Palestinians stunned at Iraqi gratitude toward U.S. presence in Baghdad

National Post ^ | April 9 » 2003 | Stewart Bell

[Ooh-Ah]

'This is a sad day for all the Arabs and Muslims, particularly the Palestinians'

TEL AVIV -- Israel remained on high alert yesterday despite the fall of Baghdad, while in Palestinian areas news of the defeat of Saddam Hussein was met with disappointment and disbelief.

Palestinians, who had been among the Iraqi leader's most strident supporters, watched their television sets in stunned silence as stations showed liberated Iraqis rejoicing alongside U.S. troops in Baghdad's central square.

It was hardly the clash they had expected would send the Americans retreating back home in defeat, thus redeeming long-suffering Arab pride. Instead, they saw the statue of their hero toppled by fellow Arabs.

"This is a sad day for all the Arabs and Muslims, particularly the Palestinians," Nael al-Am, a Ramallah grocer who keeps a poster of Saddam Hussein in his shop, told the Jerusalem Post.

"I invested a lot of money in buying a satellite dish and a new TV set because I wanted to watch the day the battle for Baghdad begins. I was sure this was going to be one of the great battles of the century, where an Arab army would inflict heavy losses on the invading crusaders. I feel as if a dagger has been stuck in my heart when I see American soldiers strolling in the heart of Baghdad."

Since the war started, Palestinians have held almost daily demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza. They burned the U.S. and British flags, waved the Iraqi flag and carried portraits of Saddam, whom they urged to bomb Tel Aviv.

The terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad vowed to conduct suicide bombings against Israel in support of Saddam and claimed to have sent members to Iraq to kill coalition troops. Islamic Jihad carried out one suicide bombing in Netanya on March 30.

The Iraqi leader had nurtured support among Palestinians by joining his cause to theirs and donating about US$30-million to the families of Palestinians killed in attacks against Israelis.

The U.S.-led victory was all the more shocking because Palestinians get their news from Arab media outlets that have repeated far-fetched Iraqi claims that U.S. troops were nowhere near Baghdad and would be slaughtered if they approached the city.

There was no official response to yesterday's news from Israel or the Palestinians. Israel has been on a state of alert since a few hours before the first coalition air strike on Baghdad three weeks ago.

Israeli officials feared Saddam would launch Scud missiles at Israel, as he did during the 1991 Gulf War. But this did not happen, possibly because U.S. Special Forces secured western Iraq early in the campaign.

Civil defence authorities were expected to meet today to discuss whether to lower the alert, which requires Israelis to carry their gas masks at all times and keep a sealed safe room in their homes.

Israeli officials said this week they had not lifted the alert because they felt the Iraqi leader would become more unpredictable as he was cornered and might resort to a chemical or biological weapons attack.

The Palestinian Authority condemned the United States yesterday for what it claimed was a deliberate attack on its offices in Baghdad. The building was struck by an air-launched missiles at 4 p.m. Monday, it said.

"The U.S. aggression on the embassy was premeditated," an official said.

"No other embassies were targeted by bombing, which proves that the targeting of the Palestinian embassy was premeditated and not an accident."

Near Jenin, an explosive device injured 29 students at a Palestinian school. Messages sent to the press claimed a Jewish group called Revenge of the Infants was responsible.

But Israeli police cast doubt on that claim, saying it appeared a student had brought a bomb or grenade to school and accidentally detonated it.

sbell@nationalpost.com

[demlosers]

Pop goes the Weasel!

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[solzhenitsyn]

I invested a lot of money in buying a satellite dish and a new TV set because I wanted to watch the day the battle for Baghdad begins.

Gosh, we're sorry to hear that, Nael!

[CharlotteVRWC]

The family doesn't get their $30,000 for supplying Suicide Bombers anymore.

[arjay]

When are the Arabs and Palestinians going to realize that their backward societies and militaries cannot win against the 21st century American military? I don't know what it will take. Perhaps Iraq will go a long way toward convincing them.

[truth_seeker]

"No other embassies were targeted by bombing, which proves that the targeting of the Palestinian embassy was premeditated and not an accident."

Turnaround is fair play. The cheering from palestinians, after 11 Sep. 2001, was "premeditated and not an accident."

Americans owe palestinians nothing, whatsoever, following the post 9/11/01 cheering. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

That the US looks beyond that, and still tries to help them find a means to live in peace, is a sign of our humanity.

There have been no signs of their humanity.

[Jonx6]

Just the kind of quote AntiFreepers are looking for, good work.

[lavrenti]

The atrocities perpetrated by their compatriots in the Fedayeen and Abu Abbas' gang against the Iraqi people have gained them 27 million more enemies.

The Iraqis will never forgive the Palestinians for what they are doing in this war.

I once was supportive of a Palestinian state. Under no circumstances should Gaza and the West Bank be allowed anything more than a nominal autonomy under intense outside supervision.

They have proven themselves to be a threat to civilization. Keep them in the cages of their making.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

When will these Arabs realize they were given misinformation by their media that made them think we could lose?

[SupplySider]

I invested a lot of money in buying a satellite dish and a new TV set because I wanted to watch the day the battle for Baghdad begins. I was sure this was going to be one of the great battles of the century, where an Arab army would inflict heavy losses on the invading crusaders.

The coward's view of war. Real soldiers, like the U.S. Army, are men of peace.

[SwinneySwitch]

"No other embassies were targeted by bombing, which proves that the targeting of the Palestinian embassy was premeditated and not an accident."

Damn, I knew we should have bombed the French, Russian, German and Chinese embassies by accident too!

BTW don't you have to be a country to have embassies? Maybe the POS was talking about the PLO terrorist training camp we found?

[Victor K]

This shows that there is a enormous gulf between the perception of even many Arabs in other countries and the reality of the liberation and joy that the real Iraqis are expressing now with the liberation of their country by our American, British and Allies Marines, Armies, Air Forces and Navies.

The people of Iraq are ecstatic with joy to see our men and women of the armed forces. Because they are being freed from decades of oppression, murder, torture and fear under the terrible despot. It‘s a wonderful thing for Iraq, for our nation and for the world that our forces have now returned the dictator to dirt and returned Iraq to her people.

[The Other Harry]

... only this time shoot for maximum civilian causualties!

You don't mean that. Not really.

The way we win is by being the good guys who carry the big sticks.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

I said 3 weeks ago that the lies reported by the Arab media would come back to haunt them, when it was found out what liars they were. And I was correct.

[CyberAnt]

I'm wondering if any of these people will finally figure out they were being lied to about the USA and Iraq ...?? Yeah, okay - I'm not holding my breath!

[The Other Harry]

[The Old Hoosier]

This victory will already be a good thing just because so many Arabs now see that their press consists of LIARS. They hear these ridiculous reports, only to see us in Baghdad the following week, AND to see the Iraqis wildly celebrating our entrance and toppling statues of Hussein!

Ironically, we can thank Baghdad Bob and his preposterous lies for perhaps deterring a generation of suicide bombers.

[Russian Sage]

"I feel as if a dagger has been stuck in my heart when I see American soldiers strolling in the heart of Baghdad."

He can't understand the Iraqis' exuberance because his only frame of reference for "oppression" is Israel.  He just doesn't realize what real oppression is.