Defeats dismay Arab media

The Daily Telegraph ^ | April 7, 2003 | Gerald Butt

[MadIvan]

Arab satellite news channels, broadcasting footage of advances by coalition forces on Baghdad, are beginning to question whether Saddam Hussein has put up a proper fight against the allied advances.

Throughout the Arab world there is a mood of disappointment. The initial resistance by Saddam's forces raised expectations that he would put up a tougher fight around the capital.

"Why is he letting the Arabs down now," a Lebanese caller asked a phone-in programme, "when his forces fought so bravely in the south of the country?"

A presenter on the Dubai-based al-Arabiya television network said the Iraqi leader had promised "surprises" that would inflict huge losses. "Why have we not seen the surprises?"

A military expert later wondered why the Iraqi army had not concentrated on attacking the allies' supply lines, rather than moving forces back to try to defend Baghdad. "Saddam's fedayeen should be attacking the trucks carrying food, water and fuel," he added.

"Why didn't Saddam order all the bridges to be blown up along the route to the capital?" another studio guest wondered.

Several Arab newspapers highlight the discrepancy between Iraq's assessment of the war and that of the coalition forces. "The information war is intensifying," said al-Sharq in Qatar. In Jordan, al-Rai asked "where the real truth lies amid the confusion and contradiction of the news reports?" Nevertheless, on its front page the paper's main headline read: "Iraq retakes Saddam airport."

The Lebanese daily al-Nahar went one better, saying that "Saddam led the attack to retake the airport", while Akhbar al-Khaleej in Bahrain said: "We have wiped out the invading forces at the airport."

But other Arab papers adopt a more realistic line, with al-Watan in Saudi Arabia declaring that "the Americans have taken the airport and the Iraqis have retreated into Baghdad".

Kuwait's Rai al-Am assessed the situation in three words: "Baghdad's last stand."

[bribriagain]

"Saddam led the attack to retake the airport"

Saddam and What Army?

[KriegerGeist]

"So many losers, so much ammo..."

Didn't I reads they have now captured over 120 ammo bunkers filled to the rafters? Some military guy said something like they have already found more ordnance than they have stored at Camp Lejune. Another said something like they've found more ordnance than our combined forces brought with them into Kuwait...

So, you're right. We don't even have to re-supply from the States...just used their own stuff against them.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Throughout the Arab world there is a mood of disappointment. The initial resistance by Saddam's forces raised expectations that he would put up a tougher fight around the capital.

Bwa-hahahahahahahhahhah. Those suckers bought that banquet of BS hook line and sinker, and now reality is crashing down like a sledgehammer against their testicles. Ha ha heh...

[tessalu]

Arabs like lies, have you not noticed? They prefer a lie over the truth. "Believe a lie and be damned". They need to change their way of thinking.

[mj1234]

No they just have an "official rag" that can't tell a lie.

Think, if you only heard crap from Jennings/arnett..

only read from the NYtimes editor column what would you
think? marxist/dictator regimes first order of battle
control the press and the schools--indoctrinate,indoctrinate

INDOCTRINATE! this is Orwell's 1984

[Salvation]

At least some are seeing what is actually happening rather than believing the Iraqi spin zone master, Bagdad Bob.

[george wythe]

They do this every time something happens. Their press misleads them to the heights of ecstasy and then reality falls on them. Yet they keep on believing their fake press over and over again.

It reminds me of battered women going back to their abusive husbands.

"Maybe next time they will tell me the truth."

[buffyt]

may I borrow that? I can use it when I have to argue with Lefties who support Hussein, instead of USA.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

I have always felt that in some weird way, the Arab Media, the US liberal media, and the anti-war crowd may have given Saddam a false sense of hope....that he could win beleiveing the US forces were like the liberals and their media supporters

He learned otherwise real quickly. His Republican Guard fought like a male San Francisco Democrat...his Feyadeen eventually got rounded up (most are now dead from UK forces).....and his weapons have been rendered mostly useless by the Coalition

I think, in an eerie way, the left may have helped topple Saddam

[The South Texan]

Message for the rest of the "Peace Loving" Arab world:

Don't mess with us!

[lodwick]

Classic.

Even the laundry heads have arm-chair quarterbacks.

Thanks for this one.

[tophat9000]

From Saddam to Dam Sad

[Paraclete]

If I'm hearing correctly, based on what I'm being told about the different strains of Muslims, Ayotollah Khomeini was one of the nice ones.

[Cicero]

Time and again we've seen that Arabs and Democrats are pretty much the same: powerdrunk, cowardly, and delusional. No wonder all the Democrats are rooting for the Arabs.

[Publius6961]

Their payment for believing a word the 'Arab press' says.

Look at the bright side.
The Muslim press has been so monumentally clumsy, inept and incompetent, the odds are that any arab with half a brain in his head will question everything that the muslim media says in the future.

Reality is a b**ch.

[edsheppa]

Many elements of the Western media also.

[Mr. Mojo]

"Why is he letting the Arabs down now," a Lebanese caller asked a phone-in programme, "when his forces fought so bravely in the south of the country?"

Bravely? Ambushing a few of our troops after pretending to surrender is brave? ...LOL!

[EternalVigilance]

Indeed. The same could be said for the leftwing press in America and Europe, of course.

Hopefully many have seen the truth.

[Mr. Mojo]

A presenter on the Dubai-based al-Arabiya television network said the Iraqi leader had promised "surprises" that would inflict huge losses. "Why have we not seen the surprises?"

It sounds like many of these jokers wanted Saddam to use bio/chem weapons.

[goldstategop]

hehehe.... especially The New York Times no doubt put off by Brit Hume's joke at their expense!