Arab Report: Despite War and Occupation, Political and Civil Rights Improving in Iraq (AP Shocked)

Associated Press ^ | <headline>Arab Report: Despite War and Occupation, Political and Civil Rights Improving in Iraq</hea | Associated Press

[Lance Romance]

Arab Report: Despite War and Occupation, Political and Civil Rights Improving in Iraq
The Associated Press
Published: May 30, 2004 CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Associated Press

Despite war and occupation, Iraq has seen a surge in human rights organizations, political parties and independent newspapers - entities almost unheard of under Saddam Hussein, said a report by an Arab think tank.

The report by Egypt's Ibn Khaldoun Center for Development Studies welcomed the promise of elections, the freedom of expression and independence of the media but was careful not to credit the Americans for the progress.

"Even though all indications of political rights and human rights mentioned in this report clearly illustrate that the situation in Iraq after occupation is much better than Saddam Hussein's Iraq, the truth remains that any situation would have been better than Saddam Hussein," the report said.

The report, "Civil Society, Democratic Transformation and Minorities in the Arab World," issued in late May, covered the changes in the country until December 2003.

The 250-page Arabic report reviews civil society, democratic transformation and minorities in 19 Arab countries. The report will be issued in English by July.

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Despite war and occupation, Iraq has seen a surge in human rights organizations, political parties and independent newspapers - entities almost unheard of under Saddam Hussein, said a report by an Arab think tank.

The report by Egypt's Ibn Khaldoun Center for Development Studies welcomed the promise of elections, the freedom of expression and independence of the media but was careful not to credit the Americans for the progress.

"Even though all indications of political rights and human rights mentioned in this report clearly illustrate that the situation in Iraq after occupation is much better than Saddam Hussein's Iraq, the truth remains that any situation would have been better than Saddam Hussein," the report said.

The report, "Civil Society, Democratic Transformation and Minorities in the Arab World," issued in late May, covered the changes in the country until December 2003.

The 250-page Arabic report reviews civil society, democratic transformation and minorities in 19 Arab countries. The report will be issued in English by July.

[Lance Romance]

Despite war and occupation, Iraq has seen a surge in human rights organizations, political parties and independent newspapers - entities almost unheard of under Saddam Hussein, said a report by an Arab think tank.

You see it's shocking because everyone knows Americans are really bad people who hate anyone who isn't white and the only reason they are in Iraq is because of the oil and they have turned Iraq into a terrorist state after they kicked out benevolent leader Sadaam Hussein, who we all know was hated by Al Qaeda and the arocities committed by Americans were much worse than the mass graves that Saddam built for the Kurds..........

The report by Egypt's Ibn Khaldoun Center for Development Studies welcomed the promise of elections, the freedom of expression and independence of the media but was careful not to credit the Americans for the progress.

They just don't get it, do they?

[CWOJackson]

More interesting news.

[AmishDude]

Despite war and occupation, Iraq has seen a surge in human rights organizations, political parties and independent newspapers - entities almost unheard of under Saddam Hussein, said a report by an Arab think tank.

Some people are just too stupid to live.

[CWOJackson]

I guess Andy Roonie won't be sharing this info with us.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

They just don't get it, do they?

And it looks like they never will.

[GSlob]

There is something repetitious about all things Arabic. Even this article is for some mysterious reason posted in duplicate.

[Maria S]

I'm still wondering what on earth Carlton Meyer of the G2mil website was drinking when he wrote the following in answer to a marine. Are there two different Iraq's and two different Husseins?

http://www.g2mil.com/June2004Letters.htm

Ed: All the "Saddam is a demon" propaganda has confused reality. Iraqi women could go to school, drive cars, and wear Western dress only because the Baathists forced Muslim men to accept progress. Meanwhile, the US openly funded terrorists in Iraq, especially the Kurds in the North but also some Shiite groups, to destabilize Iraq, which took an economic toll as well.

And as for killing political opponents and suppressing the Shiites, the USA has proven far more brutal in keeping the peace in Iraq than Saddam. Possession of a Bible or preaching Christianity will land someone in jail in Saudi Arabia, while the Baathists protected Iraq's 600,000 Christians and their churches from Muslim radicals, while their foreign minister was a Christian himself.

So why does everyone assume Iraq's poor economic state is Saddam's fault? Saddam never "gassed the Kurds" as G2mil readers learned last December. I recall when Tim Russert interviewed the President a few months ago and Bush struggled to justify the unprovoked invasion of Iraq. At one point Bush said: "We all know Saddam was a madman, right Tim." The spineless interviewer responded: "Of course, Mr. President.", which is why the President chose him. You'll note there are no longer hard questions at news conferences like those posed by Sam Donaldson two decades ago. Why, because troublemakers lose their access to news conferences and free rides on Air Force 1.

Saddam was not a madman, reckless and ambitious is a better description. He was interviewed on "60 Minutes" just prior to the invasion and was lucid, polite, and was seeking some way to avoid the coming invasion.

Carlton Meyer is the editor of G2mil

[Pikamax]

bttt

[Lance Romance]

Blame that on the Memorial Day libations.

[The_Media_never_lie]

The report by Egypt's Ibn Khaldoun Center for Development Studies welcomed the promise of elections, the freedom of expression and independence of the media but was careful not to credit the Americans for the progress.

It would be nice to receive a little gratitude, but just to admit things are getting better is a step in the right direction.

[jolie560]

Americans believe in sneaking into foreign countries, and acting like we belong there, by living amongst them for 10-20 years.

Then, we god-less Americans, we try to take over the day-to-day functioning of the host country that we have infiltrated and have pretended to be part of.

Then, we god-less Americans--only then--do we Americans finally take out our swords and cut off the heads of all non-Americans.

It is part of our culture, you see.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

There is something repetitious about all things Arabic. Even this article is for some mysterious reason posted in duplicate.

They speak in rote. Kill the infidels, Allahu akhbar, yada yada yada.

[Guillermo]

Amazing. According to this article, Iraq had human rights, etc. until the evil Americans came...

[chiller]

"careful not to credit the Americans "..

Who cares who gets credit? We know we made it possible and I personally don't care if anyone acknowledges it or not, as long as it happens. By "we" I mean our fine men and women in the millitary. Hats off ladies and gentlemen.

[zencat]

Some people are just too stupid to live.

Genius is limited, stupidity is boundless.

[Cicero]

Ibn Khaldoun Center for Development Studies, eh?

Ibn Khaldoun was one of the few Arab writers who had some really interesting ideas. He wrote what may be the definitive history of how civilizations get soft and are replaced by tougher nomads from the desert.

He was a big influence on Frank Herbert's portrayal of the Fremen on Dune, I have always assumed.

[Trinity_Tx]

...welcomed the promise of elections, the freedom of expression and independence of the media but was careful not to credit the Americans for the progress.

"Even though all indications of political rights and human rights mentioned in this report clearly illustrate that the situation in Iraq after occupation is much better than Saddam Hussein's Iraq, the truth remains that any situation would have been better than Saddam Hussein," the report said.

You know... I'm not saying this to be malicious, but just the honest truth...

It seems that every time I read or hear something from that culture, I'm left wondering if they are as stupid as they sound, or if they just think we're all stupid enough to miss their total disconnect with logic and wisdom.

I used to debate them on various subjects, until I realized that either way, it's impossible to help people who are either willfully ignorant or stupid, or who are so morally corrupt that they believe saying something makes it true.

[Spok]

The AP's problem is they rushed into Iraq based on false rumors of a chance to destroy the Bush administration, but they didn't have a plan or any real understanding of the problems they would encounter. Despite every effort to filter out the positive news from Iraq, they are challenged at every turn by reporters and soldiers on the scene who stubbornly insist that the facts get out; called 'truth insurgents'. With the internet, digital cameras and video recorders, they periodically release disgusting images of soldiers fraternizing and interacting with grateful Iraqi citizens, and building schools and democratic institutions. There is speculation that the coalition of Reuters, AP, CNN, ABC, NPR and CBS is beginning to weaken and could collapse at any time, leaving a vacuum of accurate and impartial reporting from Iraq. Developing.

[TASMANIANRED]

This reporter will soon be toast.

[vbmoneyspender]

entities almost unheard of under Saddam Hussein,

I wonder what the hell they mean by 'almost unheard' of. Those entities were nonexistent under Hussein. 'Almost' had nothing to do with it.