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Interview With An Iraqi
MY WAR -- Fear and Loathing In Iraq ^ | August 12, 2004 | CBFTW

Posted on 08/12/2004 5:25:27 PM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4

One of the soldiers in my Plt has a little hand held micro-cassette recorder. He uses it to record messages back and forth to his wife back home. So out of extreme boredom I borrowed it from him, and I asked the first English speaking Iraqi person I could find, a couple questions. (Note: This interview was NOT taken at gunpoint. I was completely un-armed when I interviewed this individual.)

QUESTION: What do you personally think of the US being here in Iraq and what seems to be the overall Iraq feelings about that?

ANSWER: I wish that American Forces stay here in Iraq for a long time. As you know until now, there is no security in Iraq, so we need American Forces to stay here in Iraq with the help of police guys and the help of the ING guys. I think that the situation will be better. Most of the people they like the American Forces to stay here in Iraq, just to capture the bad guys, and just to get rid of the dangerous weapons. So we need American forces to stay here for along time in order to give the Iraqi's freedom and security.

QUESTION: What was it like here in Iraq before the war when Saddam was in power? ANSWER: The situation was very bad. Saddam Hussein prevented us to travel to any country. If you want to travel to another country, you can't travel. Because traveling is very expensive also Saddam Hussein would collect money from you, you must pay the government 700,000 dinar. Too much expensive for a person to travel outside Iraq. We also have no freedom, we cannot speak, we cannot express our feelings towards our government. If you speak about political issues, they gonna arrest you and put you in prison. Three days ago I went to the passport office, I saw many people there, they were fighting with each other, they were shouting, and they don't stand in a line, so some of the workers that work in the passport office, they charge the people to pay, bribery, to get your passport. If you don't like to stand in a line, or like to stay with the people in the crowd, you should pay at least 100 dollars to the worker, to the employee, in order to get your passport. So this is what they did.

QUESTION: Why did all these people want to get passports?

ANSWER: They don't like to stay here. Some of them have relatives outside Iraq. There is no security here, and it's dangerous here in Iraq, so they want to go outside.

QUESTION: Do you think The U.S. did the right thing by coming over?

ANSWER: Yes the United States did the right thing about coming here. As I told you, to give the Iraqi people freedom. Because we don't have any freedom before the war. We can't speak, we cannot talk about the government, we can't talk about the president. We are restricted here in Iraq.

QUESTION: What do you think of people that protest us being here?

ANSWER: I think some of them are crazy, because why are they protesting? They protest for nothing. Why they protest? American Forces came over here in order to help them. I consider American Forces a friend to the Iraqi people, not an enemy, there is no need to protest.

QUESTION: What was it like here in Iraq, when we first came over and started kicking some serious ass in the beginning of the war?

ANSWER: The situation was very bad. Most of the people they were stealing, killing each other and the people were living in chaos. But the American Forces came here and they established everything, they gave the Iraqi people the right to vote, to choose their president, to choose their mayor, they help the Iraqi to build their country. But before the war the situation was very bad. Most other people tried to kill each other, they tried to steal, they tried to fight. But after the war, when American forces came here, they established everything, they help the Iraqi's, they helped by giving Iraq money to build their country. They fixed the water pipeline, they fix the power and electricity, they help the students, and they fix many schools. They paint many schools here in Iraq. So, they do a very good job.

QUESTION: Is it less dangerous here in Mosul now than it was in the past? How dangerous is Mosul now?

ANSWER: To be honest with you the situation is still dangerous. Because, many people came from Irania, and they enter inside Iraq. They use Islam and they use that banner to fight against the American Forces, and what they call a jihad, and Islam doesn't say that, believe me they are far away from Islam. Islam does not say fight your brother or kill the innocent people. So I think their opinions are not true. Their ideas are not true.

QUESTION: Who seems to be the ones causing the most trouble here?

ANSWER: I think most of the people who came to fight against the American Forces came from Iran, they came from Syria, they came from Yemen, they have another party, I think they belong to Al Quida. They came here to fight, but believe me there is no need to fight. You should start with building this country without any fighting, you should start with peace and have people live in security and peace.

QUESTION: What are some of the major improvements you've seen here in Mosul and Iraq, now that the United States is here?

ANSWER: They fixed many things here in Iraq, they paved many streets, they built many schools, they fixed the power, electricity, the fixed the water pipe.

QUESTION: What do you think of those sickos that are making the home videos of POW be-headings?

ANSWER: I think this is a very bad thing. To show the world we are brave, we want to cut off the heads of the people that want to work with the American forces, and they are far away from humanity. They don't have any sense of human being. And Islam does not tell you to go and cut the heads of people that work with the American Forces. This is not true. Islam is a religion that tells the people to work together, to live in peace. There is also a T.V. station here called Al Jazerra, and all they show is the bad side of the American Forces. They do not show the right side or the good side of the American people, they only show the bad side. Only the negative side.

QUESTION: So you don't think these people are representing Islam at all?

ANSWER: Nooo, no. They are far away from Islam.

QUESTION: How good of a job do you think the ING's are ICP's are doing in Iraq?

ANSWER: They are doing a good job, they help the people, as I said the co-operation of the American forces with the ING, they are going to build this country. If there is no co-operation, there is no building. So ING with the American forces, they build this country.

QUESTION: What do you think Iraq will be like 10-20 years from now?

ANSWER: I think Iraq, if all the Iraqi people help each other, they can build this country. And if the Iraqi people try to capture many bad guys with the helping of the police guys and American forces, they are also going to build this country.

QUESTION: What do people do here for fun here in Iraq, like on a Friday night, like do you guys go to the mosque and hang out, or do you guys like go out and party? Like what's there to do here?

ANSWER: (laughs) No, we like to go down to the river. Very peaceful there.

QUESTION: How many wives can you have here?

ANSWER: If you have enough money, you can have up to 4 wives here in Iraq.

QUESTION: What do you think of George W Bush?

ANSWER: I think he's a good man.

QUESTION: If George W Bush invited you to the White House for a cup of Chi, what would you say to him?

ANSWER: I would say "welcome!" (laughs) I would go and drink a cup of tea with him. I would be glad to meet him.

QUESTION: Is the word "HAJI" Offensive?

ANSWER: No. It is not offensive. People who go to Mecca and come back, to Iraq, they call them haji, as you know the 5 duties in Islam, one of them is pilgrimage to Mecca. When the person come back from Mecca, that person is a haji.

QUESTION: What about when American's sometimes use the word Haji to refer to an Iraqi, is that bad?

ANSWER: No.

QUESTION: What do you think of Americans?

ANSWER: Each of one of us have traditions. American people they have there tradition, and we have our own tradition. But I think they're friends to the Iraqi people.

QUESTION: If you had a chance to jump on a plane with you family and fly to the United States and live there happily ever after would you do it?

ANSWER: Yes! (Huge smile) I wish I could go there and live in the United States.

posted by CBFTW at 9:57 PM


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: cbftw; mosul; sbct; stryker; strykerbde
Navy Doc said...

CB,

Awesome post bro! I have a few people at work i'd like to show this to. If everybody stopped and realized that we're there to help and not for oil, then I think everything would be ok. When the war first started, everybody on my boat was all "Yeah we should turn that place into a glass parking lot." That was on a hospital ship. I want it to be over just as much as the next guy, but we have a job to do.

Stay Frosty,

Marc

1:36 AM

1 posted on 08/12/2004 5:25:28 PM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4
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To: af_vet_rr; ALOHA RONNIE; American in Israel; American Soldier; archy; armymarinemom; BCR #226; ...

ping


2 posted on 08/12/2004 5:45:52 PM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4 (I've lost turret power; I have my nods and my .50. Hooah. I will stay until relieved. White 2 out.)
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To: Cannoneer No. 4

Great post. Too bad our media doesn't do things like this. Why aren't there any reporters with any nerve? Why do they all hide out in the hotel bar and just repeat rumors, or what they see on Al Jazeera?


3 posted on 08/12/2004 6:00:26 PM PDT by McGavin999 (If Kerry can't deal with the "Republican Attack Machine" how is he going to deal with Al Qaeda)
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To: Cannoneer No. 4; Valin; WOSG; TEXOKIE; xzins; Alamo-Girl; blackie; SandRat; Calpernia; SAMWolf; ...

Bump!!!


4 posted on 08/12/2004 6:07:51 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl ("It is high time to call what is good, good..Our people were saved and can now hope.."- Iraqi bishop)
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To: Cannoneer No. 4

thanks for introducing me to this...I sent it on to many others...


5 posted on 08/12/2004 6:09:09 PM PDT by bitt
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To: zip

ping


6 posted on 08/12/2004 7:11:29 PM PDT by Mrs Zip
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl

Am sure Brokaw et puke is peeing all over himself to get this on his newscast tomorrow night.


7 posted on 08/12/2004 7:14:24 PM PDT by oldtimer
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To: Cannoneer No. 4

Thanks for the pings.


8 posted on 08/12/2004 7:30:15 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi min oi)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl

Bump!


9 posted on 08/12/2004 8:31:38 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Cannoneer No. 4; All

ANSWER: To be honest with you the situation is still dangerous. Because, many people came from Irania, and they enter inside Iraq. They use Islam and they use that banner to fight against the American Forces, and what they call a jihad, and Islam doesn't say that, believe me they are far away from Islam. Islam does not say fight your brother or kill the innocent people. So I think their opinions are not true. Their ideas are not true.

BINGO. WE HAVE A WINNER!

If I may anyone intrested in more of what's really going on in Iraq
Iraqi Bloggers Central
An American Looks at Iraq and the Iraqi Bloggers
http://jarrarsupariver.blogspot.com/


10 posted on 08/12/2004 9:06:15 PM PDT by Valin (John Kerry: Dumber than Gore, more exciting than Mondale)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl; Cannoneer No. 4

This guy is great!

I'm Valin and I'm a blogaholic.


11 posted on 08/12/2004 9:16:44 PM PDT by Valin (John Kerry: Dumber than Gore, more exciting than Mondale)
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To: Cannoneer No. 4
and I asked the first English speaking Iraqi person I could find, a couple questions.

I'd expect that the ones who speak English, would be better educated and better aware of world events.

12 posted on 08/12/2004 10:52:53 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Cannoneer No. 4

Not exactly the kind of Iraqi that the major news outlets interview.


13 posted on 08/13/2004 3:12:36 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Great stuff ~ Bump!

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

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

14 posted on 08/13/2004 8:18:32 AM PDT by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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