The French could have told us

[Rose Siding]

If the Pentagon and France had been speaking before the invasion, France could have told them the story, but NOoooo. Now they have to rent the flick...

Resistance is the first step towards Iraqi independence
This is the classic initial stage of guerrilla warfare against a colonial occupation

Some weeks ago, Pentagon inmates were invited to a special in-house showing of an old movie. It was the Battle of Algiers, Gillo Pontecorvo's anti-colonial classic, initially banned in France. One assumes the purpose of the screening was purely educative. The French won that battle, but lost the war.

At least the Pentagon understands that the resistance in Iraq is following a familiar anti-colonial pattern. In the movie, they would have seen acts carried out by the Algerian maquis almost half a century ago, which could have been filmed in Fallujah or Baghdad last week. Then, as now, the occupying power described all such activities as "terrorist". Then, as now, prisoners were taken and tortured, houses that harboured them or their relatives were destroyed, and repression was multiplied. In the end, the French had to withdraw.

snip>

Sooner or later, all foreign troops will have to leave Iraq. If they do not do so voluntarily, they will be driven out. Their continuing presence is a spur to violence. When Iraq's people regain control of their own destiny they will decide the internal structures and the external policies of their country. One can hope that this will combine democracy and social justice, a formula that has set Latin America alight but is greatly resented by the Empire. Meanwhile, Iraqis have one thing of which they can be proud and of which British and US citizens should be envious: an opposition.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1076532,00.html

[markses]

1. Plato told

him:he couldn't
believe it(jesus

told him;he
wouldn't believe
it)lao

tsze
certainly told
him,and general
(yes

mam)
sherman;
and even
(believe it
or

not)you
told him:i told
him;we told him
(he didn't believe it,no

sir)it took
a nipponized bit of
the old sixth

avenue
el;in the top of his head:to tell

him

[StClone]

2. "Years of Lightning,Days of Drums"

Another movie they should watch, but won't.

"Oh, but that Reagan docu-drama better fit our beliefs... we'll be watching like chicken hawks"

[julka]

3. thanks for this!

some guy on the radio tonight, John Diamond, I think, said pretty much the same thing, on Jim Warren's show.

his response to a question regarding the similarities between Iraq/VietNam, was that which you've presented here.

He mentioned Algeria and one other country as more analogous to what we're doing over there today, and after reading your post, I think it's very apt, and quite obvious, especially if you happen to be an Iraqi.

[caledesi]

4. pl - the thugs were too busy talking about "freedom fries"...

so simplistic...so unsophisticated..."Old Europe" etc.

[Aidoneus]

5. good piece

as would be expected from Tariq. :thumbsup:

[Aidoneus]

6. one more kick for the night crowd

:kick:

[Exultant Democracy]

7. Thoes that do not understand history, yada, yada, yada

If you find anyone that thinks that thing are going to work out fine in Iraq under the Bush plan, tell them that you have 70 million dollars stuck in an African bank, and all you need is a 100K one time payment to get access to it, and you would be happy to give them 7 million for their troubles.