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Iran
Daily hopes Iraqis will establish an Islamic Republic
2003-04-20
IRNA -- Current incidents in the war-battered Iraqi nation suggests that the Iraqi people have taken the first step to establish a fledgling Islamic Republic in their country, noted `Kayhan International' in its Viewpoint column on Sunday. The unprecedented turnout of Iraqis at Friday's congregational prayers in Baghdad, Basra, Kut, Karbala, Najaf and a number of other cities in the war-torn nation reveals a "most striking contrast" between what the American troops have tried to make out by calling themselves "liberators" and what the absolute majority of Iraqi citizens wish for through their shouts of protest, highlighted the English-language daily.
Either that, or that Iraqis are no different from any other Arabs, or, indeed, any other large group of people. Half of everyone you'll ever meet will be below average. Many of them will attend mosques.
Interestingly, just a few days before Iraq was bombed by the coalition forces, the Guardian daily of London quoted a US State Department expert on March 15 as saying that the "US government can't insist on democratizing political systems in the Middle East since, present circumstances indicate that if people in the region were offered an alternative form of government, fundamentalists and those believing in an Islamic government would definitely be their final choice, the daily noted.

Al-Guardian was indulging in false literalism to buttress its point against U.S. involvement — "it's impossible, so don't even bother." "Democracy" consists of something more than merely voting, a point Pakistan has never caught onto. I think what we have in mind is something that will guarantee individual liberties — freedom to mouth off; freedom to criticize each other; freedom to be a Shiite, a Sunni, a Christian, or nothing at all; freedom from capricious abuse by the powers that be, all those things that we on these pages would rightly clarify as libertarianism.

Only if those rights — pretty much all of the U.S. Bill of Rights — is embedded in their governmental structure, will they be a "democracy." The idea of leaders appointed by God and accountable only to him is something that went out shortly after Louis XIV ran out of money to pay his tailor.
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#10  I support Pres. Bush as a Republican although I do have my worries about what his real thoughts are about the Sauds. I found out the Sauds are DEEP into Western societies and it GREATLY concerns me. Don't believe me? Do a google search on strattons+saud! The historical associations between (believe it or not) supposedly 'good' American citizens with Nazi backgrounds also concerns me.
Has the world always been so f'd up?
How long has this war between freedom and Islam gone on now? Damnable bastards; how can I, as a Christian, keep from hating their guts?
If they attack USA again, en masse, how will I keep my blood from boiling over?
I predict Anti-war.com arrest coming up: good f you traitor Justin.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-10-1 1:45:05 PM  

#9  liberalhawk- Yes. Dogmatic. Narrow. Yes.
I don't subscribe to any of them - just a different label on who's doing the looting. You ARE overly sensitive. Stay on topic instead of looking for a fight. I live and work in Saudi Arabia and can handle your narrow ass anytime regard M.E. issues. It isn't Pubs vs. Dems outside of the USofA - no one out here phreakin' cares. No, I didn't vote for him... OR Gore. Both sucked, IMHO. YOU are the one with the local focus, else you wouldn't have gone out of your way to attack OP over such a MINOR infraction of YOUR perceived ruleset.

His comment regards Gen-X is spot-on and the weenies in the streets who did not have Clue One regards Iraq were, by and large, Dems looking to demonize Bush. And they are total tools and primo fools. If you're not one of them, then kudos to you. If you are, fuck off.

The BIG Picture is simple: Western Freedom vs. Islamic Dogma. You can slice it up any way that suits you and isolate patches here and there to argue the fine points, but that is the real issue - and will be for the next 20+ yrs. The Bush Admin "gets it" more or less. For that small favor, I thank them and support the Iraq actions and the US & UK troops.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-04-22 00:00:36  

#8  PD -

Dummycheat? Democrud? Pussy? And you call me "narrow and dogmatic"?

There are plenty of places on the net to vent your partisanship. This is one of the few that presents a summarized intel brief, available for comments, on military and strategic issues in the WOT.

I would only remind you that Joe Lieberman and others were focused on these issues at a time when they were not of great concern to most Republicans. You ever hear of Ken Pollack, who wrote the definitive book on the reasons to invade Iraq - he too is a Democrat.

If OP was talking about the Stalinists of ANSWER, why refer to Democrats - the Stalinists have had it in for the Democrats since 1948.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-04-21 08:31:49  

#7  On Topic (remember the topic?)-
Fred: You're too generous - the Shia are the rousers here and they claim their power by right of being descendents of Big Mo. So they aren't appointed by God (OR Gawd), but by thin little strands of DNA and large dollops of records-fixing several hundred years ago... As for some weenie from Foggy Bottom being quoted, only the Guardian (and its ilk) would think that made some difference. The Foreign Service boys are at the bottom of the current pecking order - and you can bet that they hold no (read: zero) sway with the Bushies. Whether that's good or bad is in the eye of the beholder.

Re: Off-Topic Rantomania against OP:
With apologiers in advance to Dcreeper, who writes in complete sentences and OBVIOUSLY has his shit wired tight - and a hat tip to his excellent observation regards faculty burnouts...

OP's observations re dummycheats is definitely a bit broad, and apologies to those in Gen-X with their heads screwed on straight is due, but there IS truth in there, like it or not. Today's crop regularly makes headlines as the bunch that can't find their own asses on a map and score so low, relative to other countries in general knowledge, as to make them prime candidates for vegetable substitutes.

In addition, and I have no doubt that this point is part of what OP was referring to, they and their burnout parents were the tools of the ANSWER crowd in the demonstrations and missed every point regards Iraq. He was, I believe, referring toa host of self-absorbed fools who thought that it was about War for OIL or US Imperialism - or any number of other demonstrably false signage paraded in front of the cameras.

liberalhawk: As for your assetion that OP's comment was off-topic (I disagree) and really about local US Publican - Democrud politics, it's more than obvious that you're WAY too sensitive - and getting your shorts in a bunch over it rather indicates you can't handle it well - calling upon the Moderator Gods to save you. Gawd, what a pussy. So do the vice versa squeel in those other blogs - apparently your view of the world is too narrow and dogmatic to encompass thoughts of a differing variety - or too far afield..
Posted by: PD   2003-04-21 08:01:22  

#6  OP - Your assessment is 35 years off - the students of 35 years ago are the administrators and teachers of today.
Posted by: Jeff Brokaw   2003-04-21 07:07:00  

#5  OP- I am a student a Drexel(Philadelphia engineering/comp school), of everyone I know here, only one is an idiotic lefty, everything I've read has indicated it is the professors are lacking a rational compass and largely the students have rejected their bs.. so uh..thanx for the class generalization there, much appreciated.. made me feel all warm and tingly inside…


http://drexelobj.org/
Posted by: Dcreeper   2003-04-21 00:09:42  

#4  OP - Im getting a little tired of gratuitous domestic remarks on international affairs threads. I guess the if the blog owners dont mind theres nothing i can do about it, but it sure dont improve the blog. Theres plenty of other places where Republicans can rant about Democrats, and vice versa.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2003-04-20 22:41:51  

#3  AP... unfortunately, that last word, "responsibility", is found missing in most of today's "Liberal" dummycheats. Personal responsibility is the flip-side of personal freedom. Too few understand that. Wouldn't it be ironic if we actually got that message across to the Iraqis, when so many of today's "college class" can't get it?
Posted by: Old Patriot   2003-04-20 20:40:11  

#2  If we allow any more "Islamic Republics" to take hold, anywhere, this entire effort is a waste.
Posted by: Dave D.   2003-04-20 20:36:02  

#1  Freedom and responsibility---too words that are missing in the basic tenants of existing Middle Eastern governments.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2003-04-20 20:20:19  

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