The people dancing in Baghdad’s streets can be forgiven for rushing things

National Review Online ^ | 4/9/03 | Jed Babbin

[tuna_battle_slight_return]

As Mr. Cheney said, it would take weeks, not months. And three weeks to the day, liberated Iraqis were in Firdos Square in Baghdad toppling a huge statue of Saddam with a little help from the U.S. Marines. There are many scenes of celebration, even looting. But Iraq, and even many parts of Baghdad, are not yet both free and safe. Not yet.

The people dancing in Baghdad's streets today can be forgiven if they're rushing things a bit. We have most of the Iraqi capital under our control, but there are many pockets of resistance, and they will take some time to knock down. The huge counterattack reported yesterday appears now to be no more than another short, sharp battle with leftover Republican Guards and some of the false fedayeen who have come in from several countries. After the first hundred or so were killed, they cut and ran.

Which seems to be the case for most of the others who are popping up in Baghdad. According to one Marine being interviewed on Sky News this morning, they shoot once, drop their weapons and run. This seems to be their consistent behavior, and it can't be ignored. Even that one shot can kill you.

The reaction to our fast-paced campaign is very interesting. Today's Arab News--the Saudi English language daily--accuses the Republican Guard of betraying the character of the Arab fighter. What they betray is not their ethnicity, but their training and doctrine. These "elite" armies are used for oppression of civilians, and really don't function well in a standup fight with a real opponent. That is one reason they so often choose terrorism. The lesson they are now being taught is that terrorism won't work either, because we will use the full weight of our forces to stamp out terror, and the regimes that make terror happen.

The Iraqis are entitled to celebrate. Thirty years of brutal oppression are over, and though the fighting continues, hope and freedom have made their debut. It's time for a little celebration. But not much.

As usual, the intelligence agencies are squabbling over the question of Saddam's fate. The CIA seems confident he's dead, but the Brit MI6 insists he was seen leaving the building before the B-1 delivered the four GBU-31s the other day. If he is alive, it's a pretty safe bet he's no longer in Baghdad.

Saddam's path could take him almost anywhere. If he thought there was any chance of surviving--or if he is so emotionally breached that he's capable of little more than crying about the old days--he may have holed up in his Tikrit Palace. If he's suddenly awakened to the fact that this is not your papa's George Bush, he's probably out of there to Syria or anywhere else he thinks he can hide. The man is a survivor, and probably has longstanding deals with two or three governments to hide him. Syria is the most likely place.

The action now shifts northward, to Tikrit, Mosul and the areas even farther north where the Kurds are active and the Turks are nervous. This is the time in which the too many free groups can either join together or split the country apart. Our ever-helpful French "ally", Mr. Chirac, said yesterday that France would not allow any U.N. resolution that would put the U.S. and Britain in charge of Iraq while it's rebuilt. He is perfectly willing to let people die of hunger and thirst, and to see Iraq split like Yugoslavia was, simply for French vanity.

Mr. Blair--so good in war, and such a disaster in Euro-diplomacy--is still pushing the President to cut the U.N. more slack in Iraq. It would be a huge mistake. I don't think this George Bush is going to make the same mistake the first one did.

The President has designated today as POW Day. Remember those who are missing, and those who have been abused and murdered. Talk about it. And never forget.

[stanz]

Bump

[f.Christian]

hmmm ... is looting in the bill of rights --- some think so !

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[dalebert]

bump

[3AngelaD]

CHENEY WAS RIGHT. And many of us have known for years that you don't tug on Superman's cape. Too bad Saddam never heard the song.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Bump!!

[the Deejay]

The coalition troops & reporters said the Iraqi people are only looting the government places and shops owned by the saddams. (Cool!)

[isthisnickcool]

I'm confused. Aren't some of these people dancing in the streets in Iraq voters? They would have to be. Right? Since there are so many. How could that be? Saddam got 100% of all the votes in the last election.

Maybe they were using a butterfly ballot? /sarasm off

[whadizit]

"...because we will use the full weight of our forces to stamp out terror, and the regimes that support it."

Oh, how I wish Syria would be next.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Wed Apr 9, 2:05 PM ET

A portrait of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) still hangs on the burning Ministry of Transport and Communication building in Baghdad Wednesday, April 9, 2003. Thousands went on a looting rampage as U.S. troops moved into the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

[the Deejay]

"Saddam got 100% of all the votes in the last election. "

saddam had his opponent killed! (Almost unbelieveable, but true.)

[joesnuffy]

Well we had better get some military police on duty asap before their tear whats left apart

Are we going to institute "gun control"...with the looting...will come other crimes armed robbery rape etc...

we will allow the heads of families with youngsters to appropriate one of those AK-47s to protect his young daughters from the "new terrorists" - the criminal element...(real criminals were also released from prision not just political ones) I would hate to see ...decent Iraqi citizens arrested on the word of a hostile neighbor just because he kept a weapon to protect his family...and owned something the neighbor coveted and need to get him out of the way to appropriate the consumer good of his covetness

Yet Iraqis have been told that if they are caught with a weapon they will be considered hostile
Yikes!

And when we decided to put the Iraqis citizens under discipline...how will they react?
will their gratitude and demenor change?...its not easy to put a people under the rule of law as they celebrate their freedom with licentioussness...
We need Iraqis to police Iraqis ..we need courts and jails...as well as food and water..

We need to get Syria Iran Jordan the Lebs and Saudi Arabia under control ASAP as well so they cannot try to infiltrate and put Iraq under the thumbs of their mullahs and their particular brand of Islam...
I hope the Iraqis are smart enough to realize that we are there to help and put themselves under our law for while rather than panic and try to throw us off...alligned with their neighbors just because they are muslims and we are infidels...

These are days of trials for muslims and Americans...l
It will get rocky at times..and we need to understand that this is gonna be a long process with the possiblity of setbacks..and we gotta hang in there..

The left will try to exploit every setback...try to promote them as well....
Since I heard the report that Katie "the psycho bitch" Kouric said that the toppling of one of a million Saddam Hussein statues was "desecration"????? man I knew if this is how the left actually thinks..we gotta fight those in our own country as well as those outside who are trying to destroy us..

Talk about your interesting times...whoa...

[mabelkitty]

All private shops owned by the Hussein Mafia family.

More intriguing is the pilaging and the 300 Beamers in the UN building. Seems they hate the UN just as much as they hate Hussein.

Wonder why? (NOT)

[syriacus]

Those celebrators should be quiet, so they can hear Saddam's latest message.

. . . - - - . . .

[ricpic]

Howard Cosell: "Down goes Saddam! Down goes Saddam!"

[weegee]

Lord Haw Haw mourned on the air when Germany fell too.

[chiefqc]

So right, If you poke the giant in the eye enough time sooner or later he's going to smash you.

Somewhere in this is a lesson to be learned for those wishing to poke the same giant in the eye.

[RonF]

We can help Iraq obtain democracy. We cannot keep it for them. They will have to keep it themselves. And that means establishing the rule of law, not of man. Since this is not the tradition in the area, this will take some work, and probably some mistakes and bad starts. Future times will be interesting indeed.