Iraq's Kurds celebrate a year after Saddam's fall

Reuters ^ | 4/09/04 | Seb Walker

[kattracks]

CHOMAN, Iraq, April 9 (Reuters) - As much of Iraq marked the anniversary of Saddam Hussein's fall with fighting and bloodshed, Kurds in the relatively stable north celebrated with parties and the melting of an ice statue of the ousted dictator.

In the mountains north of Arbil, hundreds of people held a carnival to cheer the fall of a regime that oppressed Iraq's Kurdish minority, in stark contrast to large parts of the country further south where insurgents battled foreign troops.

"Those people who are fighting now don't like freedom for Iraq. We are celebrating this day," said the mayor of Choman, Abdullah Wahid. "The coalition is now wondering again who is with them and who is against. This carnival is our opinion."

The people of Choman sculpted a huge statue of Saddam out of ice taken from the nearby mountains where Kurdish peshmerga militias once fought Saddam's armies, then melted it.

They danced and picnicked, happy with the relative safety that Iraq's northern Kurdistan enjoys.

"We like the coalition here because they supported us in crushing Saddam," said Borjan Mohamed, 17, a college student. "Our carnival today is an expression of that."

U.S. SUPPORT WELCOMED

Officials with the U.S.-led coalition say the main reason unrest has not spread to the Kurdish region is that a majority of Kurds are not against the occupation.

Shi'ite militants and Sunni guerrillas elsewhere in the country have taken their battle against the occupying forces to a new level in the past week, fighting coalition troops for control of several major cities.

The Kurds have run northern Iraq with U.S. protection since breaking away from Baghdad's rule after the 1991 Gulf War. Saddam had previously used poison gas to attack them, at a time when most Western countries did not consider him an enemy.

"Among the adult population, I don't think there's a Kurd who is not able to recite times when my country has let them down," said Harry Schute, chief of staff for the northern wing of the Coalition Provisional Authority.

"But they're also able to look ahead and see the fall of Saddam wouldn't have happened without our support. Looking ahead further, these people see their interests resting with the coalition."

Kurds also point to a cultural difference between them and the rest of the Iraq, which was strengthened by the creation of the Kurdish zone in 1991. Many Kurds feel they are more ready than the rest of the country for the democracy that Washington has promised.

"We've had satellite television and the Internet for years now, and most families have one member living abroad in a western country," said Salman Halabji, a political commentator and psychology doctorate student.

"In the rest of the country, there has been no freedom for 35 years - everyone wants a leader. Nobody knows their role so they want religious leaders to follow."

For Rebin Rasoul, a journalist at the Kurdish independent weekly newspaper Hawlati, another reason for Kurdish support for the U.S. presence is a fear that rejoining the south could pull Kurdistan backwards.

"We feel Arabs are looking for Arabisation and imposing the Islamic religion which would be dangerous. We believe Islamic groups will be reluctant to have democratisation," he said.

"But we also know the U.S. is a very big power, so it's useful to stay with the Americans rather than fight against them and lose."

[theDentist]

The people of Choman sculpted a huge statue of Saddam out of ice... then melted it. "

Now that's original.

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[concerned about politics]

Today is Iraq's Thanksgiving day.

95% of Iraq is now at peace.

[concerned about politics]

"We like the coalition here because they supported us in crushing Saddam," said Borjan Mohamed, 17, a college student. "Our carnival today is an expression of that."

Kudos. Now, if we can just defeat our own political Saddam sympathizers on the left here in America, we'll have peace and prosperity in our land as well.

[kattracks]

ping

[familyofman]

Here's hoping they don't celebrate in that glorious arab tradition by shooting weapons into the air. With all the shooting going on - it could be mistaken for 'hostile' fire.

[goldstategop]

The sentiment is being strengthened among the Kurds that separation may be necessary to protect their identity and freedom from the Arabs. If Iraq disintegrates, the Kurds will be one of the winners in gaining an independent homeland. I don't know why we aren't encouraging their aspirations. After all, its not like we have a lot of real friends in that part of the world.

[concerned about politics]

Democrats are deeply saddened by this news.
All that hate America propaganda freely offered to the Iraqi terrorists by our left wing, and the Iraqis turn around and do something pro-American like this. The left wing must be pissed.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Wonderful post (all together now, "why didn't I hear about this from the mainstream news?" *g*).
Thanks, kattracks. (^:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHOMAN, Iraq, April 9 - As much of Iraq marked the anniversary of Saddam Hussein's fall with fighting and bloodshed, Kurds in the relatively stable north celebrated with parties and the melting of an ice statue of the ousted dictator. In the mountains north of Arbil, hundreds of people held a carnival to cheer the fall of a regime that oppressed Iraq's Kurdish minority, in stark contrast to large parts of the country further south where insurgents battled foreign troops.

"Those people who are fighting now don't like freedom for Iraq. We are celebrating this day," said the mayor of Choman....

 

HAPPY LIBERATION DAY, FREE IRAQ!

 

 

"Wish You Were Here"

For all the free people that still protest.
You're welcome. We protect you and you are protected by the best.
Your voice is strong and loud,
but who will fight for you? No one standing in your crowd.
We are your fathers, brothers, and sons,
wearing the boots and carrying guns.
We are the ones that leave all we own,
to make sure your future is carved in stone.
We are the ones who fight and die,
We might not be able to save the world, Well, at least we try.
We walked the paths to where we are at
and we want no choice other than that.
so when you rally your group to complain,
take a look in the back of your brain.
In order for that flag you love to fly
wars must be fought and young men must die.
We came here to fight for the ones we hold dear.
If that's not respected, we would rather stay here.
So please stop yelling, put down your signs,
and pray for those behind enemy lines.
When the conflict is over and all is well,
be thankful that we chose to go through hell.

Corporal Joshua Miles and all the boys from 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines,
Kuwait 3/9/2003

 

 Baghdad Liberation Day ~ April 9, 2003 ~ OIF Situation Room

 

 

[armymarinemom]

Hooah for the Kurds.
Congrats on a year of freedom

[Jeff Head]

The Kurds are our true allies and a people who truly desire liberty and are willing to stand up and fight for it.

[MEG33]

WOO HOO for the Kurds and all those who wish to live in peace.Thank you to our brave American armed forces.

[Plutarch]

Gee, the Kurds don't fight us, and we basically leave them alone to do what they want.

If the Iraqi's want the U.S. to leave, all they have to do is go along with this Democracy thing, elect their leaders, and the U.S. will be outta there.

They would rather fight and have us there, than participate in the new Government and have us leave.

[alexandria]

I thought that the Kurds were backing our Marines in that cursed Faullah place. Funny ever since hearing that I haven't seen one mention of them since. Thing is we could use these guys to help us and motivate the others to fight for us (and their own rule) the sunni muslims hate the Kurds.

[McGavin999]

I'd love to see the Kurds have their own homeland, but on their own they would constantly be a target for takeover by either the Turks, the Syrians or the Iranian. Hopefully, some day when Iran is a democracy they can. But maybe by then they will be perfectly happy being Iraqi.

[NordP]

"95% of Iraq is now at peace."

Yep, and why do we always have to hear about that darn 5% all the time?

Half Full. There are positive things to discuss, people.

[blackie]

Kurds ~ Rock!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!