In Sunni stronghold, a longing for Hussein

[Barrett808]

In Sunni stronghold, a longing for Hussein - Sentiment belies U.S. vision of postwar Iraq.
By Ken Dilanian
Inquirer Staff Writer

BAGHDAD - Omar Masood is no religious extremist from the provinces. He is a well-dressed, impeccably coiffed, university-educated 27-year-old who co-owns a computer and video business in Iraq's capital.

As he tells it, his cousin was executed for drawing a political cartoon that lampooned Saddam Hussein's regime. Yet he now calls the fallen leader a symbol of Iraqi pride and reveres the resistance fighters who kill Americans.

"Saddam Hussein made his mistakes," Masood said. "But I can justify to you most of the mistakes."

Interviews suggest many Iraqis share that view here in the Adamiya neighborhood, a Sunni Muslim stronghold where Hussein made his final public appearance in April 2003, waving to cheering crowds as U.S. tanks closed in on Baghdad. And according to national polls, most Sunnis in Iraq agree.

Their persistent support for Hussein and what he stood for is another example of how wrong U.S. policymakers were when they asserted, before the war, that Iraq was replete with moderate pragmatists who would quickly embrace a new order. The Sunni minority, which ruled Iraq from the time of the Ottoman Empire, does not seem willing to move on.

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[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Where is wolfowitz?

Is wolfowitz going to give a speech at the gop convention? Perhaps if he did he could review all of the "good" progress that has been made since out conquest of Iraq.

[The Crazy Canadian]

2. I'm surprised to still see Wolfowitz is still around.

Shouldn't someone resign for this mess. Forget getting rid of the Bush Admin in Nov.2, someone needs to pay the price of this failure now.

[daleo]

3. They will probably be handing each other medals at the Republican Conv.

The concept of shame just doesn't seem to click with this lot.