Seeing pictures of Saddam being beaten with shoes, Yemenis change attitude

Kuwait News Agency ^ | April 11, 2003 | Yahia Al-Haddi

[HAL9000]

SANAA, April 11 (KUNA) -- Some Yemenis who had sentiments of admiration for the deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, now have different feelings toward the man, whose statues were downed and his posters were beaten with shoes in public places in the Iraqi war-stricken capital Baghdad.

Saeed Abdullah, 40, who manages a popular cafe in the heart of the Yemeni capital, said the sudden disappearance of Saddam has become the main topic of daily debates among his customers, and protested that these discussions often heat up and turn into quarrels.

Hamdi Ahmad, a government employee, said, "our sentiments toward him turned into hatred after we saw the Iraqis smashing his posters and statues in Baghdad .. Now we realise that the Iraqis know him better than us."

Tewfic Al-Sabri, 25, a student, said the shift in the public feelings toward Saddam was normal and expected. Saddam, he added, had become popular in Yemen when he had vowed to liberate Palestine and fought Iran. "But it was established that his war on Iran was senselss and pledges were mere empty slogans."

A university professsor, who asked not to mention his name, affirmed that the pictures, broadcast live by television satellite stations worldwide on Wednesday of Iraqis smashing the pictures and statues of Saddam changed the Yemenis' sentiments of admiration toward the man to feelings of hatrede.

[?]urs being glued in front of the television, listening to flat lies of Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Al-Sahaf, pledging victory and cursing the coalition forces.

"I was not aware of the fact that the Iraqi people were yearning to get rid of the tyrrant," he said.

Ahmad Al-Wasabi, who runs a store for electronic appliances, has just removed a large photo of Saddam that had decorated his shop. "I no longer view such a dictator with admiration ... We have been baffled and I believe that he is the cause of the crises in the region."

Naef Hassan, political editor of the opposition newspaper, Al-Wadawi, said the general sentiments toward the deposed regime was being transformed in the country as a result of the lies made by the leaders of this defunct regime.

"Many people in Yemen changed their attitude toward Saddam's regime after seeing photos of the man being beaten with shoes on streets of Baghdad." Fathi Abul Nasr, a poet, said he was pleased with the downfall of the regime of Saddam. "The educated elite hates Saddam .. no poet in the world loves Saddam .. poets can't stand dictators."

Abul Nasr said he received e-mails from an Iraqi friend, who has been living in London since nine years ago because Saddam executed many members of her family. She recalled hearing groaning voices of inmates at pain while visiting her imprisoned father, brothers and relatives at an Iraqi prison. Nabil Sabaa, a well-known writer, said the fall of Saddam symbolizes end of Arab leaders known of empty rhetoric and slogans. "Any leader like Saddam will evaporate and forgotten." (end)

[T'wit]

I think we would do well to send a huge batch of shoes to the Middle East.

[EternalVigilance]

The truth always wins eventually.

[speedy]

I would hate to be so extreme as to say that maybe there are a few rays of hope out there. But maybe there are. A few, anyway. Have to start somewhere. Also, to be honest, I underestimated the staunchness of the Kuwaitis on this one. I lived there for several years right after the Gulf War, when they treated all Americans like heroes, but support held up throughout this war -- the polls I saw showed something like 89 percent approval. That's even better than here.

[JustTheTruth]

Truly Amazing. Have these people - including their "university professors" been living UNDER A ROCK or a pile of sand somewhere??????

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[Naspino]

"The educated elite hates Saddam .. no poet in the world loves Saddam .. poets can't stand dictators."

Why does EVERY story the media publishes have a quote that is so laughable.

[Guillermo]

pledges were mere empty slogans."

This, coming from an Arab? Impossible!!

[Theresa]

Good post. Thanks.

[aristotleman]

Many wise things could be told to the Yemenis.

The only thing that comes to mind is, however

plainly..........

DUUUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FairOpinion]

"A university professsor, who asked not to mention his name, affirmed that the pictures, broadcast live by television satellite stations worldwide on Wednesday of Iraqis smashing the pictures and statues of Saddam changed the Yemenis' sentiments of admiration toward the man to feelings of hatrede. "
----

Great news! Thanks for posting it.

I figured that this victory will do more to change the mind of the "Arab street" than any of the namby-pamby things the appeasers were advocating for us to do.

Now the entire Arab world can see that the US LIBERATED the oppressed Iraqi people from a hated and feared dictator.

[Naspino]

I'll play devil's advocate. I've been think if Canada and France invade the United States -- don't you think the liberals would pour into the streets burning pictures of Bush and the American Flag. Free from democracy once and for all -- all hail socialism! Yada yada.

[dighton]

[El Cid]

Truly Amazing. Have these people - including their "university professors" been living UNDER A ROCK or a pile of sand somewhere??????

Nah. I heard that they just get the NY Times and CNN in Yemen. Their reaction is understandable...'Who knew?'

[ScholarWarrior]

I wish, I really, really wish.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Vote with your shoes.

What was Khruschev thinking of, anyway?

[SamAdams76]

Just think, we could have sent Imelda Marcos over there 15 years ago and have been rid of two regimes all at once.

[ETERNAL WARMING]

Have these people - including their "university professors" been living UNDER A ROCK or a pile of sand somewhere??????

No, just under regimes who tell the citizenry what they want the citizenry to hear. Propaganda fed them in the Mosques along with their prayers.

USA and Israel are the great Satans, doncha know.

[Conservababe]

I heard an interesting observation from a contributor to FOX news. Sorry, I did not catch his name.

He said that people in the middle east who can travel, do not travel to each other's countries. Thus, they really are uneducated about their neignbors.

[Husker24]

"The educated elite hates Saddam

what a difference 8000 miles makes.