Symbol blurs the U.S. mission -- US flag on statue hinted at occupation, not liberation

Newark Star Ledger ^ | April 10, 2003 | Judy Peet

[Incorrigible]

Symbol blurs the U.S. mission

American flag briefly on statue hinted at occupation, not liberation

Thursday, April 10, 2003
BY JUDY PEET
Star-Ledger Staff

[Newark, NJ] -- It was the defining image of the day: A crowd of exuberant Iraqis, with the help of Marines, toppling a 40-foot statue of Saddam Hussein, then dragging his giant decapitated head through the streets of Baghdad.

A classic moment of liberation imagery, however, was marred by an act of overenthusiasm by U.S. troops who put an American flag on the statue's head. That act, lasting only minutes, blurred the line between liberation and occupation and, experts said, gave proof to the astonishing power of symbols.

"Leaders are very aware of the power of the icon. It is not surprising that (Saddam) plastered his image all over Iraq," even in mosques, said Princeton professor John Darley, whose specialty is the psychology of war.

"Toppling the statue means toppling the regime, but the event is defined by who is doing the pulling," added Darley, who lectures at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

"If the Arab world remembers the Americans and the flag, tearing down the statue becomes, not a symbol of liberation, but of occupation, and it could very well come back to haunt us."

The incident -- broadcast live across the Arab world -- started when several hundred Iraqis attacked the statue in Firdos Square in front of the Shahid Mosque. They beat it with a sledgehammer and threw a rope around its neck, but failed to bring it down.

The Marines entered the act, offering a heavy winch and cable, which they wrapped around the neck. They hung the American flag over Saddam's head, but within minutes pulled it off and replaced it with the Iraqi flag.

Initial reactions to the film clip support Darley's concerns.

"I, and many Arabs and Muslims, were appalled at the statues Saddam erected all over the country, like it was a kingdom. But what I saw on television was not liberation, it was occupation by a superior force that could turn its sights on other Arab nations at any time," said Hani Awadallah, a Montclair State University professor and president of the Arab-American Civic Organization.

"It was infuriating, even for those people who really hate Saddam," Awadallah said. "For us, that picture represents the U.S. campaign to unnecessarily destroy a city that is the capital of Islam -- where Islamic science, culture and civilization was born -- and to, in the process, antagonize 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide."

Pentagon sources said that military leaders are acutely aware of the power of statues and flags. One official said troops were warned going into Iraq not to wave the American flag, because it could be construed as "replaying Iwo Jima."

Coalition forces have been toppling, blowing up or running over Saddam's likeness ever since they got to Iraq, acts blessed by commanders as a blatant -- and very effective sign -- that the dictator is crushed.

"It is a very broad phenomenon; people see statues as a tangible image of a reality they can't control. Toppling statues allows us to personally feel in control," said Rutgers sociology professor Karen Cerulo.

She noted that the Iraqi crowd that joined in knocking down Saddam's likeness also threw shoes at it, a gross insult in the Arab world. "The connection between icon and dictator is very real."

"It happened to statues of Lenin when Russia collapsed and in China when Mao died," Cerulo added. "The difference was, the people oppressed tore down the statues, not U.S. soldiers. If that image (of Marines with their flag) is replayed over and over, it will cause a lot of damage."

Not for commercial use.  For educational and discussion purposes only.

[Between the Lines]

[Justin Thyme]

News Flash! Liberation has Occupation as a prerequisite! We can't vanquish the old regime without putting boots on the ground and showing visible signs of our presence. A brief symbolic showing of the flag is actually probably necessary to help show the populace we are there.

Unfortunately, it just doesn't work that you blow through town one day, and leave the next with a fresh regime and civil order in place.

[William McKinley]

Putting the flag up there was as disgraceful as it was to raise it over Iwo Jima.

[stars & stripes forever]

Judy Peet would have been a Red Coat in the Revolutionary War.

[cav68]

Perky Katie said the exact comment, don't suppose she actually stold this now, da ya, huh!

[dighton]

All you whiners, go to Iraq and tell our Marines IN PERSON how it's done. Otherwise just shut up.

[Gkubly]

I knew the moment it happened this is what they would dwell on. We now not only ask out troops to risk their lives they must tip toe around Political Correctness while doing so.

Anyone else notice the same people who didn't think murder, rape and torture were good enough reasons to free these people now are appalled over looting of Iraqi governmemnt buildings? It must really SUCK be a lefty.

[Woahhs]

A classic moment of liberation imagery, however, was marred by an act of overenthusiasm by U.S. troops who put an American flag on the statue's head. That act, lasting only minutes, blurred the line between liberation and occupation and, experts said, gave proof to the astonishing power of symbols.

Supercilious bitch.

[geedee]

[trebb]

About damn time we finally got into the occupation/colonization business; I was afraid we weren't going to grab for our fair share...</sarcasm>

[Hatteras]

These loosers can't admit that they are wrong and George Bush is RIGHT!

If they show Iraqi children waving American flags it's probably a sure sign that they are being indoctrinated away from their own culture. An omen of occupation? Naturally.

I guess you have to keep reminding yourself that these people actually still believe that Bill Clinton was a good thing. Can you say, "Credibility"?, I think you can...

[HapaxLegamenon]

ABCNews is till interviewing the same "Iraqi expert" morons that have been saying for three weeks that victory would take months.

Now they are saying that America has imflamed the Arab world by the insensitive way in which we took Baghdad without much of a fight. It seems the Arabs were expecting us to getting at least a little bloodied ourselves, and by not allowing this to hapen we have humiliated them to a degree that is in fact a disaster.

[dighton]

(AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

[ilgipper]

Putting the flag up there was as disgraceful as it was to raise it over Iwo Jima.

BUMP to that. The flag should be raised. We conquored, and when it is time we will give it to the Iraqi people. What some brainwashed arab thinks today is irrelevant. What this same arab is thinking in 5, 10 or 20 years is what is important, and we have made a major step to changing the face of the Middle East for the better.

[hripka]

“Saddam was going to tear that down anyway."

(Credit: John Blaszczyk)

[AmericanVictory]

I thought it a nice touch, and accurate.

[DmBarch]

At the start of the Korean war, we had a problem with poorly trained and badly led Army units abandoning their equipment and running from the enemy. The Marines were better trained and led and would raise our flag over the places they took. At the time some senior Army generals were grumbling about every Marine must have a flag in his pack.

General Lewis "Chesty" Puller, one of the most famous Marines replied - "A man with a flag in his pack and a strong desire to put it on an enemy stronghold is less likely to bug out."

[Hoboken]

Hey Judy, here's a thought. Let the Arab street think that the U.S. has conquered Iraq. Then, when we leave, the Arab street will become more convinced that the Arab media are full of s**t. Just like the the good people of the U.S. have come to realize that you and the rest of your ilk in the press are full of s**t

[azjatojarhd1ea]

When I watched that event unfold live, my first thought, when I saw the flag come out out was...oh oh, this young Marine is going to be hearing from higher command on this. This thought was immediately replaced with...F*** that. This young Marine risked his life to get there, he and his fellows took extraordinary care to prevent civilian collateral damage and injury that increased that risk. There's no way in H*** he should be criticized for this act of patriotism to his country and his well-earned defiance of all that Saddam Hussein symbolizes! Maybe our troops should have removed all insignia from their uniforms that indicated USA aligiance so their identification as American military could have been obscurred in order to less offend Islamic sensibilities. Maybe they would think we were French!!

[HenryLeeII]

Thank you. Besides, how old is the corporal? 20 or so? He's been facing death for the last three weeks, hasn't bathed most likely, and is celebrating one of the greatest military campaigns ever conducted, of which he was a part, and he gets skewered by some left-wing punks that don't have the guts to take a ride-along with the local cops much less do what he did! First Iraq, then the media!!!