iraqi Bloggers inside
and outside Iraq
Treasure
of Baghdad
Omar, author of “24 Steps to Liberty”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
I was for it. That was the only way for us to get rid of Saddam Hussein and
his government.
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
Frustrated.
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
It doesn’t matter now. It is in the past and we cannot achieve anything by
blaming anyone. What we need to do now is to stop whining and start doing
something about it.
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
Send the government home and bring Iyad Allawi to power again. Announce a
real emergency status in the country. Stop promising Shiites and Kurds the
biggest shares in the cake and stop kissing the Sunnis ass to play a role in
a government that is not capable of doing anything in the first place.
Appeal to the real and influential tribal leaders and bribe them to help in
controlling the mob. Execute terrorists [under any labels, like insurgents
or militias] and in public, that should include those who are making
millions by just allowing foreign fighters to cross into Iraq from
neighboring countries. Educate Iraqis on how to vote and why. Hold elections
a year after all this starts.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
My plan doesn’t include any foreigners. But we still need the U.S. forces as
our 911 call. [By the way, I said it before on my blog, TV and radio
interviews: they are pulling out VERY soon. Mark my word.]
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
Yes. It was totally worth it. Why? Because I am saying all this without
fearing any government or officials in Iraq . Although the irony here is
that I fear everyone else!
A&EIraqi, author of “I Miss Iraq”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
“Iraq will be an oasis of democracy”, this was the American promise to the
world.
I remember these few weeks before the invasion, I was living in Baghdad.
People were optimistic; they were desperate to see the moment of being free
from Saddam and his regime. They had a dream of living in a democratic free
country.
Be able to speak and travel, able to live a respectable life, to have a dish
satellite at home, and to be able to see what’s is going on in the world
were the simple hopes of most of the Iraqis.
My opinion of the situation at that”glorious” time was different, I was
worried about my country and its future, I was thinking about the “civil
war”
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
Nowadays, Iraqi people are living in a turmoil, more than half a million of
my people have been killed, thousands of Iraqi families left their houses
under threat, two million Iraqis have left the country to live somewhere
else since 2003, Iraqi universities are going to be closed because of the
lack of the staff and the loss of security .Militias are controlling the
streets and the sectarian mentality is ruling our life. Hundreds of people
are being kidnapped to be tortured and killed; everyday tens of corpses are
thrown into the streets.
These are the “American achievements” in this short period of time.
They have liberated nobody, but destroyed everything; the” oasis of
democracy” turned out to be “bloody swamp”.
Unfortunately, instead of being the beacon of democracy, my country has
become the beacon of horror
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
Still, about the violence, I blame the .U.S forces for not taking the
correct actions from the beginning , second I blame sectarianism which
motivate violence.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
I don't dare to wish a withdrawal of the invaders as I think it'll get worse
if they leave.
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
About the war, no war is worthy. This question is hard to be answered. We
can't deny that for a while people were happy and still they can't accept
going back to Saddam's days, yet they wish living their previous secure
days.
Chikitita, author of “first words, first walk,
first.... in Iraq”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq?
Basically, at the time I stopped listening to the radio. But I used to take
it with salt when radio freaks used to tell me that unlike the Clinton
strikes, which were painful and crippling but never deadly, so to speak,
this time it was serious.
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
Of course it has; it turned out George Bush was not bluffing.
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
1) Americans, for they could have stopped the chaos.
2) Iraqi politicians, whose only impetus was revenge and more revenge.
3) Iran , it is quite obvious all post February 22 incidents held Teheran
marks.
4) Clergy, Sunni and Shia, who helped fuel the violence instead of douse it.
5) Media outlets, local and Arab for same reason of 4.
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
It is now up to the Iraqis to put their differences aside and stop abusing
religion that unfortunately disrupted their unity. Politicians must try to
act like grown ups and stop running for mummy, America or Iran, whenever
things got tough. Laymen too must not be driven by politicians' devious
schemes and think of how they managed to co-exist for centuries.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
They should withdraw their troops someday but not NOW. It's stupid to do
this. Iraqi security forces cannot be trusted to this day and I believe
militias might be on Sabbath but they could get back to business any minute.
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
The fact that Saddam was toppled is fine, but the chaos that ensued has
never ceased to stir ambivalence within me.
Marshmallow, author of “It’s All About Our Life”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq?
My opinion was like any other person, I believed in that mythical story of
mass destruction weapons and thought it was the time to destroy these fatal
weapons and get rid of the whole dictatorship regime.
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
Yes, after the 2nd year of war, a gloomy impression got over my opinion and
thoughts, HOPE FADED AWAY!
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
I blame the Bush Administration and the fallacy ideas and plans they had
made about and in Iraq.
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
It is a hard question can't find any answer for it at the moment, every one
got corrupted with some issues.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
No, absolutely not at the moment...their presence are kind of helping us to
keep violence down, how come if they leave and our military still unstable?
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
It could be worth it if and only if US politicians and worldly-wise men were
as professional as Hollywood film makers , studied the ( Iraqi society,
infrastructures, hypostasis, qualities, native moods, not even thinking of
disband the Iraqi Army) very well, at that moment I would say YES!! But
unfortunately, it was not worth it.
“Truth About Iraqis”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
History began in Iraq, History will die in Iraq. The dreams of the American
Empire will be stillborn. The US military will level destruction and death.
Iraq will never be a unified state again and Iran will be the dominant force
in the Middle East. There will never be democracy in Iraq because democracy
does not ride on the coattails of an armored vehicle. The Iraqis will be
dispersed and they will come to understand their naiveté. In years to come
some will come face to face with the reality they have ignored ... I feel
sorry for them.
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
Nope.
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
The US military, the US policymakers, the Iranians, the Saudis. All have
tried to make Iraq a battleground for their ideals and policies.
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
The US military should withdraw support from the Maliki government and
support secularist, nationalist forces irrespective of their origin. A
Turkmen should be able to rule Iraq just as easily as a Shia or Sunni Arab,
Kurd or Chaldean. Nationalism should be the order of the day. Nationalism
means all Iraqis are welcome into the fold. Today we have sectarianism
bought and paid for by the Mullahs in Qum. Iyad Allawi, a former Baathist
and definitely a rogue in the best definition of the word, is sadly the best
hope for Iraq given that the US military has allowed the intellectuals to be
purged by the Iranians in Iraq. A united front between Allawi and the
resistance, both Shia and Sunni, could be one formula.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
Yes. All the talk that a US withdrawal will lead to a civil war is a moot
point because there already is a civil war. There has been since the Jaafary
government. There has been since the much-vaunted elections. Every project
the US has introduced has been corruptive and benign. Get out. You can't
beat the resistance, so stop trying. Laws of Physics dictate you will be
beaten back.
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
Yes, it was worth it because it has brought a world power to its knees, it
has shown that talk of democracy is really talk of how to plunder and
pillage, it has shown the world the ineptitude of the US military, the
ignorance of the American electorate, the corruption in the DOD, CIA, State
Department and so on. It has shown that a few hundred patriotic fighters in
sandals and robes can roll back the decay of a power-hungry zealotry.
Madeline Albright has said the war was the greatest blunder in US history.
Let us hope the American people take better responsibility with their
so-called democracy.
Zeyad, author of
“Healing Iraq”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
I was supportive of the war. I was living a meaningless life of despair
under Saddam's regime and I naiively believed that the U.S. was sincere and
had a viable plan to improve our lives and bring us "freedom and democracy."
I was mistaken, of course, and those terms only bring a wry smile to my face
now.
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
My opinion started gradually changing not long after the invasion. It was a
combination of reasons: The U.S. mishandling of the war, the destruction and
the looting, the vengeful steps taken against a large portion of the
population by both the U.S. and returning exiles, the growing insurgency,
the empowerment of Islamic fundamentalists, the establishment of a political
system based on sectarian and ethnic quotas, building security forces that
are more loyal to sectarian warlords than the state, the sectarian violence,
the huge toll on Iraqi lives, the massive and underreported refugee crisis,
the displacement and breakup of families, the division of once harmonious
communities, the mistrust between Iraqis, etc.
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
It is very popular these days to blame the victim, but I believe that
everyone shares some of the blame. The U.S., the international community,
the U.N., Iraqi politicians, power-hungry clerics, the Iraqi people, the
former regime, Iran, Saudi Arabia. Instead of assigning blame, I think it is
better to work out solutions.
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
1- The U.S. should immediately work with regional countries (including Syria
and Iran, yes) and the international community to broker an agreement
between the warring factions to find agreeable methods on sharing power,
wealth and resources. The current government can continue to operate
meanwhile as a caretaker government until such an agreement is reached.
Corrupt politicians who want to work from London or Teheran should be
relieved of their positions.
2- An unconditional amnesty should be offered for all militant groups and
militias in the country. An effective campaign to completely disarm the
population should follow immediately. Militias and paramilitary forces,
including the small private militias of politicians and religious leaders,
should be disbanded. No exceptions. No "red lines." No excuses.
3- Former Ba'athists, bureaucrats, and military officers should be pardoned
and brought back into the fold as part of a country-wide national
reconciliation effort. The Iraqi security forces that the U.S. has recruited
should be investigated thoroughly and purged. Reintroducing military
conscription could be a solution to limit the infiltration of rogue elements
that do not work for the state.
4- Then, schedule a new date for parliamentary elections with direct
international supervision. No sectarian or ethnic slates should be allowed.
No clerics should be allowed to give spiritual "blessings" for any
candidates or lists. A new constitution should be written after that.
Postpone all contentious issues until after that. No sneaky U.S.-sponsored
privatization and oil laws should be passed until that period.
5- The U.S. should clearly announce a timetable for withdrawal of its troops.
No excuses.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
The U.S. should at least set a timetable for withdrawal but not after
the above steps are made. The occupation can not go on forever, because it
is obvious that its presence is fueling further chaos and violence. Military
solutions have proven their futility.
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
It will not be readily obvious if the war was worth it or not. The toll in
lives has been enormous so far. Future generations will be scarred forever
as a result of this war, and they are the ones who are supposed to make a
change for the better.
American Bloggers
“Alive in Baghdad”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
Well, when the US invaded Iraq, I really thought it was foolish, I don't
believe in war, and I'd hoped there would be another option taken. I hoped
the international community would prevent the war from happening. Also, it
was very clear from the beginning that the reasons for the war were a lie,
they did not make any sense. I remember watching the second Gulf War in 1991
on TV when I was a kid. I also remember where I was in 1998 when Clinton
initiated the 100 hour bombing. I met an Iraqi for the first time in 1994
when I went to college and began studying Arabic. I have been interested in
learning about Iraq for as long as I can remember, which is a large part of
why I decided to start the Alive in Baghdad project. This week we are
posting an assortment of words from Iraqis for the world, on the anniversary
of the invasion.
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
My opinion about the war has not changed. It was the wrong way to help Iraq,
the wrong time, everything was wrong. However, the one thing that has
changed is my opinions about what to do next, what to do from here. I
realized we need to support Iraqis to build a broad-based coalition for
Iraq's reconciliation, reconstruction, etc. I know that the "Bring the
troops home now!" chants are not enough, too simplistic and to accurately
describing all the facets of the Iraq problem.
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
Well, first of course the insecurity was started by the coalition, which
attacked Iraq and was not properly prepared for their responsibilities under
international law to protect and secure Baghdad and the whole of Iraq. As we
can see, there were many problems that lead to the insecurities in Iraq.
Now, no one can be sure what the reasons for insecurity might be. In our
work at Alive in Baghdad we have interviewed many Iraqis, they all have
different opinions about the problems in Iraq, in daily life in Iraq. Also
we spoke with an Iraqi policeman, who has a unique perspective on the
situation, and believes they just need the proper support from the US to
establish the security. Other Iraqis want the government to assist them in
building security from the neighborhood level.
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
I think the only things that can be done to quell the violence are to build
a true reconciliation process. It seems that so far, no one has really
pushed the reconciliation process in a real way, there are too many other
options for Iraqis besides peaceful coexistence. There are the US troops to
make them play nice, there are the guns for them to kill the people they
don't like, there is Allah to tell them they are martyrs if they die for
their beliefs. Once Iraqis start to see each other again, and once the
international community makes a dedicated, honest, and true attempt to
support them in reconciling, I believe this will begin the long process of
rebuilding Iraq and ending the violence. Random violence no doubt continue
for a long time, unfortunately.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
I think the proper question is, what are the alternatives, to ensure
security and protection for most if not all Iraqis? The other proper
question is, can any of these alternatives be achieved so long as the US is
in Iraq? Unfortunately I'm worried that the US may be the only country with
the money and manpower to secure Iraq and rebuild it, but may also have
completely lost any trust or support that the Iraqi people might have
initially given them.
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
Well, if I am to say whether it was worth it to myself, or to the American
people, or to humanity as a whole, I have to say I doubt it. It’s clear that
the US intervention/invasion/war has killed more people since 2003 than
Saddam is believed to have killed in more than 30 years. The US sanctions
also killed more Iraqi children than the total number of all Iraqis Saddam
killed. It has certainly not made our country better off to waste billions
upon billions of money that could have gone to healthcare, education, AIDS
and other research, etc. Has it made Iraq better off? Do I think it was
worth it for Gabriel Asfar, my Iraqi professor? I still hoped it might be in
2005, but now I doubt Gabriel will be able to return to Iraq in his lifetime.
Was it worth it for Iraqis in general? Well that is not for me to decide, it
is for the Iraqis. I will keep working on Alive in Baghdad and we will
endeavor to enable them to continue to speak to the world of their feelings
on the war.
David, author of “Constructive Creativity”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
I had mixed feelings. I felt certain that Saddam and his sons were
profoundly evil people. I knew that Saddam had killed tens of thousands of
Iraqis, gassed to death thousands of Kurds, and brutally suppressed the Shia
in southern Iraq after the first gulf war uprising. After the U.N.
presentation on Iraqi WMD by Colin Powell, I thought that Iraq may well have
chemical and biological weapons (we all know better now!).
However, I did not think that Saddam would be stupid enough to use them
against Americans. I listened to the U.N. inspectors who were saying that
they were making progress in Iraq and needed more time. I thought why not
give them more time? Iraq did not seem an eminent and dire
threat to any other country. Also, I was wondering about Afghanistan. Osama
Bin Laden and Mullah Omar were still on the loose. I thought,shouldn't we
finish our business with the people who really attacked us?
After the bombs of "shock and awe" began to fall on Baghdad, all I could
think was that I hoped there were no civilians sitting under those huge
explosions, but I knew that there must be some. I hoped that the military
campaign would be short and that the death toll would be small. When the war
began, I really didn't have much understanding of the social dynamics within
Iraq (neither did Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld!). There was no inkling in my mind of
the possibility of sectarian violence or
civil war. I never imagined, that Iraq could become a worse place to live
with Saddam gone!
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
After four years, I certainly have a much different perspective. The lies
and manipulations of the Bush administration, that enabled their rush to war
in Iraq, are now public knowledge. More significantly,
though, in the past three years I have become friends with a number of Iraqi
bloggers who have really opened my eyes to the true costs of this war for
the Iraqi people.
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
Ultimately, Bush is responsible, but I have always perceived him as little
more than a puppet. Cheney has been more or less the power behind the throne
from the start of the Bush Presidency, so a lot of the blame must rest
squarely on his shoulders. The absolute incompetence of Rumsfeld, who
thought he could have a war on the cheap, under-manned and under-funded, is
blatantly obvious now. The abject failure of the administration to produce
any sort of plan to keep the peace after their "Mission Accomplished"
celebration, led first to the looting of Baghdad, next to the rise of the
insurgency, and finally to the horrific sectarian violence prevalent today.
The biggest single mistake was probably the disbanding of the Iraqi police
and military forces. No doubt some were hard core Saddamists, but I think
that most of them were just trying to support their families. I certainly
don't think that all the violence and death of the past four years could
have been prevented, but I do think it could have been dramatically reduced
with better planning and competent leadership.
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
I strongly believe that any potential solution to the violence must come
through dialog among the Iraqi people themselves. I also think that Iran,
Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia should be involved in the
discussions. These countries all have interests in Iraq and will suffer if
the violence there escalates. I don't think that the current surge of
American troops within Iraq will have any lasting beneficial effect. These
troops will probably reduce the violence in the short term, but they are
like putting a heavier lid on a boiling pot (to paraphrase some recent
remarks by Colin Powell). The pot is still boiling, and when the lid is
lifted, it may well boil over.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
I think the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces would be a very bad
idea. There are millions of vulnerable civilians whose lives could be placed
in jeopardy, were that to happen. However, I do not have any objection to a
planned and publicized timetable for the reduction of U.S. forces, or to a
deadline for the withdrawal of all forces. I think that setting a schedule
with hard deadlines, combined with intensive political dialog and diplomacy
between all Iraqi parties and neighboring countries, would be conducive to
crystallizing the thoughts of the major players and forcing them to make the
hard compromises needed to reduce the violence and rebuild a civil society.
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
No, absolutely not! The war has cost the lives of at least half a million
Iraqi people. How many more have been severely injured or maimed for life?
How many people have been psychologically scarred by the loss of loved ones,
by the loss of their homes, by the loss of their sense of security, or by
the loss of their livelihoods? What about the women of Iraq? They are now
losing many of the freedoms they have known for decades. More than 3000
American soldiers are dead, and at least 20,000 more have been seriously
injured or disabled. America has lost much of the worldwide respect that it
enjoyed prior to the war. The so called "war on terrorism" has created many
times more new terrorists than have
been killed. America has wasted more than 300 billion dollars on this
misadventure which it did not have to spend. Bush cut the taxes of all
Americans, but especially those of the super rich. The money to fund his war
was borrowed mostly from China and Saudi Arabia, who are the biggest buyers
of U.S. Treasury Bills. Now, that just doesn't seem like a very sound fiscal
or strategic policy to me!
“Electronic Iraq”
- What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
For years prior to the invasion, I had been active in organizing to end
the economic sanctions against Iraq. One thing that had become clear from my
visits to Iraq between 1998 and 2001 was that the sanctions, which had
crippled Iraq so badly, had only served to strengthen Saddam Hussein's grip
on power through the inevitable dependencies - rations, employment, health
care - that emerged in a climate of forced deprivation.
The model of US foreign policy in Iraq throughout the 90's, whether
intentional or not, was damn the population and embolden the dictator. That
was also the policy model throughout the 80s. That policy model had survived
Democratic and Republican administrations alike.
Did I want to see Saddam Hussein gone? Of course. I wanted to visit my Iraqi
friends in their homes without drawing the attention of the secret police. I
wanted to see my professor friends get jobs again and my artist friends
create whatever they wanted and thrive and I wanted to see my engineer
friends back doing what they loved: building Iraq.
But, as an American friend put it at the time: Iraq needs surgery, sure, but
America is not a fit surgeon.
- It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed
since then? Why?
My opinion that America was an unfit surgeon? No. It was reinforced by a
visit to Iraq two weeks after American troops rumbled and shot their way
into Baghdad. I talked to the soldiers. They were kind and helpful and, in
many cases, well-meaning. But they knew nothing of the moral and political
dimensions of occupation. And they knew nothing of Iraq or the Middle East
or the complex history of American foreign policy in the region.
- Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
Just as the insecurity in Iraq has multiple layers, there are multiple
layers of responsibility. The US bears responsibility of course. Much as
American politicians have now framed the US role in Iraq as "policing a
civil war," in fact our role has not been so benign. Occupation forces the
occupied to take sides for or against the occupying power. The occupying
power inevitably favors some groups over others. Occupation is a divisive
force and without question led to the deepening of sectarian and other
divisions in the country.
Beyond the responsibility the US bears, there is of course the
responsibility of the various factions and militias committing terrible acts.
I would rather see the question reframed: who can we look to for a new model
of action that seeks to build trust and unity. My answer? We should support
any Iraqi individuals or organizations taking risks to forge creative and
constructive models. This is surely happening in Baghdad and among refugees
in Jordan and Syria and elsewhere, and the risks are as high as the stakes.
In Baghdad, there are numerous stories of cooperation and collective
positive action - they are small and largely go unreported, but they are
there. In Jordan, Iraqis who have fled the violence have formed an Iraqi
refugee council that crosses sectarian and class lines. It is a very new
experiment, but it is hopeful.
- Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or
not? Why?
I think the withdrawal question is important. But I worry that the
"should we stay or should we go" debate in the US has completely
overshadowed an equally important question: what does America owe Iraq?
We have given Iraq house raids, detention facilities, acute childhood
malnutrition, cluster bombs, traffic jams, mercenaries and blast walls. What
else can we give to Iraq? I believe some form of withdrawal will happen.
Then what? Americans aren't thinking of this. What can Americans do as
individuals? What can Americans push their political leadership to do? What
are the models? What are the precedents?
These are the questions we need to be wrestling with.
Maiestaad, author of “Make a Desert and Call It Peace”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
I knew this was a huge, huge mistake, and I also realized that the
administration that I suspected had been gunning for Iraq since 2000 was
going to prevail, and under the banner of "terrorism." Taking into account
that it was obvious that Iraq that had nothing to do with Afghanistan and
bin Laden, and that it was doubtful that it had any meaningful arsenal left
after the devastating Gulf War and sanctions, I realized that the
administration had really no clue. NO CLUE! They obviously didn't believe
the Syrian Ambassador, no friend of Saddam Hussein's, when he stated "you
will open the gates of hell." However, I did believe him. Because I knew
what had happened in the Balkans after Tito died (a strongman who held
together a country with three separate and historically warring factions),
and there was no viable alternative than partisans with a deadly grudge; I
knew that Iran would probably be incredibly happy at the prospect of Iraq
collapsing; I knew that the Iraqi resistance would not go down, if at all,
without a big fight; I knew that the Shi'ites and the Kurds would not trust
the administration of a son of a former president that hung them out to dry
in 1991. I also knew that any administration that prides itself as not being
tied to history, and deplores intellectualism, and fueled itself entirely on
ideology was going to get itself into one big heap of trouble. And, I'm
very, very sad to say that I was right.
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
No, I'm just profoundly depressed.
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
Overall—the United States. Specifically, Paul Bremer, the guy who brought
you "de-Bathification," the billion-dollar American Embassy, the debacle of
the Green Zone, which sets such great example, i.e. U.S. occupiers living
where Saddam did, and with electricity 24/7, when the average Iraqi prays
that the power will be on for three hours a day. Oh, and did I mention
propping up a government that won't/can't rein-in its death squads? And
seems powerless to protect its people against insurgents?
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
This is such a difficult problem with no easy answers. Anyone who says "oh,
a surge!" or whatever, obviously needs 100 whacks from a hammer rather than
just one to learn this lesson. It will take negotiations with surrounding
countries, negotiations within the competing factions within Iraq, and jobs,
jobs and more jobs. Not to mention incentives for putting down weapons and
picking up the tools for rebuilding. There is no, and I repeat no, military
answer to this problem. Any military or social historian will tell you that
an insurgency is put down by one of two methods : complete annihilation of
the combatants and the populations who support them, or negotiations.
Obviously, no civil society will choose the former, although it might choose
itself if the violence escalates and retaliation becomes even more
widespread and lethal.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
It doesn't matter what I think. It only matters what the Iraqi people think.
It's their country. Something everyone, on both sides of this argument,
seems to have forgotten. And I mean the Iraqi people, not their "government"
hiding out in the Green Zone. I think there should be a referendum on
whether the U.S. and others should leave. You know, DEMOCRACY at work!
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
Again, I know what I feel (no, it was not), but how I feel doesn't matter.
I'm not the one who is paying for this war in blood. I think the only people
who are qualified, and morally in the right, to answer this are the Iraqi
people. Outside of the Kurds, I believe the answer is probably "no" from
most Iraqis too (although I don't presume to speak for them). There is a
saying that "the devil you know is better than the one you don't know."
Well, we certainly were the unknown "devil" in the sense that we, the U.S.,
destabilized the average Iraqi's life in ways that most Americans will never
know or fully appreciate.
"Poor Sancho"
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
I was not in favor of the invasion to begin with, but I must admit to not
being against the invasion. I was of the opinion that the decision has been
made, we are going to war so you may as well pray for success and hopefully
it will be over fast and to everyone’s benefit, Iraq and the United States,
the latter being my country.
I also have memories of heated discussions with people concerning the
invasion, but most people I know simply hate President Bush and cannot have
an intelligent argument unless it has to do with America bashing or Bush
bashing. There is no discussing specifics. This I have no time for and as a
result act in a very defensive, negative bullying style that makes me sound
conservative and a supporter of the war and the President, of which I
support neither.
I HONESTLY believed that my country would not go invade another country,
topple its government and install another without a well thought out plan. I
mean, we have been dealing with this country since the first Gulf War.
Surely we know the lay of the land, the major players. Why didn’t I notice
that there was pretty much one voice for Iraq outside Iraq, and it was this
guy Ahmed Chalabi. How could I have missed that he had not been in Iraq in,
say, 20 years or more? And he speaks for the Iraq people and knows what it
will be like when we go in? But then I also believed Mohamed El-Baradai and
Hans Blix that the case for WMD was shaky. I guess I tried to believe it all
and none at the same time.
I spent too much time on the fence, and my balls got busted.
Before the Gulf War of 1991, the U.S. Congress at least had an honest debate
about going to war. At that point we were only 16 years removed from the
ignominious retreat from Saigon. I was in college afraid of being drafted
and can remember vividly thinking ?I don’t want to go bleed all over the
desert in some far away land so we can have cheaper oil and to put a KING, a
KING mind you back on his throne. Didn’t we fight a war to put an end to
that type of tyrannical rule?
The strangest part is that back then in 91 it seemed more real, as if it
were affecting me personally. In 2002/03 they tried selling the Iraq 9-11
connection as a big reason and I didn’t buy it, yet still was silent. Was I
asleep? Am I that stupid? My first reaction is yes, I was. But I also get
annoyed at people who were so smart; they knew exactly what was going to
happen.
I am ashamed of myself. I never considered just exactly what it means to
unleash the Dogs War.
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
Yes. My opinion has changed with respect to the United States and its
ability to effect change in the world, to help out other countries. How can
we help those poor people in the Sudan when the full weight of the U.S.
military cannot even keep the power on in Baghdad?
I can remember having a conversation about the war and its aftermath. I
remember saying they will bring every able bodied Military Policeman, as
well as International Police, the kind that are trained go in to post
conflict areas and help keep the peace. How can I support people who didn’t
even have that sense of forethought, when a slacking kid like me did? How
can I support and have confidence in the very same people that caused this
out of control situation?
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
I put the blame squarely on the United States. The day the Saddam statue
fell in Firdos Square, the United States under international treaties the
U.S. is signature to, became the government of Iraq and from that day was
sole entity responsible for the safety and security of the people of Iraq.
Therefore, if there were peace and stability the U.S. would have been
responsible for the success and all the credit due accordingly.
Unfortunately the opposite conditions exist in Iraq, where death and murder
and sorrow accompany every muezzin?s call to prayer.
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
I do not personally know any people from Iraq. I am in contact with one
blogger from Iraq who currently is studying in the United States and I
personally know only one person that has been to Iraq and he is an American
reporter and therefore I am reluctant to make recommendations on what should
be done in Iraq.
Until the people have confidence in the government to provide security the
violence will continue. And what level of security would be acceptable to
the Iraqi’s I have no idea. I know if it were my country I would want 0 car
bombs and no drill hole corpses any more. I would want to be able to send my
children to school and know that the cops on the street will make sure the
street is safe enough for them to walk alone without fear of a stray ball
bearing severing her artery because some young man feels so strongly in his
position to strap a vest of plastic explosives lined with ball bearings and
set it off at the entrance to a university. Why should anyone expect any
less than that?
The people must also feel that their government of Iraqi’s is in control of
their country, not a foreign ignorant occupier.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
No, I do not think the U.S. should withdraw its combat forces now. Having
invaded and occupied Iraq, creating chaos and death on an unimaginable scale
only to leave these conditions behind while not at least trying to help make
it better, albeit late, the U.S. has an obligation to stay.
Again, this is difficult for me to make recommendations as I am so far
removed from the situation, and we have the President to thank for this as
he never asked anything of the American people. Wait, he asked loyal
republicans who never had a passport to go to Iraq and create zip codes. ZIP
CODES!
But I digress. Is the U.S. presence in Iraq only making it worse and if we
simply left all the drill-holed bodies would stop showing up in the morgue?
If we left would that mean the Sunni woman could go look for her dead
husband at the Shiite morgue without fear of being raped? Will the Shiite
pilgrims mourning Imam Hussain ibn Ali feel safe to walk with piety to
Karbala without fear of being burned beyond recognition?
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
No. All for one man? That guy in the rat hole who needed his teeth
brushed? That guy? All those dead people for THAT GUY? An orgy of death and
destruction on a scale rarely seen. As an American I am complicit and feel
ashamed at what we did to the peace loving people of Iraq.
RhusLancia, contributor in “Iraqi Bloggers Central”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
I was against the invasion up until it happened. I felt that Saddam's time
was up, but I was hoping for a diplomatic solution to save the day, or that
he would take the exile deal that was offered to him.
It has been four years since the invasion. Has youropinion changed since
then? Why?
Yes, I'd say it has. I was much more "on the fence" about Iraq at first. The
more I learn about Iraq under Saddam and the more I see its current
struggles, the more I hope it can pull through and become
stable and prosperous. I only see that happening if the US & Iraqi gov't
side "wins" though, which is the side I've taken.
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
Everyone. I blame Saddam for so brutalizing Iraqis that they have
deep-rooted insecurities that could take years to shed. I blame the
Baathists for preferring to burn Iraq and ally themselves with terrorists
instead of see it exist under different leadership. I blame the terrorists
for terrorizing. I blame the antiwar movement for sympathizing with the
Baathists and terrorists out of irrational hatred for the American
government and recycled slogans from 1991 and 1967. I blame the exiles who
wanted to be the next Saddam in Iraq instead of the first Jefferson (sans
slave ownership of course). I blame the
religious leadership of Iraq and the region who believe(d) inciting violence
and sowing discord were their divine duties. I blame the people who answered
their calls. I blame every terrorist cell/insurgent group/militia/gang who
murdered, extorted, destroyed, and intimidated to try to reach their goals.
I blame the US effort which had approached planning with only the "best-case"
scenarios under advisement and who had been so slow to understand the
challenges and respond to them. I blame the public for not knowing or not
caring about what is happening in Iraq. I blame the media for showing mostly
the worst of the situation, which encourages those who would destroy Iraq
and discourages those who would build it. I blame myself for waiting until
just a few weeks ago to write my congressman for the first time ever, and
for staying here in America safe & sound while others decide Iraq's future.
But Iraq says they don't want me, and I know my wife & kids do!
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
In general terms, I think the Iraqis need to get behind their government. I
know the government has been disappointing to most, but for now that is what
Iraq has. Look at the US government though. No
matter where you stand politically, you can find reasons to be disappointed
in our government. Still, Americans are not killing each other over
political differences or disappointment. Some might like to,
but nobody is.
I have two ideas for getting Iraqis behind their government. The first I've
discussed in your comments, but I think the second may be new.
First, what I call the RhusLancia Plan for Practice Makes Perfect Democracy
(RLPfPMPD). Basically, hold new elections as early as the end of this year
and hold elections every two years for a period of time (a decade, for
example) and then revert to a four year cycle. The gist of this plan is to
let Iraqis choose a new government that is more representative of their
hopes and priorities. Now that Iraqis have had
some time to see the performance of the parties and politicians they can
make more informed choices about who they want to elect. Holding elections
every two years for a time would allow greater accountability of the
politicians and let them and the electorate mature more quickly, in my
opinion. Here are two important details: a) Maliki should call the election
before any coup or no-confidence vote happens. He should announce it as a
voluntary, positive way to move Iraq forward b) Maliki and the existing
parties would be allowed to run. In short, the RLPfPMPD gives Iraqis a way
to elect a government they could get behind. Plus, remember what a triumph
the elections were, and how glad
the Iraqis were about them? Vote, dip finger, smile, repeat.
Second, I don't have a name for this plan (suggestions, anyone?), but it has
to do with getting the Iraqis behind their government at our expense. No, I
don't mean with violence or bribes! I mean that the battle for Iraqi hearts
and minds is pretty much lost. Many of the Iraqi bloggers I know of have
turned against the US-led invasion (if they were "for" it to begin with) and
most Iraqi polls want us out or dead. There seems to be an alarming number
of Iraqis who can forgive or ignore horrific violence from their countrymen
and jihadi allies as long as the US "occupier" gets his, too. A BBC4
documentary BT posted
not too long ago had a scene with a Sadr City cleric teaching a group of
young children. "No no no to America" he would say. "No no no to America"
they would repeat. Educating a new generation. It may take decades for
Iraqis to say they are glad we pulled the plug on Saddam. My dreams for a
Disneyland to be built in Babylon have been postponed indefinitely.
So what to do? Advance governance and security by the current government as
a viable alternative for Iraqis (i.e. instead of insurgents, militias, or
gangs). For example, al-Sadr recently called on his supporters to resist
America in Sadr City. Initially I thought, what? Does he want a third
round?? But no, he said "peacefully" this time. So they gathered for a
peaceful demonstration, and that is
great. They could have thousands of people every day protesting peacefully
in Sadr City to get the Americans out. The gov't would enter to negotiate.
In exchange for withdrawing US forces from Sadr
City, they could dismantle the JAM and consent to letting the ISF provide
security. The clerics, in a show of defiance to the Americans, could urge
their supporters to not only cooperate, but to cooperate enthusiastically.
No violence, hand over weapons, no death squads, etc. That would show us!
Yes, a similar thing was tried after Fallujah I with the disastrous "Fallujah
Brigade", but maybe Iraq has learned its lesson and has a matured enough
since then.
We also need the Iraqi parliament to vote us in our out, which is somewhat
related.
Getting behind the Iraqi government could finally allow Iraq to move forward
as one nation and achieve the peace and prosperity they've been denied for
so long.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
No. I believe Iraq's chaos would escalate into an even more horrific scale
if we left before the government is stable and the ISF can provide security.
I believe it is in the interest of the United States
to stay for both national security and moral reasons.
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
I don't know, it depends on how it turns out. If we leave too soon and Iraq
plunges into a deeper civil war for many years, with some new tyrant or
radical in the lead when the blood dries... then no, it won't be worth it.
If Iraq stabilizes and a just society & government emerges then yes, it will
be worth it.
“The Sam and BeckyBoo Show” summed up his/her opinion here.
“The Real Ugly American”
What was your opinion when the US decided to invade Iraq in 2003?
I was for it regardless of WMD and said so publicly. Saddam was an evil man
and removing him from power was a good thing.
It has been four years since the invasion. Has your opinion changed since
then? Why?
No. I was for the war then, and I am for the war now. Many people say Iraqis
are not ready for democracy, or their society is too violent and we should
have expected things to turn out the way they have. I believe Iraqis are
like Americans and only want to live in peace and safety and have a hope for
the future for their children. I believe they deserve this as much as
anyone. I think war is always bloody and things nearly always get worse
before they get better.
Whom do you blame for the insecurity in Iraq? Why?
There is plenty of blame to go around but the primary blame must lay with
the insurgents, terrorists, militias and criminals who are benefiting from
the violence. Iraqi politicians who are putting their partisan and sectarian
interests ahead of their country, bad decisions by US commanders, and
interference from Iran and Syria and the shameful failure of the rest of the
free world to lift a finger to help Iraq has also contributed to the current
state of affairs.
What do you think should be done to quell the violence there?
Patience, time and the will to persevere and win. Without it Iraq is doomed
to chaos for a very very long time. Someone has to be willing to fight for
the future of Iraq. The aforementioned militias and organized criminals
certainly will continue to fight. If no one fights back the people
committing the car bombings, suicide bombings and other violence will surely
win. The current reinforcement of troops to Baghdad and recent change of
commanders and strategy seem to be having a positive effect but it is far
too soon to tell. I think killing Muqtada Al Sadr would go a very long way
to making Iraq a better place and it should have happened years ago.
Do you think the US should withdraw its forces from Iraq now or not? Why?
No I do not. Either the US stands for freedom in the world or it does not. I
still believe it does and it is our responsibility to stay in Iraq and help
the Iraqi people realize some version of the dream we have here.
Do you think the war was worth it? Why?
Yes. Fighting for freedom is always worth it. Saddam is removed from power;
he and his sons are dead. Punished for their crimes and will never kill or
torture anyone else again. Al-Zarqawi is dead as are thousands more like him
and that is a good thing. Iraq may be in turmoil now but Iraqis have a
chance at a better future today that they didn’t have before the war and
never would have had without it. There are no guarantees; it is up to Iraqis
more than anyone else to secure their future.
by Treasure of Baghdad
Interviews
