magictroll Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 At the bottom is says that, in all fairness, most Iraqis do prefer it under the US occupation. I'm not sure if the poll is accurate but jus tthe fact that its at least close is scary. ==================================== The regrets of the man who brought down Saddam Audrey Gillan Monday March 19, 2007 The Guardian http://www.guardian .co.uk/frontpage /story/0, ,2037220, 00.html His hands were bleeding and his eyes filled with tears as, four years ago, he slammed a sledgehammer into the tiled plinth that held a 20ft bronze statue of Saddam Hussein. Then Kadhim al-Jubouri spoke of his joy at being the leader of the crowd that toppled the statue in Baghdad's Firdous Square. Now, he is filled with nothing but regret. The moment became symbolic across the world as it signalled the fall of the dictator. Wearing a black vest, Mr al-Jubouri, an Iraqi weightlifting champion, pounded through the concrete in an attempt to smash the statue and all it meant to him. Now, on the fourth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, he says: "I really regret bringing down the statue. The Americans are worse than the dictatorship. Every day is worse than the previous day." The weightlifter had also been a mechanic and had felt the full weight of Saddam's regime when he was sent to Abu Ghraib prison by the Iraqi leader's son, Uday, after complaining that he had not been paid for fixing his motorcycle. He explained: "There were lots of people from my tribe who were also put in prison or hanged. It became my dream ever since I saw them building that statue to one day topple it." Yet he now says he would prefer to be living under Saddam than under US occupation. He said: "The devil you know [is] better than the devil you don't. We no longer know friend from foe. The situation is becoming more dangerous. It's not getting better at all. People are poor and the prices are going higher and higher." Saddam, he says, "was like Stalin. But the occupation is proving to be worse". According to an opinion poll of 5,000 Iraqis carried out over the past month, 49% say they are better off now than under Saddam, and 26% say life was better under Saddam. More than one in four said they had had a close relative murdered in the past three years. · Regrets of the Statue Man, the first of three films by Guardian Films to mark the fourth anniversary of the invasion, will be broadcast on ITV news at 6.30pm and 10.30pm tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckles Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 I served overseas and am not trying to be inconsiderate, but it's worse off now because the Iraqi people have made it this way. They themselves have been given a chance to do good and bring peace to Iraq, but will/can't get over there hatred for each other. It's not us that is killing and brining pain it is the suicide bombers and the secretarian violence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magictroll Posted March 24, 2007 Author Share Posted March 24, 2007 I served overseas and am not trying to be inconsiderate, but it's worse off now because the Iraqi people have made it this way. They themselves have been given a chance to do good and bring peace to Iraq, but will/can't get over there hatred for each other. It's not us that is killing and brining pain it is the suicide bombers and the secretarian violence. I think you mean Sectarian not secretarian. Regardless, I've read enough about the war in Iraq to know that this Sectarian BS is a front. My father is in Iraq right now and he says that people are fed up of fighting and just want peace. There are alot of factions that do want the fights to continue but they are all outside entities. Sorry man, no offence, but saying that the Americans arn't that ones "killing and brining pain" is plain stupid. Did you miss the whole thing about the civilian murders and rapes in broad daylight of innocent Iraqi women and children? Or the whole Abu Ghraib and similar incidents? You might be innocent of this but please don't insult us by washing all American hands of the "killings" and "pain". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zef Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 Good old politics again =( America's invasion was unnecessary to begin with, they just wanted to get an old friend out of the picture when they got an opportunity. But it is partly true that Iraq is screwing itself up and using American occupation as an excuse. What'll happen next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invincible rob Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 I read this too and thought it was pretty sad, I don't even think its a "war" anymore its more like a load of people killing each other without any real reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nihilbynumbers Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 Oh boy Iraq... Conversations like these normally up a few cans of worms normally makes for some good discussion though. I agree, its not even a war anymore or even a war on 'terror' which the US Governemnt is spending 110 Billion on this year. And the whole 'wmd' buzzword. bah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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