Ron Harris: Iraqi City Warms to Marines: "Are We Free Yet?"

STLToday.com ^ | 4/03/2003 | Ron Harris

[scott7278]

NUMANIYAH, Iraq - The streets of this river city came alive Thursday as residents began to adjust to the presence of hundreds of Marines who spent the day calming citizens' fears, meeting with ranking authorities, finding and destroying weapons caches and rooting out local remnants of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's Baath Party.

[scott7278]

Wonderful article -- hope it's not a duplicate -- searched FR and couldn't find anything by title or keyword.

[Califelephant]

"Are we free yet?"

What a profound, touching question.

[smith288]

This cant be...the hate us...CNN says so

[scott7278]

"The people looked at my dirty face and they wanted to take me into their houses to wash my face, to wash our feet."

That is a huge mark of respect for our troops.

[McGavin999]

WOW, and so it begins. I only hope these people are going to be safe as we pass on to the big battle. It's important that the Iraqi baathists don't return.

[scott7278]

"Are we free yet?"

What a profound, touching question.

Imagine how much more joy they'll have when they actually possess freedom, when anticipation turns to reality. What they're experiencing is a mere foreshadow of the things to come.

[scott7278]

I'm sure they will be -- there's no UN to stand in our way like in '91.

[scott7278]

Ping!

[dennisw]

We get rid of alpha dog Saddam. Iraqis are going to love us to death. We are the new alpha dog and a benevolent one. Not some run of the mill Muslim despot, dictator or king.

Iraq is our test lab for taming Islam. Updating it and making it rational.

[birdsman]

Let's just hope that the Iraqi people have longer memories than the French. The French loved us in 1945 as much as the Iraqi people love us now.

[VOA]

Iraqi City Warms to Marines: "Are We Free Yet?"

Reminds me of that line on Saturday Night Live when Giuliani appeared after
we (USA/NYC) found our feet again after 9-11:

"Uh...is...it OK for us to be funny again?"

I think it was Jimmy Fallon (sp?) who asked the question...and Rudy's
quip was "Why start now?".

(Quotes are approximal...)

[afraidfortherepublic]

"Are we free yet?"

That's a tear jerker! Tears of joy...

How come this morning's newspaper is filled with vitriolic letters asking why we are killing women and children and pontificating about the 'quagmire' Bush has gotten us into? Oh, it's because my local newspaper is the Milwaukee Urinal Sensational? Well, that explains it, I guess.

[EllaMinnow]

Heads up!

[expatpat]

I guess you can't ralistically hope for it to last more than two generations, can you?

[scott7278]

Here's a letter from a St. Louis Post Dispatch Reader:

Victory is at hand

Your publication no longer surprises me. Thursday's "sky is falling" editorial about all of the problems that you predict that we will have in Iraq is par for the course.

We are on the verge of completing the most decisive modern war victory in history. We are doing it without large civilian losses, destruction of historic and religious sites or, above all, casualties to our brave armed forces. All that you can say is that some general who studied World War II battle plans 25 years ago predicts we are going to have trouble occupying the country.

Your hatred for this president is so obvious that you relish taking up editorial space to try to spin down the accomplishments of this war and the one in Afghanistan.

But, believe me, the rest of the Arab world is getting the picture, and will have a new respect for the United States. We're not your Bill Clinton pushover anymore.

Steve Klingel
Edwardsville

[cyncooper]

Helpers served cigarettes, tea and cookies to Simone, Carbins and two other Marines as the officers explained their mission.

"Tell him that we came to see him to show him our respect," Carbins said.

Another great account of what is happening.

Others have noted the very touching "Are we free yet?" question, which brought tears to my eyes, so I thought I'd highlight this fun part. Tea and smokes!

[afraidfortherepublic]

Steve Klingel's letter warms my heart!

[scott7278]

Me too -- it's good to know the "good guys" are out there.

[TEXOKIE]

bttt

[TEXOKIE]

Thought you'd like to see this very upbeat article!