Iraqis protest in support of troops in town where 6 Brits were killed (AP photo)

[saquin]

Demonstrators protest through the streets of Amara, Iraq, Saturday June 28, 2003, in support of British troops, and against the recent killing of British military police in the town of Majar al-Kabir. Six British military police were killed in the nearby village of Majar al-Kabir June 24. Troops have not re-entered Majar al-Kabir since the killings.(AP Photo/Denis Doyle)

[saquin]

OK, their sign is ungrammatical and their numbers appear rather small but if Iraq is ever to succeed as a democracy there needs to be more of this. The bad guys may succeed if the good guys (the vast majority of people) are too afraid to speak out. We need their help to make this work. The good people of Iraq have to stop being afraid to inform on the people that they know are causing these attacks.

I was watching Nightline last night and it put some things in perspective after all the bad news over the last few days. First of all, talking about the soldier who was shot while buying DVDs, the reporter said that Iraqi bystanders helped carry the wounded soldier to the Humvee. They also interviewed Iraqi witnesses and said all of them said they were absolutely horrified by the shooting and were sure the attacker could not have been one of their neighbors. They like the Americans and want them to continue patrolling their neighborhood.

They showed the mayor of Fallujah working with US troops and quoted the troops there as saying that when they first entered Fallujah there was a direct attack on them approx. every 72 hours but now the length of time between isolated attacks is about 10 days. The town, and others like it, are largely peaceful. They showed US soldiers working with the lawyers, judges and police of the town, etc. This kind of thing is happening in thousands of towns all over Iraq.

There have been several attacks a day in and around the Sunni areas around Baghdad, and this gets discouraging when it seems to happen day after day. But it has to be seen in context. We have 140,000 troops there. Most are moving through their day, interacting with Iraqis, with no problems.

But Iraqis have to realize that freedom is not free. Instead of sitting around complaining about the electricity, they have to stand up now and be counted. Whose side are they on? If they want us to help improve their country and rid it of the bad guys, they have to help. It's now or never. I really think we need to send some kind of message to that effect, via radio or leaflets. The "silent majority" needs to stop being silent.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[CedarDave]

The Baathists and the Islamic fanactics have others on their side in their effort to cause problems for US troops: The US Dems and their lackeys in the press and other media. They want to discredit Bush and one way to do this is to present this in the worst light possible. Therefore you won't see this story or the support of many of the Iraqi people have for our presence there in our US press. More killings and you get rumbles from the Rats about another Viet Nam, no "light at the end of the tunnel", etc. Look for each unfortunate incident to be hyped as another setback for Bush in the attempt by the Democrats to tear him down so they can return to power.

[beaversmom]

You are right. If the majority is for the Americans and Brits staying there to help fix up the country, they need to get off the sidelines and start helping out. Maybe these people that are showing their support started to think that a few more incidences like this and the British and Americans may pick up their things and go home. I don't think we would do that just yet, but it may be what needs to be communicated to get some fire in the casual bystander.

[mystery-ak]

You are saying the same thing my hubby says when he calls.

[McGavin999]

You are absolutely right, and we should be telling them about it. They have to have their national pride stirred up the RIGHT way. Most of them don't know what to do, this is a start and should be acknowledged and we should show our appreciation.

I keep stressing the importance of getting TV up and running. It would be an excellent way of showing them the advances that are being made and showing that the problem spots are isolated. It will also motivate the people in trouble spots to do something about it so they can have improved lives like the rest of the country that are not trouble spots.

[tsmith130]

This article echos those same sentiments....

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20030602-042705-8259r.htm

[OpusatFR]

Sorta looks like Berkeley.

[VOA]

Sorta looks like Berkeley.

Funny thing is that there is probably more actuall free speech in Iraq than
there is in Berkeley, the home of the "free speech movement".

[livius]

I think you're right. One of the problems with people who have lived under a dictatorship for a long time is that they become very passive. I think it's going to be hard for them to adjust to a situation where they, individually and collectively, can make decisions and take action. This demonstration may be small, but it's very encouraging and it probably took a lot of nerve for them to do this.

Unfortunately, on the opposite side, a dictatorship breeds fanatical violence in a few, and I think this is what we are seeing with the shooting of allied troops.

[vbmoneyspender]

can you tell us more about what your husband says when he calls -- from other things I have read I strongly suspect things are going much better over there than is being reported in the media so I would really like to hear from somebody who is seeing what is going on first hand. Also, could you report on whether your husband says they are getting the things that are needed in order to help the Iraqis rebuild?

[LS]

To second what Sequin said, Capt. David Hunt? (forget his name, but the Navy captain who was an excellent analyst on Fox during the war) was on "F&F" this morning and said that his sources are telling him that 99% of the Iraqis are for us, support us, and are glad we are there. There are two other groups, though, that make up the 1%: the Baathists/Arab infiltrators, and the criminals that Saddam pardoned. Hunt said this would be a crucial battle, and that it was important that we not withdraw into defensive perimiters, becuase that is what they want. Our ability to get the Iraqis on our side is vital, and requires us being among them.

[mystery-ak]

Mike can't believe all the negative stories reported here. He says the Iraqis that he sees are very gratefull to the US....I know this isn't every place in Iraq...he is also seeing a lot of UN vehicles lately..hmmmm.

He is more confident than I am...he sees what they are doing and none of it reported...and believes once we get rid of all the bad elements who are sabatoging what we have done things will go quickly......his main concern is that the American people will lose interest or their support will drop with all these hit and run attacks...

[Oatka]

This has been posted before, but it doesn't hurt to post this CENTCOM address again. If you select "June" you will get a dreadful litany of caualties, but if you enter "police" or "rebuild" in the Keyword, it balances things out:

http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/release_list.asp?searchDays=&searchType=2&searchMonth=6&searchYear=2003&searchTopic=

[saquin]

Just a little more evidence that most people support us, even when we are raiding their neighborhood.

A US soldier from the 1st Armored Division takes cover while an Iraqi women offers water for the soldiers during a raid in a Baghdad neighborhood, Saturday, June 28, 2003. Dozens of soldiers raided an old sector of Baghdad, finding several Kalashnikovs and arresting two men. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

[mtbopfuyn]

Glad to see there's still hope for a democracy.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the ping!

Bush Doctrine Unfolds :

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[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Winning the peace is incredibily important for our peace and safety.

Please read this important article on the history of the middle East:

The Crackup of the Arab Tyrannies?

______________________________________________________________

The Beginning:...........................

_______________________________________________________

They tried every bad idea of the 20th century. Maybe it's time for liberal democracy.

IN A SPEECH in Washington on February 26, 2003, President George W. Bush spoke of his hope that a change of regime in Iraq would herald the Arab nations' joining the worldwide movement toward democracy. Some critics dismissed this "pious hope," arguing that Arab culture, and Islamic civilization generally, were unready for so momentous a transformation. Others questioned the president's sincerity, at a time when members of his administration were still debating Iraqi self-rule after Saddam.

Yet one thing was certain then and remains so today: The Arab world is in crisis, and change in Iraq could trigger change across the whole arc from North Africa to the Indian Ocean. While it is too soon to tell the shape of things to come in Iraq, it is clear that we are witnessing the end of a certain nationalist and socialist model developed in several Arab countries in the 20th century. ..............................................

See the link for the rest of the article................

[Hinoki Cypress]

You're preaching to the choir, here on FR.com.

How do we get your message to the Iraqis, who desperately need to hear it?