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Palestinians stunned by collapse of Saddam's regime
Jerusalem Post ^ | 04/09/03 | KHALED ABU TOAMEH

Posted on 04/09/2003 11:13:27 AM PDT by bedolido

There was shock and disbelief in the West Bank and Gaza Strip Wednesday as Palestinians gathered around TV sets to watch US Marines and Iraqi residents knock down a giant statute of Saddam Hussein in Tahrir Square in central Baghdad.

"I'm stunned and appalled. I can't understand what is happening," said Rustum Abu Ghazalah, a 30-year-old shopkeeper in the center of Ramallah.

He and grim-faced fellow shopkeepers zapped from one Arab TV station to another with the hope of discovering that what they were hearing and watching was nothing more than a US-produced Hollywood film.

"This can't be true," grumbled Abu Ghazaleh. "Where are the suicide bombers? Where are the Fedayeen of Saddam? Where are the heroic Republican Guards?"

Some Palestinian officials, however, expressed relief that the war was in its final stages now that Saddam's regime has collapsed. They said they hoped that now the US and the rest of the world would pay more attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"We hope that Washington will now have time to solve our problems here," one official told The Jerusalem Post. "Let's hope that the US will now implement the road map plan for peace in the Middle East and force Israel to stop its aggression on our people."

Since the beginning of the war, many Palestinians have been staging daily demonstrations in support of Saddam. The protests have often turned into anti-American and anti-British rallies where Palestinians burned effigies of US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

At least two Palestinian groups, Fatah and Islamic Jihad, announced that they had dispatched suicide bombers to Iraq to join in the fight against the US and British troops. Hundreds of Palestinian volunteers from Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza Strip are reported to have arrived in Iraq to participate in the fighting.

"This is a sad day for all the Arabs and Muslims, particularly the Palestinians," said Nael al-Am, a 36-year-old grocery owner in Ramallah. He is one of the few merchants who still keep a large-size poster of the deposed Iraqi president. Friends describe him as a staunch supporter of Saddam.

"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," explained the bearded shopkeeper. "I was sure that 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."

Salim Jaber, a taxi driver from the nearby town of Beitunia, said he decided to call it a day when he heard on radio the news from Baghdad. "I just couldn't continue driving," he said. "It was very difficult for me and the passengers. I've never seen such solemn faces. It was as if they had lost dear ones."

Many Palestinians said Saddam was the only Arab leader who sided with them both morally and financially in their confrontation with Israel. "He gave us a sense of pride because he was the only Arab leader who stood up against Israel and the US," said Abdel Majiud al-Bahs, a 46-year-old engineer. "Now that Saddam is gone, the Palestinians feel like orphans. We have lost an important ally. He was even more popular than Yasser Arafat."

Since the beginning of the intifada more than two years ago, Saddam has paid about 30 million dollars to families of Palestinian victims of the violence, including suicide bombers who blew themselves up in Israel. The money was channeled through the pro-Iraqi Arab Liberation Front, a tiny Palestinian faction operating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The last time Saddam's representative handed out checks to Palestinians was last week.

Some Palestinians chose to vent their anger on the Arab media, especially al-Jazeera, Abu Dhabi and al-Arabiya TV stations, for broadcasting lies about the developments on the battlefield. "For the past three weeks these stations gave us the impression that Iraq had the upper hand in the fighting against the US and British forces," complained Yahya al-Natsheh, the owner of a boutique in al-Bireh, the twin city of Ramallah.

"Where is the liar [Iraqi information minister Mohammed] Sahhaf," he asked rhetorically. "He sounded and looked so confidant when he told us that the Iraqis were slaughtering the crusaders and mercenaries at the gates of Baghdad. Everyone believed that the Iraqis were cleverly luring the Americans and British into Baghdad, which was supposed into a huge graveyard for the crusaders."

Older Palestinians said the events in Iraq are reminiscent of the Six Day War, when Arab radio stations and leaders told their audiences that Israel was on the verge of defeat. They said the TV appearances of the Iraqi information minister, who remained defiant till the last minute, insisting that everything was under control and that the enemy had been defeated.

"Sahhaf reminded me of [Egyptian radio propagandist] Ahmed Said, who during the 1967 war, told us that the Israeli warplanes were falling like flies," said Abed al-Zamel, a 70-year-old retired schoolteacher from Silwad village near Ramallah. "Once again the Arabs have fallen victim to the lies of their leaders and media. We never learn from our mistakes. When the war erupted, I warned my sons not to watch Arab TV stations so they would not be disappointed and depressed when the truth eventually comes out."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Israel; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: antiamerican; antiamericans; arab; arabstreet; baghdadbob; iraq; iraqifreedom; iraqifreedon; liberation; lies; media; mediabias; pa; palestinians; palies; plo; propoganda; prosaddam; saddam; topplesaddam; victory; war
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To: bedolido
"This can't be true," grumbled Abu Ghazaleh. "Where are the suicide bombers? Where are the Fedayeen of Saddam? Where are the heroic Republican Guards?"

One guesses that said Palestinian is not familiar with Harvey the Rabbit.

141 posted on 04/09/2003 11:51:37 AM PDT by hobbes1 ( Hobbes1TheOmniscient® "I know everything so you don't have to" ;)
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To: republicofdavis
"waaaah! (I hope it was an American company's sattelite dish!) "

Unfortunately, it may well have been an RCA (french.)

142 posted on 04/09/2003 11:53:06 AM PDT by realpatriot
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To: Enterprise
I thought of that immediately. No wonder they're so shocked. You'll have to kill your kids with no recompense now, folks. Sorry.
143 posted on 04/09/2003 11:53:35 AM PDT by Marysecretary (GOD is still in control!)
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To: bedolido; dighton
where an Arab army would inflict heavy losses on the invading crusaders.

Non-Iraqi Arabs talking about "Arabs" in masse is like Chirac talking about how he represents Europe.

144 posted on 04/09/2003 11:55:38 AM PDT by Shermy
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To: Poohbah
Oh, man, this just gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. The Palestinians are in shock and awe.
145 posted on 04/09/2003 11:56:20 AM PDT by hchutch ("But tonight we get EVEN!" - Ice-T)
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To: hobbes1
"This can't be true," grumbled Abu Ghazaleh. "Where are the suicide bombers? Where are the Fedayeen of Saddam? Where are the heroic Republican Guards?"

Well, I guess now you'll realise that suicide bombers are only effective against helpless civilians, Ackmed.... Astonishing that he could ever believe suicide bombing as a basic tactic of war could be effective. DUUUUUUUUUUH.

146 posted on 04/09/2003 11:56:41 AM PDT by IvanT
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To: bedolido
Some Palestinians chose to vent their anger on the Arab media, especially al-Jazeera, Abu Dhabi and al-Arabiya TV stations, for broadcasting lies about the developments on the battlefield. "For the past three weeks these stations gave us the impression that Iraq had the upper hand in the fighting against the US and British forces," complained Yahya al-Natsheh, the owner of a boutique in al-Bireh, the twin city of Ramallah.

"Where is the liar [Iraqi information minister Mohammed] Sahhaf," he asked rhetorically. "He sounded and looked so confidant when he told us that the Iraqis were slaughtering the crusaders and mercenaries at the gates of Baghdad. Everyone believed that the Iraqis were cleverly luring the Americans and British into Baghdad, which was supposed into a huge graveyard for the crusaders."

The truth strikes deep within the heart.

This is the best time in the world to expose other lies of socialist media within those palestinian camps. The biggest lie is that their leadership cares about them.

147 posted on 04/09/2003 11:56:43 AM PDT by peeve23
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To: Marysecretary
Although Saddam's regime is dust, the House of Saud still has their checkbook open (to pay of the families of "Palestinian" homicide bombers).
148 posted on 04/09/2003 11:57:32 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: Mr. Mojo
>> Wait a minute....I thought they all hated us? Now they want us to solve their problems? F/k them. <<

Damn Right!!

I do so tire of people wanting the USA to solve their problems. How 'bout this:

YOU CREATED THE PROBLEM, YOU SOLVE IT!!
149 posted on 04/09/2003 11:59:39 AM PDT by appalachian_dweller (Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither.)
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To: republicofdavis
Who writes this stuff? LOL! Look for revolt against Abba Dabba Do and Al Jaz. Fox News may have to set up a Baghdad bureau.
150 posted on 04/09/2003 12:00:32 PM PDT by babaloo
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To: hobbes1
"This can't be true," grumbled Abu Ghazaleh. "Where are the suicide bombers? Where are the Fedayeen of Saddam? Where are the heroic Republican Guards?"

Dead and unlamented...taking the allah express

151 posted on 04/09/2003 12:03:01 PM PDT by majordivit
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To: Jack Black
They shouldn't. God gave that land to the Jews, not the Arabs. If we putz around with it, America is going to be in deep doo.
152 posted on 04/09/2003 12:03:18 PM PDT by Marysecretary (GOD is still in control!)
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To: bedolido
where are all the suicide bombers??

Hey dip stick...suicide bombers may work against children and innocents but they don't cut it with tanks and JDAMS.

153 posted on 04/09/2003 12:03:33 PM PDT by evad ("We'll put a boot in yer ass...it's the American way"..Toby)
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To: bedolido
The Palestinians and others ought to put their money where their mouths are. They should immediately go to Iraq and start trying to put back all the Saddam statues and pictures the Iraqis have taken down. These cowards can criticize all they want -----they aren't brave enough to do this.
154 posted on 04/09/2003 12:03:50 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: bedolido
"This can't be true," grumbled Abu Ghazaleh. "Where are the suicide bombers? Where are the Fedayeen of Saddam? Where are the heroic Republican Guards?"

Dead, dead, and...., dead!
155 posted on 04/09/2003 12:03:58 PM PDT by chaosagent
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To: ConservativeConvert
AMEN!
156 posted on 04/09/2003 12:04:04 PM PDT by Marysecretary (GOD is still in control!)
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To: bedolido
"I was sure that 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."

Maybe he'll find it in his heart to admire someone other than brutal dictators.

157 posted on 04/09/2003 12:05:20 PM PDT by weegee (McCarthy was right, Fight the Red Menace)
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To: Hildy
You're right, he'll go down in History as one of if not "the" best U.S. President, even over Reagan.

I told someone that if he pulled this off without too many glitches, he would be the most revered President in History.

D

158 posted on 04/09/2003 12:05:59 PM PDT by Pee_Oui
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To: arielb
the palestinians never cared about the iraqis and kuwaitis who were persecuted by saddam. Saddam could kill as many arabs

True ---when they're honest they admit that Saddam was doing to the Kurds what they would do to the Jews.

159 posted on 04/09/2003 12:06:40 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: bedolido
The mainstream press conviently ignored the biggest story of them all

The Marines took a Palestinian terrorist training camp outside of Baghdad....

Right there in the middle of Iraq...

A terror training camp for the PLO and HAMAS

al-Qaeda also had a training camp...another little emphasized footnote..of the American commie press...

the Liberal Press that hates American and yearns for her destruction...saprocytic agents..bent on self and destruction of the hearth and home of their parents and children..
160 posted on 04/09/2003 12:07:26 PM PDT by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
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