LIVING IN A CITY UNDER SIEGE
ALEXANDRE TRUDEAU in Baghdad

http://www.macleans.ca/xta-doc2/2003...er/57747.shtml

A few excerpts from the article.

As we drive, the radio blasts a hawkish, monotonous speech from an Iraqi defence ministry hack who is announcing all the (fictitious) victories against the Americans in the battles of the south, and declaring that it is only a matter of time before the invaders are cast out of Iraq. Farouk nods and, suddenly unable to contain himself, cries out: "Inshallah!" -- if Allah wills it. Omar winks at me sarcastically. Farouk then lifts up his weapon and chants a pro-Saddam slogan. Omar answers with a big, decisive raspberry. We all burst out laughing.

Later, in New Baghdad, a man tells me an Iranian, posing as an Iraqi soldier, has been caught. "We could tell he wasn't Iraqi by the boots he was wearing," the man says. "What happened to him?" I inquire. "The knife," he answers bluntly. Then Farouk reports that an American has been captured in the Daura neighbourhood. "They turned him in dead," Farouk says grimly. "That's worth 25 million dinar [$12,500]. Alive, the enemy soldiers are worth 50 million dinar [$25,000]." Then Omar adds dryly, "If the Americans ever pay for Iraqi soldiers, I will turn in Farouk."

While having lunch at her house, we hear on the radio that an American Apache helicopter has been shot down about 80 km south of Baghdad. "Good," Miriam proclaims. "I am not going to shed any tears for Saddam's palaces. But I will shed even less for American attack helicopters." She continues: "It is not about the president, not about the regime. It is about our pride. This is our country."

Much of the resistance that the coalition is facing isn't about Saddam, or Bush but pride for many of these people and in some sense I can understand that. One of the reason that the military plan hasn't been overly successful is because people like Rumsfeild do not understand the people of Iraq themselves, I doubt they even understand their own citizens very well. Much of the pro-war, pro-Bush supporters is a result of pride as well not weather the war is wrong or right. Are Americans really so different from Iraqis. I think not.

[ 04-02-2003, 03:15 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

<font color=skyblue>True, there are some people with pride in their own country...and are standing in the way of progress...but as many as there are that do not like the invasion, I have seen an equal amount of happiness for the same invasion.

Some people do their own house cleaning...others would rather pay a house-keeper.</font>