Baghdad

[jjwq8]

Had a visit from old friends yesterday, down from Baghdad. The picture they paint is not very encouraging.
I will summarize what they told me and they claim their views are shared by everyone they know which I suppose suggests a broad spectrum.


Anywhere that the US troops are not is calm.
There are far more "terror" incidents than are being reported.
The only ones doing well out of the current circumstances are the scalpers and the gangsters.
The areas controlled by the Brits, Poles, Ukranians etc are flourishing.
The Americans are deliberately keeping Baghdad in straits so as to better control it. To wit. there is plenty of fuel but it is needlessly rationed. There is plenty of power. Ditto. Two hours morning two hours evening, never at the same time.
The redients would rather have the old regime that maintained order than the current crap with no end in sight.

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[Steven Hauser]

Well...........

They can't have the old regime back so tell them to buck up and make tomorrow better.

Steven

[Muny]

The redients would rather have the old regime that maintained order than the current crap with no end in sight.

Bull****!

[jjwq8]

Hey,
I just recounted what they said, I didn't judge but in fairness to them, Saddam maintained order, admittedly at a horrific price, but at least it was safe on the streets.

[sdaniels7114]

I guess we'll find out soon enough if Patrick Henry's sentiment is universal: "Give me liberty or give me death." I hope it is.

The June 20 deadline is still in effect, perhaps after that the people will focus on improving their home rather than on hating us.

[jjwq8]

Steven,
I don't believe they hate you per se.
Certainly they hate the situation in which they now find themselves. You are are part of that situation and thus are a part of the general malaise.

[John Bridge]

I hate to disrupt the levity here, but there is no evidence that Patrick Henry ever said that. In fact, it's likely he never did. The only account of the incident was written many years after the fact by a guy who was not there. No one who was present in the assembly that day recalls him saying it. :)

I can understand the consternation of the Iraqis. The very same thing occurred in Viet Nam. Bad situation.

[Steven Hauser]

Jeremy,

There is no reason for them not to hate us, especially the majority who were butchered in 1991.

My only point is that the American forces are the lightening rods right now.

Don't forget the power that was wielded when Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani insisted that things were illegitemately done. This i think was a good thing.

The idea of a June caucus is losing steam. The governing council wants direct authority with 12 of 25 members being Sunni or Kurdish. Will they all get along?

The most plausible power transfer plan will be elections by late in the year.

The question to you is this. Why does the Shiite majority not help reinstiute order now and be the heroes they can be?

With a 60% majority, a wise and well respected Grand Ayatollah, the possibilities are there.

However, there are deep flaws here. If more virulent clerics take center stage and insist upon a Iran-like theocracy what do you would happen?

Second, What do you think can be done about the disgruntled Baathists?

Third, Do you believe that there are more foreign terroists creating whatever havoc they can in Iraq now?

Steven

[Steven Hauser]

John,

What are you saying, that the actual sentence was never uttered or that the address in 1775 never took place?

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/patrick.htm
Steven