Posted on 04/22/2003 6:46:28 PM PDT by Inyokern
Iraqis hope Bush Jr. unlike Bush Sr. Iraqis expressed hope yesterday that it would not be a case of "like father like son" when it comes to the Iraq policy of U.S. President-elect George W. Bush.
Baghdad | Reuters | 15-Dec-2000
Iraqi authorities did not rush to comment on the election victory of Bush, but they had said it would not matter if he or Vice President Al Gore won as both would maintain the hostile U.S. stance towards Baghdad. The news also broke too late in the night for the Iraqi official press to report it or to comment on it.
Bush's father, former President George Bush, was the man who launched the U.S.-led Gulf War in 1991 which ejected Iraqi troops out of Kuwait. "This is not good news," Mohammed, a taxi driver in Baghdad, told Reuters. "If the son is anything like his father, we face difficult days ahead."
Echoing the official line, a newspaper seller said: "There is no difference, they are all the same, they all love Israel and are against Iraq, Arabs and Muslims." "It might not be a bad thing to have Bush, at least we know the policy of his father and know what to expect," a shop owner said.
Despite losing his bid for re-election to Bill Clinton in 1992, former President Bush is still the man Iraqis love to hate. They blame him for the devastating war against their country and for the 10-year-old sanctions that have straitjacketed the economy and caused poverty.
Iraq was accused of plotting to assassinate the former president in Kuwait in 1993. The alleged plot was foiled and Clinton, Bush's successor, responded with cruise missile attacks against Iraqi targets.
A tiled portrait of Bush Sr., with "Criminal Bush" written on it, is still on the floor of the lobby entrance of Al Rasheed Hotel, Baghdad's leading hotel frequented by senior foreign dignitaries and diplomats.
Anyone walking into the hotel would have a hard time not stepping on the picture. "It would be interesting to see if Bush junior would merit a drawing next to his father," a hotel resident joked.
Yes, we see Saddam lived in great poverty; and we saw all the tons of food and medicines stored in warehouses there...but I suppose that will all be America's fault, too.
I think that is the least of the things they got wrong.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.