Urgent message for the American people and the Coalition, on behalf of the Baghdadis

Tuesday, April 13, 2004 | fight_truth_decay

[fight_truth_decay]

An Iraqi blogger in Baghdad has posted on his site, THE MESOPOTAMIAN, a letter or an "urgent message to the American people and the Coalition, on behalf of the Baghdadis":

Greetings Friends,

Firmness must not be equated with intransigence. As our Book says, “ If they veer towards peace you do likewise” (Bad translation of the Qoranic verse). There is a very thin line that separates the two methodologies. Firmness must be exercised towards a political end, and must not be allowed to become counterproductive. Now the moderates from all parties who can exert real influence must be given support and attention.

Our previous posts should not tranquilize people to think that the situation is easy. I have advocated long ago the importance to control the neighborhoods, side streets and alleyways of the city. This was not achieved and consequently these are more or less under the control of armed bands at the moment. The new police force and ICDC have sadly become totally intimidated and largely ineffective, especially in Baghdad. This is the sad truth. In the last few days, things have become really bad, especially for the middle class inhabitants of Baghdad. In some areas they are knocking on doors to ask for “donations” in support of the “Mujahideen”. Some of my relatives have left their house and came to our house for refuge to escape them. We fear that the U.S. forces may become isolated in an urban sea of hostile gangs and a majority of powerless intimidated people.

A political solution must be quickly arrived at. The secular democratic forces have no power in this atmosphere since they are not armed and defenseless. The U.S. and Coalition cannot give protection to civilians since they are not a police force, and are engaged in combat. The situation should be defused but without a show of weakness. The most dangerous of the insurgents are those affiliated with the previous regime and their allies. But there are many moderates in the Sunni camp and these should now be given full support. Likewise, strenuous efforts are being undertaken to defuse the Sadr disturbance in Najaf and these should not be shunned.

This is an urgent message for the American people and the Coalition, on behalf of the Baghdadis. We are experiencing a difficult situation at the moment, surrounded by dangers from every side: Insurgents, thieves, kidnappers, you name it. We the civilian population are unarmed and quite helpless in the face of all these dangers, and we don’t have any protection whatsoever. A political settlement is urgently needed. The situation can’t even wait until the 30th of June. Any Iraqi Government without a real, reliable security apparatus that can counteract the armed gangs will be immediately toppled and God only knows what will happen. Therefore such a Government must be acceptable to all the main groups. The real terrorists and saboteurs should be isolated politically and not just combated militarily.

That is all for now.

Salaam Alaa

[fight_truth_decay]

http://www.messopotamian.blogspot.com/

[sarasota]

I hope others are listening, people who can do something to help directly. Urban warfare? I have not one clue how to achieve victory over the terrorist animals and spare the "moderates". I can only pray for their safety and our mutual victory.

[xJones]

It depends on how much they want freedom, or going under an ayatollah's rule. They can, even without arms, do mass neighorhood patrols and intimidate their would-be oppressors.

I guess the question really is: how can you teach a bunch of sheep to fight back for their own good?

They're gutless, worthless cowards if they don't. But cheer up, for all their brave talk the Iranians aren't any better than the Iraqis. No wonder they had an 8 year war and Iran and Iraq both lost.

[fight_truth_decay]

From Iraqi dentist ays who now tries to post on Wednesdays when he can find an internet cafe..this was last week: Thieves and idiots !

Surely you’re watching what’s happening now in some neighborhoods in Iraq.. let me explain something about this militia.. ( you’ll never hear a similar explanation in any TV channel or radio stations… but this is the truth and the real picture of Muqtada’s group)..
First of all:
That angry dumb and silly boy is not respected by many religious leaders here in Iraq and consider him as a child , he don’t have the right to be a religious leader and he don’t have any ‘logical and legislative Islamic studies’ regarding Islam and ‘Sharia’.. Second.. that foolish boy has many thieves following him.. why? Do you know that neighborhood ‘ Althawra’ or ‘ Al-Sadr city’ in Baghdad? This is the worst place in Iraq.. yes .. all Iraqis hate that place and never ever reach there.. More than 75% of this neighborhood are thieves and murders .. they are responsible for the looting and robbery acts last year.. and of course due to their rapid and uncontrolled reproduction ( just like the rabbits) ,they have many relatives in some neighborhoods in Iraq, so when they felt that Muqtada is so permissive and may encourage such robberies; they followed him.. they love him.. they feel that he’s one of them and his laws are very compatible with their disgusting thoughts and mean goals..
Now we have a silly angry boy and thieves..

The third point .. many idiots still remember his father and they feel that he continues his father’s message in Islam.. the crowds are always around that boy listening to his words that incite and urge them to disobey whatever the GC and CPA say.. Now we have a silly angry boy, thieves and idiots..! Wow.. what a group!! I’m afraid the world will say that Iraqis don’t deserve the liberation because of those people.. Here in Basra, few Muqtada’s men are preparing themselves, hiking among the people and in front of banks and shops waiting for another looting and robbery acts and spreading rumors about the situation in other provinces.. they say that the governmental institutes are robbed and everything lost..etc..trying to breach the peace.. some of them are carrying sacks to rob the bank if their ‘leader’ will succeed and control Iraq!!
Got the picture of this militia?!
Of course there’s no one channel can interview an educated Iraqi who dares to say all of that about this militia .. BTW I’m sure that Al-Jazeera is dancing now!

The good things are:
It’s told that the British troops came to the banks and took all the money to be kept in safe places until the chaos comes to an end.. And some districts here in Basra came to a great idea, the Sheiks of many tribes held a meeting and decided to sign on papers promising that any person dares to breach the peace in their areas will be arrested or killed immediately and no one will protect him even if he was one of their tribes.. this meeting relieved the people so much…

Nearly a similar situation happened in 1999 in ‘Al-Sadr city’ when Saddam killed Muqtada’s father.. the angry people in that disgusting neighborhood made a simple chaos in the beginning , do you know what happened ? do you know how Saddam dealt with them?... a few cars went there immediately and a few men got out of the cars carrying different types of guns and rifles and started to fire continuously at them until all those people entered their houses and many of them were killed and left on the streets… then Saddam’s men completed their mission and went back..

I don’t want to say that the same thing should be done.. but I just want to say that the GC and CPA must control this freedom because it’s used improperly..

ays

[cavtrooper21]

Urban warfare is messy.
No way around it. However it can be VERY messy for the bad guy if you have the support of the general population AND are willing to be very patient and sneeky.
Americans are not noted for either...
...but we're going to win anyway!!
Cavalry HO!!!!

[Killborn]

Thank you for this post. In a time when emotions override reason, this post is much needed to show everyone that we have allies and friends. Sadr and the other terrorist thugs in Iraq are not representative of the population.

[battousai]

do you know how Saddam dealt with them?... a few cars went there immediately and a few men got out of the cars carrying different types of guns and rifles and started to fire continuously at them until all those people entered their houses and many of them were killed and left on the streets… then Saddam’s men completed their mission and went back..

Well that ol' boy Saddam wasn't all bad I guess ;-)

[Uncle Miltie]

"We the civilian population are unarmed"

Purty much sums up the problem.

[Just Lori]

This is an urgent message for the American people and the Coalition, on behalf of the Baghdadis. We are experiencing a difficult situation at the moment, surrounded by dangers from every side: Insurgents, thieves, kidnappers, you name it. We the civilian population are unarmed and quite helpless in the face of all these dangers, and we don’t have any protection whatsoever. A political settlement is urgently needed. The situation can’t even wait until the 30th of June. Any Iraqi Government without a real, reliable security apparatus that can counteract the armed gangs will be immediately toppled and God only knows what will happen. Therefore such a Government must be acceptable to all the main groups. The real terrorists and saboteurs should be isolated politically and not just combated militarily.


Something just doesn't smell right here. The civilian population IS armed. Very few have no weapons. It's survival. Isolating terrorists and saboteurs "politically" will do what? A political settlement is urgently needed? What is the author asking for, exactly?

Who says we will leave the Iraqi government with no reliable security? We are training many of these folks right now. We are not going to abandon them after June 30.

[d_Brit]

I agree.

However, IF the writer is right and the innocents are unarmed, then just kill anyone with a gun.

Political "settlements" aren't needed when the bad guys are pushing daisies.

We need to get tougher with these people, oppose us and the marines take them out, period.

[sarasota]

I thought I read last week (here) that in Baghdad an alert was issued saying that anyone with a firearm would be shot.

[fight_truth_decay]

These bloggers have written the real stories inside Iraq. As AYS, our dentist friend,(posted further down) has reported for some time the truth in Iraq seem through the Iraqi eyes. Many of us follow these bloggers for insight on what is really happening in Iraq. The media is not in touch with the Iraqi citize. And no the civilian does not have arms and never did; it was always those under Saddam and the criminals or mobsters. You see what the media wants you to see. You might want to read more of AYS of whom I am most familar and do talk via e-mail. I get very frustrated with the those media pundits on all networks that are taking the easy route in reporting their stories..


His site is:

http://iraqataglance.blogspot.com/
AYS writes today from an internet cafe:
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Calm down...
I came back to Baghdad yesterday, a bridge called ‘Diala bridge’ was bombed, I don’t know why, so we used another road..
We should travel from Basra through Amara.. Kut.. and then Baghdad, so each time I wanted to come back; I hear on the news that there are some encounters in kut or Amara and I give up!!
As I reached to Baghdad.. my sister shouted “ hey.. come and hear what Muqtada’s supporters did last week..they are monsters.. they were yelling and running on the streets like rabid dogs and when they reached at our college’s door the IP’s closed it immediately, those dogs were shaking the door and throwing stones at the college, they wanted to break and destroy everything .. Oh God.. my colleague and I were very very terrified.. you hear nothing but screams ..
It was a terrible day.. I hate those dogs .. I hate them… all the students hate them”
See how peaceful demonstrations they have !!

Regarding Falluja, I disagree with what was happening, I felt so sad as I heard about the children and women who have been killed, the coalition should have planned well before this operation..
If it’s because of the brutal act in Falluja; you can investigate and search for them, they were shown on the TV so it’s easy to know them.

If it’s due to the continued attacks on the coalition and the idea is to fight and kill them inside their city; the result will contain many innocent people as victims.

If this operation is to terrify them and make them give up the attacks.. you’re wrong, because in addition to the ex-regime groups that this city contains, Falluja’s men are so stubborn and tough.. I know them.. ( I lived in that province for a couple of years), if someone hurt them they’d never leave him go away or be permissive with him.. I don’t care for those who were killed carrying RPG’s and Ak47’s ..etc, but I feel so sad and sorry for those children and women who died, they have nothing to do with what those insurgents commit.. right?
Actually, such operations turn over the sentiment against the coalition.
I hope the truce will last for a long time.. it’s better to solve problems using discussions and joining opinions instead of military solutions, the peace is very important now..