Saddam Hussein to Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf have regularly taken to the airwaves to lambaste their U.S. and British foes with fiery rhetoric and vitriolic broadsides.
Since the war on Iraq started 10 days ago, the leaders of the United States and Britain have been branded "an international gang of criminal bastards," "blood-sucking bastards," ignorant imperialists, losers and fools. The U.S. and British forces invading Iraq have also not been spared. In briefings by Sahaf, the troops are often referred to as flocks of sheep doomed to die in Iraq or as a snake slithering through the desert.
| "Yeah! An' their mothers are so-o-o-o-o fat, to haul ass, they gotta make two trips!" |
Hurling insults at the enemy is common in the Arab world but the practice is vintage Saddam, who portrays himself as a valiant Arab crusader fighting off an evil empire. Saddam has referred to President Bush as the "reckless, little Bush" to distinguish him from his father, Bush senior, who in 1991 led the international coalition that ended Iraq's occupation of neighboring Kuwait. Long after that Gulf War, a painting depicting the face of the "criminal" George Bush still lies at the entrance of Baghdad's busy al-Rasheed Hotel for visitors to trample on.
| Long after the Gulf War, Sammy was an object of ridicule in military circles... |
Iraq has also directed its verbal abuse at Arab countries that host U.S. and British troops. Kuwait, a launchpad for this invasion, has borne the brunt of this attack and its leaders have been called "jackasses of colonization."
| They don't really make it into the KCNA category, though. Probably not enough practice. "Running dog lackeys of international hegemonism" just kinda rolls off the NKor tongue. Arabs can't handle it, perhaps because of the weight of those scraggly-assed moustaches on the upper lip... |
The Iraqi insults contrast sharply with the relatively sedate labels of "terrorist" and "dictator" that Bush and Blair have given Saddam. The Iraqi leader's jingoism, however, has made its way into the American and British lexicon. Saddam called the 1991 Gulf War the "mother of all battles" and the U.S. military has adopted the term to describe their massive air ordnance as the "mother of all bombs." This time round, Saddam's name for the war — "the decisive battle" — does not seem to be as popular.
That's the best they can do with their "rich literary tradition"? Hell, the North Korean Girl Scouts can do better with one hand chained behind their backs!
| But the "mother of all..." thang has entered the lexicon. I even heard of the "Mother of All Burgers" at one point. |
|