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	April 17, 2003

WISE WORDS FROM 'AVERAGE' IRAQIS I listened today to a lengthy piece on CBC radio where several Iraqis on the street were asked, through a translator, what they thought about the recent invasion. They were all delighted to be rid of Saddam, of course, but they were also very sceptical about the motives and future role of the US 'liberators'. They were anxious for all foreigners to leave ASAP, and they want and expect the foreign troops to restore civil (not military) order and oversee the delivery of humanitarian aid before their prompt departure. The most telling comment (I'm paraphrasing, because I was driving while I was listening to this): "When you look at the rejoicing in the streets, do not be fooled; Iraqis are educated people, and we know where Saddam's chemical weapons came from". The comment took me aback. I have to plead guilty to having made the condescending assumption that most Iraqis were unworldly and isolated, and that part of Saddam's success arose from keeping the Iraqi people in the dark about their situation. I'm now thoroughly ashamed of myself for having the arrogant affrontery to think the Iraqis aren't perfectly capable of rebuilding their own country with absolutely no help or involvement from the West. The "average Iraqis" interviewed today were gently saying three things that we should pay close and immediate attention to: We said we were invading for humanitarian reasons. We should start acting accordingly. The Iraqis know that's not why we invaded. They're polite enough not to be obvious about saying so. We should quit while we're ahead. Everyone knows we won't. There's a great cultural lesson here. I wonder if we can learn it. 11:13:44 PM  trackback []  comment []

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE FUTURE OF IRAQ, LOOK NEXT DOOR Latest developments in Afghanistan, a year and a half after the end of the war: The UN High Commission for refugees has warned that the planned $700M (70%) reduction in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, which is occurring due the inability of the government and military to protect aid workers from violence and the need to deflect more of the 'reconstruction' budget for security programs, further threatens the country's stability. Seventeen more people were killed and thirteen injured in fighting between two rival militia groups in the North, the Uzbeki group led by strongman and deputy defence minister Abdul Rashid Dostam, and the Tajik group led by warlord Atta Mohamed. The two groups are warring for control of Northern Afghanistan, and are respectively financed by the two ex-Soviet countries bordering the area. Earlier today, a grenade attack damaged the office of UNICEF in Jalalabad. US Special Forces completed the bombing of areas of Kandahar in the South, in retaliation against suspected Taliban forces blamed for the recent public execution of a Red Cross worker and the ambush of a US special forces brigade. The brother of Aghan president Karzai, who is also the government's official representative in Kandahar, lamented the total failure of reconstruction to date , saying "What was promised to Afghans with the collapse of the Taliban was a new life of hope and change. But what was delivered? Nothing."  Al-Jazeera predicts the same future for Iraq. "The US no longer talks about new schools, roads and services for Afghanistan. The administration talks about establishing functioning government agencies and about slowly spreading the authority of the central government beyond Kabul. Afghanistan has ethnic, religious and tribal groupings that have so far prevented the formulation of any national government. Political differences continue to be manipulated by neighbouring countries and fighting continues to break out, even increasing in frequency." Can't seem to find any of those reports about how the situation for Afghan women is supposedly so much better now than it was under the Taliban. In the meantime 2,500 Afghan schools still need to be completely rebuilt, another 3,500 need major repairs, and sporadic attacks on girls' schools continue  I guess whoever is responsible for US foreign policy thinks a few years of anarchy is the first step on the road to freedom and democracy. 11:36:06 AM  trackback []  comment []

© Copyright 2004 Dave Pollard. Last update: 19/02/2004; 2:42:55 PM.