Mood in Iraq sours further against Americans

[UpInArms]

http://www.iht.com/cgi-bin/generic.cgi?template=articleprint.tmplh&ArticleId=516410

excerpt:

The comments along the commercial boulevard of Outer Karada echoed those heard throughout the country in recent weeks: that the fighting in Falluja had proven the occupiers to be barbarians; that encircling Najaf to capture a rebel cleric was a step toward violating one of the holiest cities in Shiite Islam; and that the nearly three-week-old uprising - and the American failure to handle it - had essentially turned Iraq back to last summer's lawlessness.

<snip>

"The Americans will hit any family. They just don't care. Children used to wave to the American soldiers when their patrols passed by here. Two days ago, the children turned their faces away."

More than anything else, Falluja has become a galvanizing battle, a symbol around which many Iraqis rally their anticolonial sentiments. Some say the fighting there exposes the lie of American justice by showing that the world's sole superpower is ready to avenge the killings and mutilation of four American security contractors by sending Marines to shell and invade a city of 300,000 people.

<snip>

People like al-Wakeel and Hussein are the kind of middle-class Iraqis that the Americans are relying on to help them rebuild the country, with livelihoods already rooted in the principles of free-market capitalism. Yet their sense of kinship with Iraqis in Falluja, Najaf and elsewhere runs deeper than any pull toward abstract notions of democracy offered by the Americans - notions that to them appear increasingly hypocritical given the reliance of the occupiers on overwhelming force as a means to an end.

"Four American people were killed in Falluja," said Omar Farouk, 35, the owner of a convenience store next to the electronics shop where Hussein works. "Because of that, 500 people were killed in Falluja. The message of the Americans is that 'we have the power.' Iraqis will never accept that."

...more...

[thebigidea]

1. sour, huh? Aww. Guess Perle sold 'em a real lemon.

[Ripley]

4. I thought Pickles had arrived.

Naw. She hasn't even made it to Afghanistan yet to give the women make-up tips, has she?

[denverbill]

2. Hearts and minds.

Lose those, and you've lost the war.

[Bandit]

3. So does this mean no flowers?

:shrug:

[leftchick]

5. "capturing and pacifying Fallujah is essential"

I just listened to some ex-military general "so and so" on NPR's day to day show, going on and on like that. He says the MAJORITY of Iraqis want democracy and freeedom and welcome the Americans. He also said once the marines go in and pacify fallujah the rest of Iraq will be calm and follow suit. He talked like a fucking war mongering lunatic and had no clue to the reality in Iraq. :crazy:

[markus]

6. Yes, I imagine retaking the city by force

will make a big impression on other Iraqis.

Get out of line and die.

[Ripley]

7. Well, I won't presume to know what's going on...

but, I don't think "pacifying" Fallujah will have any effect, except to piss off more people and possibly kill more civilians.

One day they say they're outside agitators, foreign fighters, etc. from all over the ME. The next day they make it sound like it is an organized Army that will shut down if the leaders in Fallujah "lose."

:crazy:

[leftchick]

9. he was saying all of the "insurgents" are in Fallujah....

the man has lost it.

[Ripley]

11. BWAAAAAAAAAAA!

Did he forget about Basra, Baghdad, Kut, all the fricking major highways leading into Baghdad?

How can anyone believe anything they say?

[daleo]

8. I think this more more than just saying "we have the power"

"Four American people were killed in Falluja," said Omar Farouk, 35, the owner of a convenience store next to the electronics shop where Hussein works. "Because of that, 500 people were killed in Falluja. The message of the Americans is that 'we have the power.' Iraqis will never accept that."

I think it would be natural for Iraqis to take this as a mathematical expression of how much a U.S. life is valued over an Iraqi life, by their "liberators". With all that implies.

[Spazito]

10. Exactly!

It exposes the hypocrisy and racism inherent in the occupation, imo.

[jeanmarc]

12. June 30th is almost here!

REMAIN CALM, IRAQ!!! ALL IS WELL!!!!!!

[Algorem]

13. heard G.E. and Siemens have suspended their contracting operations

in Iraq because too dangerous.What kind of evil people are these Iraqis,stopping U.S corporate activities?(crying now)...http://money.cnn.com/2004/04/22/news/international/iraq_ge/?cnn=yes