Iraqis Call Shuttle Disaster God's Vengeance

Reuters ^ | 2.1.03

[mhking]

Per Reuters:

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Iraqis Call Shuttle Disaster God's Vengeance

Sat February 1, 2003 02:08 PM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Immediate popular reaction in Baghdad on Saturday to the loss of the U.S. space shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew -- including the first Israeli in space -- was that its was God's retribution on Americans. "We are happy that it broke up," government employee Abdul Jabbar al-Quraishi said.

"God wants to show that his might is greater than the Americans. They have encroached on our country. God is avenging us," he said.

Car mechanic Mohammed Jaber al-Tamini noted Israeli air force Colonel Ilan Ramon was among the dead when the shuttle broke up shortly before its return to earth.

"Israel launched an aggression on us when it raided our nuclear reactor without any reason (in 1981), now time has come and God has retaliated to their aggression," Tamini said.

[LowOiL]

I'm having a really difficult time with the "love your enemies" thing.

Not harping one way or the other with you Samwise (fellow hobbit friend), but I was also a little shaky on the subject until I read the following ---> Hope this helps ya with the issue

Regards

LowOiL (also a Christian)

[WoofDog123]

"I also have to wonder if the Palistinians celebrate in the streets if this would escalate the tensions between them and Israel since one of the astronauts was an Israeli.
"

If the PA didn't immediately put a curfew or something then they certainly will be, not that we will ever see such images here in america.

[freedumb2003]

Yes I did -- but I didn't know about Free Republic then (I wish I did -- I was VERY alone in an assignment in Texas while my wife was in California.

He was wrong then and such thoughts and statements are wrong now.

I've seen some posts on this thread suggesting that the post wandered off topic.

Please allow me to remind everyone that I got upset because the implication or statement about this being some kind of punishment from God (for WHATEVER REASON) is wrongheaded, insluting and repugnant to all right thinking people. I may have been vitrolic but then these right-fascists start backing up in their statements and I look the fool.

MY point was that this kind of extremism is what is behind Al Qiada, the Taliban and other atrocities committed in God's name.

God has these brave souls in his arms and the "sinfullness" of the US has nothing to do with what happened today. Please pray for their families.

[sweetliberty]

"If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing" whoever attacks you will surrender to you

AMEN!

[MeekOneGOP]

The White House has been regularly receiving the NSA transcripts ever since the inspectors returned to Iraq late last year. The damning nature of some of the transcripts, officials said, explain President Bush’s occasional outbursts of anger at the Iraqis, as well as the willingness by Powell—who had previously cautioned against war—to lay out a damning picture of Iraqi noncompliance in next week’s speech. One official who had dinner with Powell recently said the secretary remarked how “we have a stronger case than many people realize.”

Link to full article text

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Iraq's Saddam Hussein Cartoons :-)

Debate escalates over war with Iraq -
Bush continues to press his case;
'RATS warn of consequences

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[MeekOneGOP]

Arms Inspector Meets With Saddam Hussein

[freedumb2003]

WOW!!!

Is this on the original main thread???? If not, hie thee over there and post it!!!!!!!!!


Thanks, b-Chan!

[jd777]

The "Iraqis"? You mean the two people, one a car mechanic, quoted in this article? Yes they ALL hate us and they all deserve to die. And no, this couldnt be propaganda for that 250 billion dollar war we're about to start in three weeks. We're too smart for that, right? Nobody could fool us.

[nicmarlo]

IMHO, through these tragedies, more and more people are willing to listen to God and see that His ways are loving and true.....how much He loves us and comforts us is beyond our imagination or ability to put into words.

[B-Chan]

I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with the thread in question. Could you post a link to it, please?

[kaylar]

The Muslim celebrations are bad enough, and were expected.But ebay's already had to pull Challenger items . A guy put up an auction of what he said was debris and listed his location as Nagodaches ! The auction was pulled and it was reported on the discussion board that the seller's contact info shows he is actually in Canada...So as well as being ghoulish, tacky, tasteless, and vile, he's a con artist.

Sometimes I really feel sick and unclean from what's going on in the world.

[WoofDog123]

"I imagine the "Saddam in exile" scenario was just removed from the options list."

I doubt it, name-calling is cheap compared to the lives of americans who are alive now who might be casualties in the imminent invasion of iraq if he stays. That government is going to be gone one way or another soon enough. This will, in fact, erode some of the implicit public support from countries such as germany and france.

The iraq campaign should be treated in a business-like, efficient fashion, and entire sets of possible resolutions shouldn't be thrown out just because the enemy does a little gravedancing.

I do not want a government that makes long-reaching geopolitical decisions based on who calls who names, no matter the tragedy.

[ShandaLear]

"I don't know which is worse - our enemies who claim this, or our own freepers who do... is EVERYTHING about Abortion? Get a grip, already..."

Of course God punishes the innocent for the sins of the guilty. Of course He takes His wrath out on 7 people to get the Prolife message out. Makes as much sense to me as forcing people who never owned slaves to pay reparations to people who never were slaves.

BARF!

[Fizzie]

Not good at posting links. Besides, I believe that FR prefers we don't link there. That's why I didn't even copy and paste.

[Trouble North of the Border]

"Job is the perfect refutation along with the Psalm (can't recall which one) discussing the rain falling on the just and the unjust alike."

Exactly CARepubGal.

I am reposting my post, because I hope some of the most excellent people at Free Republic that are so very upset, will take the time to glance at it. God bless you all.




As a Canadian, my heart goes out to all Americans today. This is a terrible tragedy. President Bush's words were exactly perfect today. He quoted the book of Isaiah, both Jews and Christians can relate to the passage he quoted.

God knows all the stars by name and also the astronauts who were killed today.

It is hideous that some Iraquis would claim this as a judgement and some here on FR would agree with this simplistic assesment.

For those that say such hideous things I direct them to the book of Job. One of the very oldest books of the Bible, and how it explains tragedy.

Trajedies of this nature are never judgements of God, but have always been difficult to understand.

So it was also with ancient man.

The book of Job deals with this difficult issue and there is no better recourse or argument then that ancient Biblical book.

Those that judge, will find their inane arguments documented and refuted in this ancient text.

God bless the brave astronauts who have given their lives in service to their country and their greiving families.

God bless George W. Bush.

[Anti-Bolshevik]

""God wants to show that his might is greater than the Americans. They have encroached on our country. God is avenging us," he said."

Yimach shimo ve-zichro

[Caipirabob]

Well, I guess the first thing I might think is "What do I expect from the slime in iraq?" Still, they only confirm our opinion of them isn't just a suspicion.

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

You people in Iraq are about to find out what GOD'S vengance really is!

[OldFriend]

I'd rather not be banned for saying what I think of the Iraqi's.

[Lazamataz]

Y'know, there was a small chance that the shuttle disaster -- so close to the probable start of the Iraq war -- might have taken a little of the starch out of our collar. Made us less willing to fight. Made us more willing to put the war off.

But Saddam, ever proficient at snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory, manages in one utterly dumb act, to reinvigorate our resolve to crush him.