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Related Information to Post War IraqPost War Iraq - Page 71 of 171
I don't think the US is ready to pull - Page 71 - Politics, Business, Civil, History - Posted: 12th Feb, 2005 - 2:00am
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So, now that the USA left Iraq can the country rebuild herself and become stable? Related Information to Post War Iraq
Post War Iraq - Page 71
Here are a few news items concerning the election.
https://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/fe...ml?id=110006231
The New Iraq
So much for the argument that Arabs don't want democracy.
| QUOTE |
| No one thinks that yesterday's voting means the end of the insurgency. The remnants of Saddam's intelligence services and the Saddam Fedayeen who are behind most of the terrorism can't allow self-government to take root because it means the end of their political dominance; they still must be destroyed. However, from now on the Baathist insurgents and their foreign-born allies will be attacking not American "occupiers" but a newly elected and legitimate Iraqi government. All of this certainly gives a whole new meaning to that oft-heard phrase, "the Arab street." Yesterday's election was the most openly contested vote in modern times in an Arab state and will certainly be far freer than anything we will soon see in Egypt, or Syria, or Saudi Arabia. It's hard to tell what effect this will have on the authoritarian governments in those countries, but the positive reaction in some Arab quarters was already notable yesterday. "The new Iraq is born today," declared the Al-Ittihad daily in Abu Dhabi. And the Arab News in Saudi Arabia called the vote "a much needed victory for moderation" and "a very historic moment." U.S. diplomats should now be working overtime to make sure these countries assist the fledgling Iraq assembly as it works to write a constitution and establish its credibility around the world. Now that Iraqis have voted, the new line among American critics of the Iraq war is that "elections are not democracy." Well, elections may not be sufficient for democracy but they are necessary. Everyone knows that struggle and compromises lie ahead if the new Iraq is going to succeed. But yesterday's demonstration of courage and hope by millions of Iraqis belies those cynics who say Arabs and Muslims don't want democracy. As a certain American President said recently, the spread of freedom is essential to winning the war against terrorism. Some of America's leading lights scowled and said that Mr. Bush was "over-reaching"; yesterday, millions of Iraqis offered a more eloquent rebuttal. |
https://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus....R20050131a.html
Millions of Iraqis Voted; 'Resounding Success,' Bush Says
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| "The Iraqi people themselves made this election a resounding success," he said in a statement that also included praise for the election assistance provided by the United Nations and European Union, two leading critics of the 2003 war. |
The Wall Street Journal has this to say(Membership required for link.)
| QUOTE |
| Kurdish political-party officials and several electoral commissioners responsible for the north estimated the Kurdish turnout at more than 85%. The village of Baharka said nine of every 10 registered voters cast their ballots by noon. Southern Iraqi cities, such as the Shiite religious center of Najaf, also saw extremely high turnout and celebrations in the streets. In Baghdad, where tensions ran far higher amid an ethnically mixed population, lines were thinner early but grew throughout the day. |
For an alternative view, read this:
https://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...aq_the_skeptics
Skeptics Question Worth of Iraq Election
| QUOTE |
| Is an election guarded by U.S. forces and marked by assassinations and car bombs better than no election at all? As Iraqis living abroad started casting ballots Friday, that is a divisive question, with skeptics dismissive of U.S. arguments the election could plant the seeds of democracy for the Middle East or be free and fair with American soldiers standing guard. |
Of course, some of the more active blogs have discussed this particular article in great detail:
https://powerlineblog.com/archives/009353.php
Now, if you have a particularly strong stomach, I invite you to read some of the truly hateful stuff out there. I won't quote any of it, but if you want to see what the real enemies of democracy have to say about it all, read this:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...ess=104x3029263
Oh, yes, these people are (nominally) US citizens. I just call them sick.
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Post War Iraq History & Civil Business Politics
Here is some more commentary on the overall situation in Iraq, by Thomas Sowell. This article is located on BLACKFIVE (a milblog), in its entirety.
https://www.blackfive.net/main/2005/01/media_bias.html
Bias evident in coverage of Iraq war
by Thomas Sowell
| QUOTE |
| .... First, there is the mainstream media's almost exclusive focus on American casualties in Iraq, with little or no attention to the often much larger casualties inflicted on the enemy. Since terrorists are pouring into Iraq in response to calls from international terrorist networks, the number of those killed is especially important, for these are people who will no longer be around to launch more attacks on American soil. With all the turmoil and bloodshed in Iraq, military and civilian people returning from that country are increasingly expressing amazement at the difference between what they have seen and the one-sided picture that the media present to the public here. Our media cannot even call terrorists "terrorists," but instead give these cutthroats the bland name "insurgents." You might think that these were like the Underground fighters in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. Real insurgents want to get the occupying power out of their country. But the fastest way to get Americans out of Iraq would be to do the opposite of what these "insurgents" are doing. Just by letting peace and order return, those who want to see American troops gone would speed their departure. But the real goal of the guerrillas and terrorists is to prevent democracy from arising in the Middle East. .... |
Update: I found another link to this article, making it readily available:
https://www.townhall.com/columnists/thomass...s20050125.shtml
Fourth estate or fifth column
Here is Good News from Iraq, Part 20
https://chrenkoff.blogspot.com/2005/01/good...aq-part-20.html
| QUOTE |
| It happened. And they did it. In scenes unimaginable only two years ago - and scorned as impossible, undesirable and impractical for months - millions of ordinary Iraqi men and women braved terrorist violence and came out to vote for their future government. |
It is long, but worth reading.
Finally, for some first-hand views about the election, read this article at Iraq The Model.
| QUOTE |
| What happened yesterday was an extremely significant turning point that will leave its marks on the future of the region. The world stood astounded at the sight of the masses that challenged death yesterday to plant the seed of hope in those boxes and now the enemies of the change cannot deny all that; the people have said their word clear and loud in their purple finger revolution. Why was the world surprised? And what were the motivations of the people who have never experienced democracy before? There were so many misconceptions about Iraq and these were the reasons why viewers from outside as well as many Iraqis were surprised. In the past few months, the media have played a big role in reflecting a blurred image about the will and preparations of Iraqis to hold the elections, not to mention exaggerating the size of the "militant groups" and their capabilities. |
I apologize to those people who think that the US is the source of all the world's problems, and that the Iraqi people were just peachy keen before March 2003, but the facts are coming out. The majority of the Iraqi people are happy with the thought and truth of freedom and liberty. They have a long way to go, but they are making real progress.
Edited: Nighthawk on 1st Feb, 2005 - 3:15pmInternational Level: International Guru / Political Participation: 854 85.4%
Post Date: 2nd Feb, 2005 - 5:03am / Post ID: #
NOTE: News [?]
Page 71 Iraq War Post
Dahr Jamail: What They"re Not Telling You About the "Election"
Every Iraqi I have spoken with who voted explained that they believe the National Assembly which will be formed soon will signal an end to the occupation.
Ref. https://207.44.245.159/article7940.htm
Gorbachev Calls Iraqi Elections "Fake"
In an interview with the Interfax news agency, he said the elections are "very far from what true elections are. And even though I am a supporter of elections and of the transfer of power to the people of Iraq, these elections were fake."
Ref. https://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/01/31/gorbacheviraq.shtml
Iraq War Post
Don't worry. If things were really that great in Iraq prior to the war, then they would have overwhelmingly elected Sadaam as their leader. Strangely enough, I don't believe his name showed up on any ballot.
However, I do seriously believe that there will be a civil war in Iraq. Perhaps not immediately, but in the not too distant future (10yrs or so). From the turnout in the election, it is obvious that certain groups are really embracing the idea of freedom and will consequently get a larger voice in this very tenuous new beginning. If we go back to many histories of what we call "civilized cultures" there have been civil wars. They aren't pleasant, but they do resolve internal differences. The key is that it doesn't become genocide.
Just a thought,
Vincenzo
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Post Date: 4th Feb, 2005 - 10:48am / Post ID: #
NOTE: News [?]
Post War Iraq
IRAQI TROOPS CALLED SPARSE AND UNDERTRAINED
Less than a third of the 136,004 members of Iraqi security forces that the United States and its allies have trained and equipped are ready to tackle the most challenging missions in the country, and Iraqi Army units are suffering severe troop shortages, two top Pentagon officials told a Senate panel on Thursday.
Ref. https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C1249%2C...09746%2C00.html
Post Date: 11th Feb, 2005 - 12:33pm / Post ID: #
Post War Iraq - Page 71
News
| QUOTE |
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to Iraq today, telling U.S. soldiers that it will be up to Iraqis to defeat the insurgency in their nation. "You have shown that America is in fact a land of liberators, not a land of occupiers," Rumsfeld told U.S. troops in Mosul. Meanwhile, gunmen attacked a pair of bakeries in Baghdad today, killing nine workers, Iraqi police said. |
https://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/02/11/...main/index.html
Is the United States really close to leaving Iraq? Are the people of Iraq ready to govern themselves? I have alot of questions for the U.S. Defense Secretary, it seems like the U.S. is still a long ways away from ending their occupation in Iraq.
| Message Edited! Konquererz, I felt this post was best suited for the Post War Iraq discussion that is already in progress and moved it here accordingly. Thanks! |
Edited: malexander on 11th Feb, 2005 - 1:26pmPost War Iraq Politics Business Civil & History - Page 71
I don't think the US is ready to pull out of Iraq. He was making the point that the US military is going to do less and less anti-"insurgent" work, and more training and support. It really is up to the Iraqi people to make their own way against the terrorists. We made it possible, now they have to make what they will of the situation. We will support them, but we can't do it for them. If we tried, then we really would be imperialists.
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TOPIC: Post War Iraq