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| Middle East |
| Arabs Appalled by U.S. Troops in Baghdad |
| 2003-04-07 |
| Arabs throughout the Middle East reacted with dismay and disbelief Monday to television images of U.S. tanks rolling through the heart of Baghdad, and some rushed to sign up for a holy war against the U.S.-led forces. Others were just saddened by the ease with which U.S. troops entered the Iraqi capital. Few Arabs believed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime could hold out indefinitely against an allied onslaught, but many had expected Baghdad to put up a bloody fight. So much for that idea... Over a breakfast of croissant and coffee at a cafe, Saudi accounting instructor Haitham al-Bawardi said he was having a hard time believing the reports. "How can we know this is for real and not just coalition propaganda?" the 30-year-old said. "We had hoped Saddam would inflict as many casualties on the invaders as possible to teach them a lesson and make them think twice before striking another Arab country." "Instead, we discover that Iraq was just a house of cards, just like most other Arab countries!" In Cairo, Egypt, the news made some more determined to join the fight in a jihad, or holy war, alongside the Iraqis. The Lawyers' Syndicate, known for organizing people to join the war in Iraq, began filling up with volunteers shortly after the news was broadcast. "As Arabs, we cannot see this and not move," said a man in his early 30s who would not give his name for fear of government retribution. "We are selling ourselves for a higher cost, for God, not for Saddam." "I mean, there's gotta be something in this world more important than just me, right?" Another volunteer, Abdelfattah, 41, a worker in a regional city council, said the reports were "all lies." Yes. Lies! All lies! "It is a psychological war," said Abdelfattah. "If it is true, then it is only a military strategy, to lure the American forces into a trap." Yup. That must be it. The Iraqi army's hiding in the bushes, and as soon's our collective back is turned, they're going to jump out and grab us all... Abdelfattah insisted that "Saddam himself will fight until the very end. ... He will remain standing until he dies while fighting for Iraq." That's his privilege. My bet is that he runs away at the last minute... Amjad Mohammed, a 23-year-old Syrian hairdresser, said he felt "very sad." I'm very sad to hear that a 23-year-old Syrian hairdresser feels "very sad." I'm also trying to figure why the opinion of a 23-year-old Syrian hairdresser counts for a hill of beans except to his customers... "The Americans can never stay in Baghdad," Mohammed said. "Baghdad is noble Arab land." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #16 I hope it's not lost on their perceptive Arab minds that we not only stomped Saddam with but a fraction of our forces, we also did it with one hand tied intentionally behind our backs: we've been absolutely obsessive about avoiding civilian casualties and it has cost us time, money, and soldiers' lives. As "dismayed" as they might be about the Iraqi regime's quick destruction, they ought to ponder just how horrible the consequences will be if they manage to REALLY piss us off. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2003-04-07 16:18:24 |
| #15 Why that means it's possible that someday they could roll through Damascus. Or Teheran. Or Tripoli. Or Cairo. Or Beirut. Or Ramallah. Or the Bekka Valley. Paying attention "Arab Street"? Good... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-04-07 16:01:43 |
| #14 The big problem here is that the Arab-Wahabbi-Muslim society is a failed and destructive culture with no features worthy of redeeming it. The religious emphasis on top-down command from the Imamans to the peasants, echoed in the stong-man governments, is fatally weak. Also the bigoted and violent words in the Koran have given the radicals "cover" to execute inhuman and unjust actions agains their own people and people of the world, especially those with different beleifs. This broken ideaology bans competitors becuase it cannot withstand the competition in the free market of ideas. Wahabbi Islam is a scourge that is now discredited, and should be swept from the world, along with the fatwa issuing clerics who drive its rabidly xenophobic terroristic ways into the core of their culture. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2003-04-07 15:59:42 |
| #13 Arabs have the biggest inferiority complexes on the planet. Their countries suck and they are stuck in the 13th century. That's why we see all this silly posturing. "let's do a jihad!" (On second thought, after seeing those M1s rolling in Bahgdad) "Let's have some tea and cigarettes." |
| Posted by: Jonesy 2003-04-07 15:45:12 |
| #12 Of course, Arabs are upset about a non-Muslim state that is conquering a Muslim junk state. Most are Muslims, and believe that their tribal god entity has given them the right to administer his "sovereignty" over the entire world. Not only do this pieces of demographic inertia claim Iraq, they also claim other re-conquered lands, such as Spain (which they call: "Andalusia"). The Arabs have been knocked down another notch, but now they need to be put down further. I would start with liquidating HAMAS, Hezbollah, al-Jihad, Ikhwan Musulum, etc from Arab-Palestine territory, which includes parts of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. It's time to do some more killing. |
| Posted by: Anonon 2003-04-07 15:24:14 |
| #11 Why are "Arabs throughout the middle east" upset. According to the Iraqi Information Ministry we are being soundly defeated and are not near to Bahgdad. Which way is it.. I don't think you can have it both ways |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-04-07 15:18:52 |
| #10 Cut 'em a break. They've deluded themselves and each other for so long that reality is a shock. As we've seen, it's getting harder and harder for Ministers of Disinformation to spin their stories -- the translators are starting to laugh too loud. |
| Posted by: Tom 2003-04-07 14:40:16 |
| #9 They only buy that "allah's will" stuff when it suits 'em. And interpreting "allah's will" for the great unwashed is a real cozy gig for the clerics, ain't it? |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-04-07 14:26:15 |
| #8 Actually, they should be asking themselves if the Koran is valid at all if Muslims are losing wars. After all, Mohammed claimed divine status which was confirmed by victories in the battlefield. Arabs lose => Koran False. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-04-07 14:15:26 |
| #7 Darned good point. Instead of screaming about us, those arab folk really ought to be asking theselves why Allah hates them. |
| Posted by: Michael 2003-04-07 14:00:19 |
| #6 The fatalistic foaming-at-the-mouth Arabs mobs have nothing to complain about. If Allah didn't want Iraq to get spanked it wouldn't be happening. They thought the destruction of the space shuttle Columbia was Allah's retribution for America's misdeeds. Considering that there isn't an Arab country that can make so much as a bicycle without foreign help -- let alone a spacecraft -- they should be asking themselves why Allah is punishing them instead of worrying about what America is doing to 'noble Arab land.' Idiots all. |
| Posted by: Ned 2003-04-07 13:47:22 |
| #5 ""The Americans can never stay in Baghdad," Mohammed said. "Baghdad is noble Arab land."" No. Baghdad is noble IRAQI land!!! Saddam, despite some pseuso-Mesopotamian propaganda, remianed, true to Baathis ideology, an Arab nationalist, not an Iraqi nationalist, putting pan-arab goals ahead of the welfare of the Iraqi people. The iraqi people, in welcoming coalition forces, are showing that THEY are putting Iraq FIRST, and are turning from pan-Arabism, which has been a disaster for them even more than for the rest of the Arab world. The rest of the arab world, still mired in pan-Arabism, senses this "betrayal" and is outraged by it. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-07 13:40:49 |
| #4 The best thing that can happen is for these clowns to get pelted and assaulted by free Iraqis when they try to cross into Iraq. Let the people who've suffered under Saddam for three decades tell these morons just how they feel about their ignorant jihad to put him back in power. Failing that, they can just get gunned down like the rest of Saddam's filth. |
| Posted by: Dar Steckelberg 2003-04-07 13:27:28 |
| #3 The fatalistic foaming-at-the-mouth Arabs mobs have nothing to complain about. If Allah didn't want Iraq to get spanked it wouldn't be happening. They thought the destruction of the space shuttle Columbia was Allah's retribution for America's misdeeds. Considering that there isn't an Arab country that can make so much as a bicycle without foreign help -- let alone a spacecraft -- they should be asking themselves why Allah is punishing them instead of worrying about what America is doing to 'noble Arab land.' Idiots all. |
| Posted by: Ned 4/7/2003 1:47:22 PM |
| #2 ""The Americans can never stay in Baghdad," Mohammed said. "Baghdad is noble Arab land."" No. Baghdad is noble IRAQI land!!! Saddam, despite some pseuso-Mesopotamian propaganda, remianed, true to Baathis ideology, an Arab nationalist, not an Iraqi nationalist, putting pan-arab goals ahead of the welfare of the Iraqi people. The iraqi people, in welcoming coalition forces, are showing that THEY are putting Iraq FIRST, and are turning from pan-Arabism, which has been a disaster for them even more than for the rest of the Arab world. The rest of the arab world, still mired in pan-Arabism, senses this "betrayal" and is outraged by it. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 4/7/2003 1:40:49 PM |
| #1 The best thing that can happen is for these clowns to get pelted and assaulted by free Iraqis when they try to cross into Iraq. Let the people who've suffered under Saddam for three decades tell these morons just how they feel about their ignorant jihad to put him back in power. Failing that, they can just get gunned down like the rest of Saddam's filth. |
| Posted by: Dar Steckelberg 4/7/2003 1:27:28 PM |