In the central marketplace, banners have been strung across the street with welcome messages for the soldiers.
"Along with our Japanese friends, we will help to rebuild this city," reads one in Arabic, while another proclaims in Japanese: "Welcome to the Self-Defence Force".
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People underestimate the monstrosity of Hussein's regime, and the time it would take any nation to heal and rebuild after 34 years of abuse and neglect. This DoD never had any illusions about the time or difficulty of this job. No adult would expect stabilization overnight. Never in history had that happened.
In every poll since our troops liberated Iraq, the Iraqi people are overwhelmingly grateful, and say it was worth any price...including the current unrest, to get rid of Saddam Hussein. And while thy don't want to be occupied, as no one would, they do not want us to leave.
In the smaller villages, as in Afghanistan, the people had no one to defend them all these years. The 'Sheriff' is riding into town, recognizing their need, standing up to our mutual enemy...even if only in the guise of 'humanitarian' support. At least some of the world is finally listening to Saddam's victims...and offering a hand.
Iraq was a concentration camp for decades and needs all the help it can get.
Obviously Iraqis have a steep learning curve ahead of them--but with no one cutting their tongues out they'll do good.