Rejoicing in Baghdad

But, it must not be true. Al-Jazeera has not reported it yet.

It's being reported in many news sources now

they actually are now http://english.aljazeera.net/topics...3&parent_id=258

but then again they are headlining this

http://english.aljazeera.net/topics...7&parent_id=258

Even the bastion of non-American news, the BBC, is reporting it as "jubilation in the streets of Baghdad". I guess Saddam and Chirac are the only ones who are upset.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,83655,00.html

"Come see, this is freedom. This is the criminal, this is the infidel," he said. "This is the destiny of every traitor. He killed millions of us."

"On a Baghdad street, a white-haired man held up a poster of Saddam and beat it with his shoe. A younger man spat on the portrait, and several others launched kicks at the face of the Iraqi president."

At Saddam City, a poor, predominantly Shiite area that has long been considered a hotbed of anti-Saddam unrest, hundreds of Iraqis cheered American troops. Small bands of youths tore down portraits of Saddam and chanted, "Bush! Bush! Thank you!"

The funniest thing of all... State-run Baghdad radio, though, was still on the air, broadcasting patriotic songs and excerpts from Saddam's speeches.

HA!

They just showed footage of some Iraqi citizens holding up a sign that says "Go Home Human Shields!"

History in the making!

I mean,

"There are NO Americans in Baghdad, NO Americans at all. We have defeated the infidels and we have pushed them back. I repeat, there are no Americans in Baghdad."

I guess none of the rabid anti war crowd have any comment on this thread. I say we give it a little bump to keep in in their faces.


"History will not remember those who sat by and did nothing, but rather those who have chosen the path of most resistance. Those who have sacrificed for the unquenchable taste of freedom and liberty. Cynics are only remembered for being grumpy."

- Anonymous circa 1943

To take a line from Monty Python "And there was Much rejoicing."

Now to find the POW's and get them home.

Yes, this was classic. The Iraqis themselves telling the human shields to get the crap out.

Will they?

Probably not, because they'll now say we brainwashed them or that the Iraqis just haven't realized how much damage we've done.

Whatever the case, they'll find something to complain about.

Maury

You'd not see it anyway, or have nothing but derision for it because you don't have any respect for any opinion unless it agrees with yours. Battles over. Yep. EXCELLENT (sincerely). Now for the rest of the War, and the remaining effort. Or did you perhaps think that this would be the end of it? Nope. Now it's off to Syria, the Congo, NK, wherever brutal dictators and human rights violations and WMDs may be found. Because that's the point, right?
You think it is over? Militarily, in Iraq, maybe. The military part was never in doubt- for anyone, I think. Now comes the hard part.
Black and white. Must be nice.


...and HISTORY... there we go with that... HISTORY still thinks Columbus was a stand up guy and that the Mr. Preston ordered his troops to fire on civilians... because it suits our heritage to believe it.

Um, no. Today's events in no way change the views of many anti-war people here. What will change some of that opinion is how the post-war events shape up.

There is a lot more to this than liberation and WMD. These are just the imediate concerns that are the easiest to make into sound-bites.

Wars are not waged or won by armies. Armies fight battles. Politicians wage and win wars.

I haven't seen as many US flags in one place sense the last Presidential election debates.

"those who have chosen the path of most resistance"
Right, America vs Iraq

Well the battle for Bagdad went better than I think anyone had hoped. I can honestly say that I'm so relieved to hear it. There will still be cells of resistance, but the real danger for massive casualties is past I think.

It's wonderful to see Iraqis emoboldened enough to take to the streets and wish Saddam a fond goodbye ().

Now let's make the transition to an Iraqi administration and get those troops out of there before those welcomers turn into rebels. The longer the troops stay, the more our chances of having this all blow up in our faces.

Bush has been saying the right things (mostly) about post-war Iraq. Here's hoping he follows through.

I also hopes this happens. I just worry that this type of thing will happen a year from now and create static.

It was never a question about the US Military vs Iraq. Leadership is about taking unpopular stances, if the cause is just. Politics were a bigger factor in this war, and it is no means over. What we are seeing is a redmeption of the American Administration by the iraqi people itself. Do you think I give a rats ass what France thinks. Go ahead, whine about international policies, alliance etc. Its time the US called out what was best for the US and let the France and Germany deal with it. The fact of the matter is they need us a hell of alot more then we need them. I don't think anybody will be turning theirs backs on us for very long.

Your Coldwar politics are a'changin. But go ahead

"rage, Rage against the dying of the light"

Its all you have left.


PS. And of cours these remarks are meant to be inflammatory. What the hell's the use trying to reason with you.

The difference between Liberators and Occupyers is in the eye of the beholder. I see no reason why the US should assume authority over post-war Iraq.

It might appeal to some people to exclude nations that didn't support the war, but consider the consequences.

Why shouldn't we let others help pay the bill?

The US military is NOT a good tool for nation building by it's own admission. The UN has years of experience in the region and the world in handling this kind of thing.

Nothing will demonstrate our Principles and Ideals better to the Iraqis and to the world at large than quickly turning things over to an International entity for reconstruction and administration of the transition.

If we give in to the temptation for cronyism, history will not judge us kindly and Iraq will soon be a nightmare.

Agreed. This really is the end of the beginning for a new Iraq. There are great possibilites for the country; there is a high level of educated people in the population, there is the oil $$$, there is the infustructure (which needs to be dtrastically upgraded, but atleast there is something).

So all the ingredients are there, However! no matter how well the US handles the situation, if they are perceived as running everything --- without the majority being done by the UN or the Iraqi people themselves, they will fail.

The UN said it didn't want it turned over to them.

Yup, just like the Iraqi people not wanting the US there, or how they would all revolt against us.

Er wait, that isn't happening.