December 10, 2003

Healing Iraq

Posted by Ted

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.

Posted on December 10, 2003 09:37 PM UTC
Comments

Yes, this is a warblogger’s dream. Absolutely wonderful!

Posted by dipnut · December 10, 2003 11:42 PM

Yes, dipnut, shouldn’t these people get back to where they belong, blowing up schools in sucide bombings?

Posted by angua · December 11, 2003 12:40 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.

Posted by Katherine · December 11, 2003 01:19 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.

Posted by Ted Barlow · December 11, 2003 01:34 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”

Posted by capt joe · December 11, 2003 02:54 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.

Posted by dipnut · December 11, 2003 03:00 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.

Posted by dipnut · December 11, 2003 03:14 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.

Posted by Dick Fitzgerald · December 11, 2003 04:34 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.

Posted by Dick Fitzgerald · December 11, 2003 04:34 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.

Posted by Dick Fitzgerald · December 11, 2003 04:34 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.

Posted by Dick Fitzgerald · December 11, 2003 04:34 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.

Posted by Dick Fitzgerald · December 11, 2003 04:34 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.

Posted by Dick Fitzgerald · December 11, 2003 04:34 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.

Posted by Dick Fitzgerald · December 11, 2003 04:34 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.

Posted by Ted Barlow · December 11, 2003 04:51 AM

Aah, good old Zeyad:

Those militants don’t understand any language except the language of force. Fuck human rights. Those aren’t humans anyway. We desperately NEED to see some heads rolling. Believe it or not. Theres going to have to be some bloodshed for this to work. Bomb the hell out of Tikrit and Al-Awja. Massacre every last person of Saddam’s tribe. Rape his women. Yeah. Let them taste some of what we have endured the last 30 years. I don’t want to see my dreams ruined because of those trianglees. If the CPA doesn’t want to do it, send in a force of IP and civil defense forces and turn your face the other way, they’ll be more than glad to do it, believe me.

Warbloggers dream, indeed.

Posted by Red · December 11, 2003 05:54 PM

Ah, my apologies to dipnut. I did read his post as bitterness, rather than the intended meaning.

Posted by angua · December 11, 2003 06:21 PM

No problem, Angua. Sorry I wasn’t more clear to begin with.

Posted by dipnut · December 11, 2003 06:43 PM

Walk a mile in Zeyad’s shoes as recently as several months ago, then come back and tell me you can blame him.

Posted by HH · December 11, 2003 07:40 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

Posted by RandFan · December 11, 2003 08:45 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?

Posted by red · December 11, 2003 10:44 PM

Red dosn’t seem to grasp the concept of hyperbole as a rhetorical device.

Posted by XXX · December 12, 2003 04:10 AM

Yeah man, rape is sooooooo funny.

Posted by Red · December 12, 2003 06:56 PM

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.

Posted by Sharlie · December 14, 2003 09:48 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.

Posted by Sharlie · December 14, 2003 09:51 AM
Followups

→ Iraqis demonstrate against terrorism.
Excerpt: See more great pictures from Healing Iraq. (Via Ted Barlow.)...Read more at Matthew J. Stinson | weblog
→ WHITHER THE MEDIA?*.
Excerpt: Why isn't there more coverage of this? Thousands of Iraqis took to Baghdad's streets Friday condemning terrorism and urging a halt to political violence. The demonstrators shouted "death to terrorists" and called for confronting and uprooting "this evi...Read more at Pejmanesque

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.