Sunday, May 04, 2003
They are not all coming back alive, are they George.
Do you remember when our illustrious president gave Saddam" 48 hours to get out of town"? Some in Iraq have taken that same view of our soldiers in Iraq.
Last week week, over a dozen local Iraqi's were killed by U.S.-led troops, in the western town of Falluja. The town is calm for the moment as calls from some local religious leaders are vehement about the ouster of the military forces.
According to the locals. "This area never had any looting," said Salih Ahmed. "Everyone here knows everyone else and we live very quietly, so why are the Americans here? We don't need them"
"The people here are not part of any organization, but this area is very tribal and it's very opposed to the American troops being here in our district," said Mustafa Munem, one of a group of men discussing the situation on a street corner. Here is the part where it looks like they took a page out of the "George Bush Book of Diplomacy" and said "We have given the Americans a warning to go and gave them three days to leave Falluja." Sounds like Bush, doesn't it ? "You have 36 hours to get out of town " "Now git!"
According to UPI, the military has attempted to use the local cleric to ask for calm. As he spoke to a reporter, a U.S. Army Humvee drove down the main street of the town -- located just about an hour from Baghdad's city center -- and warned the people not to attack the Americans or throw stones. Overhead, Apache attacks helicopters and two OH-06 observation helicopters armed with chain-guns and rockets hovered within 50 yards of the crowd tracking their movements in anticipation of any trouble.
Several people said that the local cleric's calls for cooperation with the U.S. forces would be ignored. I don't think that cleric has much of a future there anymore, he may want to try for assylum.
"This sheikh is a coward, he is for America," said Mohammed, an older townsperson. "The true Muslim sheikh's have told us to fight the Americans. If they do not leave we will drive them out."
"This is democracy?" snarled one man to a reporter. "Is this liberation? This war was not against Saddam; it was for Israel and for oil. Bush is a cowboy and a criminal." Imagine, those people figured what Bush is, and many people in this country, don't have a clue. "We know the American and British people are good people, but they have been lied to by these criminals." "We will drive them out." I am glad that at least those Iraqis understand that not all of us are like Bush and his coalition of the uncaring.
When Mohammed, was asked by a reporter how the Americans would be forced to leave, he turned even grimmer. "Watch," he said. Sounds ominous, but I don't think they will evict the American troops. I do believe however, that there will be violence for a while. One grenade was thrown at a number of Coalition soldiers and it wounded seven Americans last week..
Nearly a dozen interviews by reporters echoed these sentiments of the Iraqis. The battle for the hearts and minds of Falluja seems to have been lost in a the deadly American gunfire earlier in the week.
Throughout the numerous Mosques, calls to prayer and sermons to the faithful included calls to oppose the Americans. Reporters did not hear any calls for cooperation. Friday noon sermons are typically the most important and political in the Muslim world. Locals continue displaying the weapons they have been stockpiling for use against the Americans to a reporter, including RPGs, AK-47s and grenades. Locals warned foreigners not be in the town on Sunday night, when a operation by some militants opponents of the occupation could be planned.
I read the reports from both sides of the skirmish that started all of this, and it seems like there were probably some Iraqi's shooting their guns in the air. They may or may have not been aiming the guns at the soldiers. None the less. 17 civilians were killed and many others were wounded. Seven Americans were wounded in a grenade attack afterwards. Sounds like a typical scenario from the West Bank.
Dear Georgie Boy,
During your major photo op on the deck of the aircraft carrier yesterday, you received a lot of applause from the carrier's sailors for bringing them back home. You didn't mention that many soldiers will not be coming home right away. The majority of our soldiers will remain there a while. Some will be coming home in body bags. However, in your defense, as you stood there, grinning from ear to ear on that deck with your presidential locks waving in the sea breeze, you didn't mention how, some were going to come back, did you Georgie Boy.
Sources Cited:
United Press International
Do you remember when our illustrious president gave Saddam" 48 hours to get out of town"? Some in Iraq have taken that same view of our soldiers in Iraq.
Last week week, over a dozen local Iraqi's were killed by U.S.-led troops, in the western town of Falluja. The town is calm for the moment as calls from some local religious leaders are vehement about the ouster of the military forces.
According to the locals. "This area never had any looting," said Salih Ahmed. "Everyone here knows everyone else and we live very quietly, so why are the Americans here? We don't need them"
"The people here are not part of any organization, but this area is very tribal and it's very opposed to the American troops being here in our district," said Mustafa Munem, one of a group of men discussing the situation on a street corner. Here is the part where it looks like they took a page out of the "George Bush Book of Diplomacy" and said "We have given the Americans a warning to go and gave them three days to leave Falluja." Sounds like Bush, doesn't it ? "You have 36 hours to get out of town " "Now git!"
According to UPI, the military has attempted to use the local cleric to ask for calm. As he spoke to a reporter, a U.S. Army Humvee drove down the main street of the town -- located just about an hour from Baghdad's city center -- and warned the people not to attack the Americans or throw stones. Overhead, Apache attacks helicopters and two OH-06 observation helicopters armed with chain-guns and rockets hovered within 50 yards of the crowd tracking their movements in anticipation of any trouble.
Several people said that the local cleric's calls for cooperation with the U.S. forces would be ignored. I don't think that cleric has much of a future there anymore, he may want to try for assylum.
"This sheikh is a coward, he is for America," said Mohammed, an older townsperson. "The true Muslim sheikh's have told us to fight the Americans. If they do not leave we will drive them out."
"This is democracy?" snarled one man to a reporter. "Is this liberation? This war was not against Saddam; it was for Israel and for oil. Bush is a cowboy and a criminal." Imagine, those people figured what Bush is, and many people in this country, don't have a clue. "We know the American and British people are good people, but they have been lied to by these criminals." "We will drive them out." I am glad that at least those Iraqis understand that not all of us are like Bush and his coalition of the uncaring.
When Mohammed, was asked by a reporter how the Americans would be forced to leave, he turned even grimmer. "Watch," he said. Sounds ominous, but I don't think they will evict the American troops. I do believe however, that there will be violence for a while. One grenade was thrown at a number of Coalition soldiers and it wounded seven Americans last week..
Nearly a dozen interviews by reporters echoed these sentiments of the Iraqis. The battle for the hearts and minds of Falluja seems to have been lost in a the deadly American gunfire earlier in the week.
Throughout the numerous Mosques, calls to prayer and sermons to the faithful included calls to oppose the Americans. Reporters did not hear any calls for cooperation. Friday noon sermons are typically the most important and political in the Muslim world. Locals continue displaying the weapons they have been stockpiling for use against the Americans to a reporter, including RPGs, AK-47s and grenades. Locals warned foreigners not be in the town on Sunday night, when a operation by some militants opponents of the occupation could be planned.
I read the reports from both sides of the skirmish that started all of this, and it seems like there were probably some Iraqi's shooting their guns in the air. They may or may have not been aiming the guns at the soldiers. None the less. 17 civilians were killed and many others were wounded. Seven Americans were wounded in a grenade attack afterwards. Sounds like a typical scenario from the West Bank.
Dear Georgie Boy,
During your major photo op on the deck of the aircraft carrier yesterday, you received a lot of applause from the carrier's sailors for bringing them back home. You didn't mention that many soldiers will not be coming home right away. The majority of our soldiers will remain there a while. Some will be coming home in body bags. However, in your defense, as you stood there, grinning from ear to ear on that deck with your presidential locks waving in the sea breeze, you didn't mention how, some were going to come back, did you Georgie Boy.
Sources Cited:
United Press International
# posted by Thomas @ 2:45 AM 
