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Iraqi: 'Life Here Is Dead Because of Americans' Presence'
Iraqis Happy at US Pull Out, but Fear More Attacks
BAGHDAD - Iraqi taxi driver Haitham Nief is looking forward to the partial pull out of U.S. combat troops this month from the northern city of Mosul and elsewhere.
Iraqi Army soldiers patrolling with US Army soldiers from the 3rd Battalion 8th Cavalry Division search through a home in the Al-Naherwa district of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Frontline US army commanders in Iraq say the withdrawal of American troops from the troubled northern city of Mosul is mired in confusion just 12 days ahead of the deadline for them to pull out. (AFP/Ali al-Saadi) Mosul remains one of the most violent places in Iraq, but Nief says he is sure the security situation will improve once the Americans leave town and withdraw to camps outside.
"Anyone who wants to fight them can go there and attack their bases without harming civilians," he said.
Across the war-battered country, a June 30 deadline for most U.S. troops to pull out of cities and into their bases is prompting fears of a surge in violence and worries that Iraqi security forces may not be up to the job on their own.
But the anxiety is also tinged by hope the U.S. pull back will usher in an end to conflict and trigger economic revival.
Six years after U.S. soldiers invaded to topple Saddam Hussein, 28-year-old Iraqi market porter Ahmed Salih just wants them to go home.
"Life here is dead because of their presence," he said, gesturing around him at the once busy Dawasa market, the scene of many explosions and shootings in Mosul. "We are full of desperation ... no jobs, no income, just because of them."
Violence has dropped sharply across Iraq in the past year. Some of the credit can be given to the U.S. military, and a strategy to boost the presence of U.S. troops in urban areas where fighting once raged.
But insurgents including Sunni Islamist al Qaeda still launch deadly attacks on U.S. forces, Iraqi police and civilians in a bid to trigger renewed sectarian bloodshed and undermine Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite Muslim-led government.
As U.S. soldiers draw back from towns and cities, the pressure is being piled on local forces ahead of a parliamentary election in January that will be a test of whether Iraqis can live together after the years of turmoil triggered by the war.
The government says it is confident its forces will cope.
PROFESSIONALISM
It will be a big challenge.
On Saturday, a suicide truck bomb killed more than 70 people outside a mosque near the northern city of Kirkuk. Earlier this month, a car bomb tore through a quiet Shi'ite town in the south, killing more than 30 people, and an assassin murdered the head of parliament's biggest Sunni bloc.
In Kirkuk, claimed by northern Iraq's Kurds as their ancestral capital, some fear the police are allied to politicians, or that political parties with armed militias could leap to fill any security vacuum after the Americans leave.
"Some people are afraid that the situation could become worse," said Kirkuk-based political analyst Abd al-Rahman Taleb.
In the capital Baghdad, some businesses hope reduced security measures, such as checkpoints, will boost profits.
At the Baghdad Hotel, a forest of barbed wire blocks the front gate. Travel agencies and other hotel shops nearby are crumbling, their windows boarded, letters falling off signs.
"We're very happy. This hotel has a great history, but it was strangled by U.S. roadblocks. The Americans were staying in rooms near the hotel, and no one could come in except the staff," said hotel manager Amir Hussein Salman.
"You couldn't speak or reason with the Americans."
In Abu Nawas, a palm tree-lined park popular with families on the east bank of the Tigris, Haji Hussein, owner of the Baghdadi Restaurant, said Iraqi forces who took over checkpoints in the area last month were not searching vehicles thoroughly.
Previously, the entrances had been manned by teams of security contractors hired by the U.S. military.
Hussein said the restaurant would not let vehicles park near it because of the danger of car bombs.
"It's not a question of whether we prefer security provided by Iraqis or Americans, it's a question of professionalism. But if the Iraqis were professional, then that's better, because we can speak to them," he said.
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28 Comments so far
Show AllLife is dead everywhere because of THEIR presence.
I am speaking of the corporatists, and the ignorance that enables their 'success'.
Iraq has it especially bad no doubt, but THEY (the corporatists) spew and spurt evil in all directions, affecting and harming every living thing....
Death to that which creates death, would bring life anew.
"Death to that which creates death, would bring life anew."
Exactly. But liberalism won't allow it. The liberal ethic instructs the people to "do no harm", i.e. "turn the other cheek", which enables their enslavement by elites. In contrast, the far-left ethic requires the people to impose limits on one another's rights, i.e. a ban on elite power. Left = distributed power, right = concentrated power.
'To merely do good to the evil, may be as bad as doing evil to the good.'
No ideology alone will suffice, not even a so-called peace-loving one. Ardent 'peace-lovers' can easily create amd maintain, through ideologically inspired stupidity or just plain old cowardice, a perfect open door for evil-doers to pass freely without obstruction. Is that good? ??
I THINK IT'S HIGH TIME SUCH A DOOR BE SLAMMED SHUT!
I Personally and I suspect all the American troops in Iraq agree with Ahmed Salih.
The only way to become Iraq again is to have Iraq left to the Iraqi.
Violence is down in Iraq because...
1) 1.1 million people have died and 4.5 million have evacuated their homes to other countries or religiously aligned neighborhoods. What will happen when the 4.5 million people return to their homes is unknown.
2) Muqtada al-Sadr has held his militia at bay for political/strategic purposes.
3) Iran has exercised its influence.
4) The U.S. is paying 100,000 Sunnis not to fight. These Sunnis have been promised jobs in the new Shia dominated government. What happens when the checks stop coming and the jobs fall through won't be pretty.
5) Walls and barriers have been erected in neighborhoods segregating communities.
6) Escalation of American forces to hotspots.
Well stated.Tony
It seems to me, the two great cornerstones of Facism, Religion and Corporations are at the root of most of the world's problems. As it happens, most of the world's problems could also be solved by a bit of population control which is something neither Religion or Corporations will allow to be considered.
Veteran, '66-68
I WONDER
I wonder at all the diverse comments, ideas, personalities that come out here on CD.
I wonder if it is from a particular segment of the population, old, young, school of hard knocks, college or just blasé’ ordinary people with a desire and a yen for a fair life for all and not just for themselves?
I wonder at the amount of times that we sign petitions, call our political representatives, write letters to them and to an editor of the MSM trying to get them to do what is right for the majority of people.
I wonder if it makes any difference? Don’t think so.
I wonder what would be critical mass for them to pay attention to the people instead of the money?
I wonder if there are enough CD’ers to start something, anything without money because we cannot compete in that race.
I wonder if the will is there as much as the intelligence that is shown here daily?
I wonder if it would be better to do just as Jesus said in Luke 21 that all these wars, rumors of wars, turmoil’s and all the ugly things that are going on these days; he said don’t sweat it because it is written in the big book of life and it will happen so don’t worry.
I wonder about the time and a half times and the Maya time of the end: 2012 and the Hopi prophecies and other Native American ones also.
I wonder if loving God with all your heart and soul and everyone else as much as yourself would be enough to do while on this planet as in the end each one of us will answer for ourselves.
Tony 6/20/2009
Thoughts are things.
Good thoughts are good things.
It's not the destination it's the journey that counts.
Keep wondering.
For decades or centuries, mideast zealots have been killing each other over one thing or another.
Until Bush & Co arrived, the US was mostly NOT INVOLVED in all that religious hogwash.
And Obamacain continues the policy.
OK-Can someone help me here? I wrote what I thought was a good response, specifically to Nedlud,(agreeing). Yes, it was kinda long. Yes, I directed a lot of critism to corporations. Now, it's gone.
But it could be because, as of a couple of days ago,when I write my posts, I am writing on a page that only says Preview comment on the bottom and Post comment isn't on the bottom anymore. I hit preview and I geta page which has to spaces the bottom is to edit. On this particular article, I tried to edit in the top portion by mistake and the article was gone. I thought it posted but apparently not. Did I delete it or was it too out there and CD got rid of it?
Hey there~
I noticed a change too. That the post option has to go through a 'preview' first. They diddle around with computers and their settings all the time. Other than that, I don't know.
Thanks though for agreeing with me!
(Now I'll hit 'preview' again and see what happens.)
They're just making it harder for us to post because the powers-that-be don't like what we have to say. Censorship at work here....
I appreciate anyone suspicious of power,
but I suspect they are trying to limit the double posts (guilty!) and multiple editing (not so guilty).
"It has been five years this week since our president took us to war in Iraq. In that time, our brave men and women in uniform have done everything we ask of them and more. They were asked to remove Saddam Hussein from power and bring him to justice and they did. They were asked to give the Iraqi people the opportunity for free and fair elections and they did. They were asked to give the Iraqi government the space and time for political reconciliation, and they did. So for every American soldier who has made the ultimate sacrifice for this mission, we should imagine carved in stone 'they gave their life for the greatest gift one can give to a fellow human being, the gift of freedom.' And to our veterans and all those serving in Iraq today, I want to send a strong and clear message - your extraordinary devotion to our country and to your service makes us proud and profoundly grateful every single day."
-- Hillary Rodham Clinton, March 17, 2008
_____________________________
The Gift of Freedom: the Gift that never stops Giving!
· Yr Obd't Servant
And we're so proud, we are going to have you continue to serve there multiple times
until Israel says you can go home.
Get the flock out of Iraq now--might as well pull out our team of agent provocateurs in Iran as well. On the other hand, I don't want these soldier/fundamentalists hanging out in this country. Bermuda?
What is it about the middle east that is so attractive to our oligarchs? Oil? Trade routes? How come they don't have the hots for invading Darfur or Somalia or Sudan? Our rulers make me sick!
"Life here is dead because of their presence." Seems like that is a good statement for life here. Unless of course you love shopping.
Iraqis should have thought about consequences about 20 years ago - but they didn't, and now they're paying the price. It's hard to be so cynical, but didn't we all know what was going to happen to that country? Didn't we know the corporations would invade to control all that oil? Didn't the Iraqis know as much? What did they think was going to happen when the US military came marching in to loot and pillage? We're going to face a similar light-bulb-moment here in the US - and before long - and we'll all be as shocked by the violence and destruction as those Iraqis who were looking out only for themselves for all those years... that's what happens when people don't control their government - every time. Nature abhors a vacuum - if the people don't rule their own society, somebody else will sure step up and take over. They did before, and they will again.
Don't blame the victim. Blame the torturers and mass murderers, the US. How can someone control their destiny while being shocked and awed by criminals? Please.
Reuters has changed the rules of the agreement.
The article states: "Iraqi taxi driver Haitham Nief is looking forward to the PARTIAL pull out of U.S. COMBAT TROOPS this month".
This is wrong. The re-wording is important. They have changed "ALL" to "PARTIAL".
The Status of Our Forces Agreement actually establishes that ALL U.S. COMBAT FORCES will withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 30, 2009, and all U.S. forces will be completely out of Iraq by December 31, 2011.
"Article 24 of The Status of Our Forces Agreement
Withdrawal of American Forces from Iraq
Admitting to the performance of Iraqi forces, their increased capabilities and assuming full responsibility for security and based upon the strong relationship between the two parties the two parties agreed to the following:
All U.S. forces are to withdraw from all Iraqi territory, water and airspace no later than the 31st of December of 2011.
ALL U.S. COMBAT FORCES are to withdraw from Iraqi cities, villages, and towns not later than the date that Iraqi forces assume complete responsibility of security in any Iraqi province. The withdrawal of U.S. forces from the above-mentioned places is on a date no later than the 30 June 2009. The withdrawing U.S. forces mentioned in item (2) above are to gather in the installations and areas agreed upon that are located outside of cities, villages and towns that will be determined by the Joint Military Operation Coordinating Committee (JMOCC) before the date determined in item (2) above.
The United States admits to the sovereign right of the Iraqi government to demand the departure of the U.S. forces from Iraq at anytime. The Iraqi government admits to the sovereign right of the United States to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq at anytime.
The two parties agree to put a mechanism and preparations for reducing the number of U.S. forces during the appointed period. And they are to agree on the locations where the forces are to settle."
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/56116.html
And for the people of Iraq, until the very moment that the U.S. pulls its troops out, life will continue to be dead. Except now, as American troops begin moving from urban areas to bases situated in less densely populated areas, look for a Baghdad-style reprise of the "Battle Of Algiers", replete with a last minute helocopter take-off from the roof of the U.S. Embassy, as per a similar take-off from our embassy in Hanoi, April 30, 1975, but this time with former Iraqi puppet-Prime Minister Nuri Kamel al-Maliki (rather than an ex-puppet Vietnamese politician) hanging on for dear life. What's it all about? Perhaps Ho Chi Minh said it best - "There's nothing so precious as freedom and independence."
Bring America Back !!!!..............This is a Primary reason Barak Obama will be only a one-term Prez.
****He promised to end the War in Iraq and he is failing miserably. Do NOT vote for Obama in 2012...the past five months have definitely shown all of his campaign promises to be outright lies and pure shallow rhetoric !
**Let us get a Progressive Candidate up & running, NOW !
**Let us get a Progressive Candidate up & running, NOW !
Oy.
Nice sentiments, but when will people realize that's its not enough to merely elect a new king (no matter how seeminingly benevolent) every four (or eight) years and expect things to change.
Look around. There aren't enough of us left who aren't so brain-dead or whose spirits haven't been killed for us to TAKE ACTIONS and make the necessary changes POLITICALLY. Especially from the top down.
It's not going to work to run ONE candidate. It MIGHT if everyone who feels like you do, TruthKnoller, runs THEMSELVES for an office. Pick one. Any one. Town counsil. Senator. Dog catcher. You get the gist.
A democratic form of government (Which we don't have at the top. We've got a-- nominal-- REPUBLIC.) can never work unless we all get involved. And voting once every for years-- even if it's for Ralph or Cynthia-- is NOT being involved.
We need to get more third party people in all levels of government
(and no, Libertarians are not a third party, they are Republicans that like to smoke dope).
bligh4
Unfortunatly, it seems that only a bloody handed, ruthless tyrant such as Saddam was can keep a lid on the old ethnic and religious hatreds in Iraq. The country was a artificial construct carved out of the body of the Ottoman empire to begin with, and should have never been a country.
I'm afraid that endless warfare will continue until another ruthless dictactor arises. Sad to say, but probably true.
Demonization.
Should the Iraqis choose their own dictator this time or will we install and support another? Like Saddam, the Shah, Pinochet, Baby Doc, the list of US funded dictators is very long. US meddling in foreign affairs is the primary problem!