Posted on 06/30/2004 6:41:11 AM PDT by VanZant
I understand that the media has to (loves to) report on glow stick sodomy in Abu Ghraib, but shouldn't the media also tell us stories like this:
The hall was busy and everyone was chatting and laughing loud. They had Al-Jazeera on (something I never managed to convince them to stop doing). Then suddenly Mr. Bremer appeared on TV reading his last speech before he left Iraq. I approached the TV to listen carefully to the speech, as I expected it to be difficult in the midst of all that noise. To my surprise everyone stopped what they were doing and started watching as attentively as I was.The speech was impressive and you could hear the sound of a needle if one had dropped it at that time. The most sensational moment was the end of the speech when Mr. Bremer used a famous Arab emotional poem. The poem was for a famous Arab poet who said it while leaving Baghdad. Al-Jazeera had put an interpreter who tried to translate even the Arabic poem which Mr. Bremer was telling in a fair Arabic! "Let this damned interpreter shut up. We want to hear what the man is saying." One of my colloquies shouted. The scene was very touching that the guy sitting next to me (who used to sympathize with Muqtada) said "He's going to make me cry!"
Then he finished his speech by saying in Arabic, "A'ash Al-Iraq, A'ash Al-Iraq, A'ash Al-Iraq"! (Long live Iraq, Long live Iraq, long live Iraq).
I was deeply moved by this great man’s words but I couldn't prevent myself from watching the effect of his words on my friends who some of them were anti-Americans and some were skeptic, although some of them have always shared my optimism. I found that they were touched even more deeply than I was. I turned to one friend who was a committed She'at and who distrusted America all the way. He looked as if he was bewitched, and I asked him, "So, what do you think of this man? Do you still consider him an invader?" My friend smiled, still touched and said, "Absolutely not! He brought tears to my eyes. God bless him."
Another friend approached me. This one was not religious but he was one of the conspiracy theory believers. He put his hands on my shoulders and said smiling, "I must admit that I'm beginning to believe in what you've been telling us for months and I’m beginning to have faith in America. I never thought that they will hand us sovereignty in time. These people have shown that they keep their promises.
Many smart people--like Andy Sullivan-- have floated the idea that Bush was the guy for the War, but John Kerry is the guy for the postwar. It'c clear to me, that Kerry is precisely not who Iraq needs in the White House. Bush, despite great pressure, held firm to the June 30 deadline--his decision to move it up was brillaint, and it doubtless thwarted the terrorists' plans.
Bush's steadfastness has created a moment of great opportunity. Iraqis who had been persuaded by the Pan-Arab media coverage and the conspiracy talk at the cafes are hopeful again. We can't betray their hope like we did after April 9, 2003.
Getting back to Kerry-- he doesn't have a core. I think polls and DC salon talk would have driven him to postpone the handover date which would have been disastrous.
Perhaps in postmodern America, Kerry's flip flopping is refreshing compared to Bush's "stubborness." But Kerry's "gift for nuance" (waffling) and his Francophila aren't a good fit for Iraq.
After Istanbul, can Kerry still pretend that the Frogs' Iraq policy isn't rancid? Iago Chirac's clear antipathy towards Iraqi freedom isn't helping Kerry's cause.
And it's striking that Omar the Blogger's friend is starting to believe in America. Has Kerry conveyed that kind of optimism and faith in America at all in his campaign?
Bob Shrum needs to figure out why America looks better from Baghdad (to an Iraqi in the midst of "Bush's quagmire" ) than it does from Beacon Hill?
Dam this story brought tears to my eye!
I know. I cried when I read it as well. Go to Iraq the Model--it's at "this" in my post. Omar provided some pictures with cake for the little sovereighty celebration they had. Bremer is a great and gutsy man. ANd the Iraqi people will need to be great and gutsy to build the Country they want.
A'ash Al-Iraq!
bump...
I am reading it (drat now I need a box of tissues!) Its soo heartening to read this stuff. Wonderful post. Thank you for posting it!
I loved it too. Why doesn't the media share it with us? I guess that's easy--that want Bush out and they only want to expose us to feel bad stories in Iraq.
Ping people to this post-- I need to get a ping list one of these days. lol
>Omar provided some pictures with cake for the little sovereighty celebration they had.<
Do you have a link to the photos? I read this thread on Iraq the Model last night and couldn't find them.
These should work:
http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/Resize%20of%20DSCI0005.JPG
http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/Resize%20of%20DSCI0003.JPG
I've been surprised by the relative lack of violence since the handover, but I suppose it's just a matter of time. But this article does a good job of pointing out that much of the Iraqi opposition to the US is based on years of suspicion of America and its motives. As time goes by, if we stay the course, the Iraqis will more and more see that we really do have their best interests at heart, and the "no blood for oil" crowd will be shown for the liars they are. And it does make a huge difference that the CPA is gone; despite the yammering of the sh*tcakes about the new government being puppets, it is clear that most Iraqis support the government and - I think - will bitterly resist the "insurgents."
Well, there has been notable violence-- designed to give the Western and Gulf media stories they want to cover.
The mortar attack this morning and the IED hit on the Humvee yesterday has killed and wounded some of our heroes.
The Iraqi Silent majority is with us. It is the Baathist dead enders and the foreign jihadists opposing us. I do think there is a small minority who were influenced to get into it--kind of like the LA riots. There are the hardcore--who beat Reginald Denny and shoot out the police-- but a lot of other people justy do it to fit in and get a tv.
For give me for this off-topic reply
From the loony-left
Ordinary Iraqis Say New Leader Is A CIA Man
According to BBC News, the word on the streets is the new Iraqi leader, 'Prime Minister Iyad Allawi,' is being equally mistrusted by everyone in Iraq and they think he is a CIA man.
Allawi has established links with the CIA and British intelligence services and does not deny it.
Many people would see this as U.S. coalition forces invading Iraq, overthrowing the government and installing a puppet government.
Mainstream television has yet to provide absolute proof that Saddam Hussein killed hundreds of thousands of his own people. They just expect us to take their word for it.
Propaganda is a two-way street. ¶ 1:32 PM
http://freepress2005.blogspot.com/2004/06/ordinary-iraqis-say-new-leader-is-cia.html
Badda-bing
FMCDH(BITS)
May the freedom we've brought to the Iraqi people stand as yet another beacon of hope in the world!
BTTT
The Loony Left is hardly on the cutting edge. Allawi's past has already been mainstreamed. Are you under the impression that the Times and the rest of the partisan media haven't covered Allawi's ties to Langley?
They have-- they mention the CIA every time they mention Allawi. It's not unlike what they do with Halliburtona nd Cheney.
By the way, Allawi is only the transistional Prime Minister until elections can be held--something Michael Moore's Minutemen desperately don't want to happen.
And "Many People" have seen a lot of things that weren't so. Sadly, that hasn't stopped them from mindlessly yapping.
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