Residents of this Fallujah simply could not bring themselves to believe Sunday that Saddam Hussein had finally been captured. They insisted the announcement was meant to end their resistance to the US-led coalition and vowed the attacks on occupation forces will continue. âI heard that heâs been arrested but these are lies and I donât believe it. The Americans want to smash our morale,â said Ahmad Abed, who sells vegetables from a stall on the main street of this town 60 kilometres west of the capital Baghdad. âI hope itâs not true and that the jihad (holy war) will continue because we are struggling in the service of God.â
| Yeah, yeah. We're not at the airport, either. We're committing suicide at the gates of Baghdad... |
Saddam, a secular Sunni overthrown by invading US and British forces last April, âis a Muslim and a fighter,â Abed said.
âIf there is only one man left in Fallujah he will resist,â swore Abedâs neighbour, Mohammad Abdu, a barber.
| When did everybody leave? |
âA great man like Saddam who governed the country with an iron hand canât be captured like a simple green grocer,â he said.
| Looked more like a bum than a self-respecting green grocer... |
âIf he truly was captured that would be the end of our hopes,â Saadi said, praising Saddamâs 23-year-rule for restoring Iraqâs âglory and her honour.â
| How's it feel to be hopeless, Bub? As for your "glory and honor," how many other Arab countries have occupying armies at the moment? Did one hell of a job, didn't he? |
Hajj Hamadeh also worried about the impact of Saddamâs capture. âI heard the news. I hope itâs false. If not, that will be a blow to our morale,â Hamadeh said before an angry young man interrupted.
| If they had fewer angry young men prone to interrupting their elders maybe they'd have that honor and glory they keep yapping about. But it's easier to holler and wave guns than it is to actually accomplish things of substance. Sammy built a regime with multi-million dollar palaces where he couldn't keep the power on 24 hours a day. In Fallujah "shoddy" seems to equate to greatness. Go figure. |
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