If the situation in Iraq is going to work out, it will be because of people like these.
The photos are well worth a look. The crowds don’t look huge, but it’s awfully hard to estimate crowd size from photos on the ground. In addition, the Iraqi demonstrators had to take a serious risk of being targeted as “collaborators” if they attended. (It’s also interesting to see firsthand how much of Baghdad could be mistaken for Los Angeles or Houston.) It does the heart good to see them.
{ 25 comments }
dipnut 12.10.03 at 11:42 pm
Yes, this is a warblogger’s dream. Absolutely wonderful!
angua 12.11.03 at 12:40 am
Yes, dipnut, shouldn’t these people get back to where they belong, blowing up schools in sucide bombings?
Katherine 12.11.03 at 1:19 am
it really is jarring how much baghdad looks like a southern or western city. especially that highway on-ramp one of the news networks always used to film from.
Ted Barlow 12.11.03 at 1:34 am
Angua,
What is the point you’re trying to make? I don’t know why you’d want to pick a fight about this. It seems like no matter what your vision for Iraq is, this is excellent news.
capt joe 12.11.03 at 2:54 am
I don’t expect to see the mainstream media. It does not fit the “Bush Lied” script. They hope the whole thing will blow away.
I noticed that Al-Jazeera is saying that the numbers are exaggerated. Lots of qualifying statement when they interview who have a very strong positive view. I noticed they did not show the protester signs that said “Al-jazeera and Al-arabiya = terrorism”
dipnut 12.11.03 at 3:00 am
Angua thinks I’m being sarcastic, Ted.
I’ll admit, there’s a just a touch of bitterness there. Not as regards the demonstrators, of course.
This truly is the realization of warbloggers’ wildest hopes: that the people of Iraq should welcome their liberation and show such courage in the aftermath.
But Ted…ah, screw it. Thanks for your post.
dipnut 12.11.03 at 3:14 am
On further thought, I speculate maybe Angua doesn’t know I’m a warblogger, and thinks I’m lamenting warbloggers’ jubilation at this event.
Well, I am a warblogger, and pleased as punch.
Again, Ted, thanks.
Dick Fitzgerald 12.11.03 at 4:34 am
How naive can you be? This demonstrations looks as staged as pulling down Saddam’s statue, which was done by US troops with handpicked Iraqis on camera.
Dick Fitzgerald 12.11.03 at 4:34 am
How naive can you be? This demonstrations looks as staged as pulling down Saddam’s statue, which was done by US troops with handpicked Iraqis on camera.
Dick Fitzgerald 12.11.03 at 4:34 am
How naive can you be? This demonstrations looks as staged as pulling down Saddam’s statue, which was done by US troops with handpicked Iraqis on camera.
Dick Fitzgerald 12.11.03 at 4:34 am
How naive can you be? This demonstrations looks as staged as pulling down Saddam’s statue, which was done by US troops with handpicked Iraqis on camera.
Dick Fitzgerald 12.11.03 at 4:34 am
How naive can you be? This demonstrations looks as staged as pulling down Saddam’s statue, which was done by US troops with handpicked Iraqis on camera.
Dick Fitzgerald 12.11.03 at 4:34 am
How naive can you be? This demonstrations looks as staged as pulling down Saddam’s statue, which was done by US troops with handpicked Iraqis on camera.
Dick Fitzgerald 12.11.03 at 4:34 am
How naive can you be? This demonstrations looks as staged as pulling down Saddam’s statue, which was done by US troops with handpicked Iraqis on camera.
Ted Barlow 12.11.03 at 4:51 am
The article that I read said that it was staged by 30 minor parties in Iraq. I don’t think it was staged. Check this out:
I sincerely doubt that the CPA was clever enough to stage a demonstration with Communist protestors. Besides, is it so hard to believe that there are Iraqis fed up with terrorists blowing up their buildings, water supplies and oil equipment? You can justly complain about the failures of the CPA. I think that many of them are pretty appalling. But don’t forget who the bad guys are; the CPA is fixing pipelines, not blowing them up.
Red 12.11.03 at 5:54 pm
Aah, good old Zeyad:
“
”
Warbloggers dream, indeed.
angua 12.11.03 at 6:21 pm
Ah, my apologies to dipnut. I did read his post as bitterness, rather than the intended meaning.
dipnut 12.11.03 at 6:43 pm
No problem, Angua. Sorry I wasn’t more clear to begin with.
HH 12.11.03 at 7:40 pm
Walk a mile in Zeyad’s shoes as recently as several months ago, then come back and tell me you can blame him.
RandFan 12.11.03 at 8:45 pm
A CPA blogger linked to Omar’s post about the demonstration but didn’t indicate it was a set up by the CPA. http://deeds.blogspot.com
red 12.11.03 at 10:44 pm
hh said:
“Walk a mile in Zeyad’s shoes as recently as several months ago, then come back and tell me you can blame him.”
Do I detect some (gasp) moral relativism here?
XXX 12.12.03 at 4:10 am
Red dosn’t seem to grasp the concept of hyperbole as a rhetorical device.
Red 12.12.03 at 6:56 pm
Yeah man, rape is sooooooo funny.
Sharlie 12.14.03 at 9:48 am
The CPA tried to claim that the Iraqi Reconstruction & Development Council (IGC & CPA) organized the Demonstrations, whereas it was actually the “Anti-terrorism Popular Committee”.
While it’s true that some factions were pro-Coalition, most were anti-terror, anti-Al Jazeera and pro-normalality. They vehemently resent the thugs who terrorize them daily being referred to as “resistance fighters”.
defenselink.mil/news
Also:
Prof. Walid Pharis
http://www.frontpagemag.com
Several commenters on the Iraqi blogsites mentioned reading about Dec. 10 on the front page of their hometown papers, but upon checking, I found that the stories had been “pulled”.
Download and save what you can now for posterity, specially the
Reuters video
photos on healingitaq.blogspot.com.
There seems to be a blackout on this story across the political spectrum. Very, very odd. I guess the Iraqis don’t fit the stingy mindsets of either the Right or the Left.
What I hear from the Iraqis, themselves. without the media “minders” reminds me of the early 60’s. It’s all there! the conviction, the passion,the naivete
They aren’t jaded yet like Salaam Pax and some of our stale Western “movements”. They are becoming a genuine Grassroot Movement and the Right, the Left and the media can’t quite figure out how to cubbyhole them. So…they are either ignoring them or trying to fit them into their own pet agenda.
Welcome to the real Iraqi Resistance Movement”! The hitherto Silent Majority.
(Sorry to go on so, but my belief and idealism has just re-surfaced.)Um….how uncool.
Sharlie 12.14.03 at 9:51 am
The CPA tried to claim that the Iraqi Reconstruction & Development Council (IGC & CPA) organized the Demonstrations, whereas it was actually the “Anti-terrorism Popular Committee”.
While it’s true that some factions were pro-Coalition, most were anti-terror, anti-Al Jazeera and pro-normalality. They vehemently resent the thugs who terrorize them daily being referred to as “resistance fighters”.
defenselink.mil/news
Also:
Prof. Walid Pharis
http://www.frontpagemag.com
Several commenters on the Iraqi blogsites mentioned reading about Dec. 10 on the front page of their hometown papers, but upon checking, I found that the stories had been “pulled”.
Download and save what you can now for posterity, specially the
Reuters video
photos on healingitaq.blogspot.com.
There seems to be a blackout on this story across the political spectrum. Very, very odd. I guess the Iraqis don’t fit the stingy mindsets of either the Right or the Left.
What I hear from the Iraqis, themselves. without the media “minders” reminds me of the early 60’s. It’s all there! the conviction, the passion,the naivete
They aren’t jaded yet like Salaam Pax and some of our stale Western “movements”. They are becoming a genuine Grassroot Movement and the Right, the Left and the media can’t quite figure out how to cubbyhole them. So…they are either ignoring them or trying to fit them into their own pet agenda.
Welcome to the real Iraqi Resistance Movement”! The hitherto Silent Majority.
(Sorry to go on so, but my belief and idealism has just re-surfaced.)Um….how uncool.
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