An initiative for dialogue [Archives:2003/687/Viewpoint]

Looking at what is going on in Iraq right now makes me want to start a dialogue to clarify to those who still support the war my point of view, which I am sure matches many who are opposed to this war.
I will be glad to publish feedback and comments in our 'letters to the editor' pages. I have been encouraged to start this initiative because I receive so many letters and emails from readers all over the world focusing on this particular issue.
I will start this exciting new initiative with a series of editorials, starting this week. I will first of all argue why any occupation, no matter where it is, cannot bring democracy.
My second piece will be on why the USA is expected to fail in Iraq.
My third editorial would be focused on the consequences for the American people and on the USA in general.
The fourth and final editorial would be an attempt to conclude and learn a lesson from all that happened since 911 and until the USA withdraws from Iraq, if it ever will.

Occupation can't bring democracy
Let us take it from the very basics. No one wants to be occupied. There are no 'good' or 'bad' occupiers. For the occupied, all occupiers are damn bad.
Even if occupiers think they are doing good, they will always be bad in the eyes of the people of the occupied territory. Hence, it is obvious that Iraqis will not like Americans. Having hated Saddam does not necessarily mean they like the USA. They both can be hated, particularly when people realize that just before 1990, the brutal Iraqi regime was a close ally of the USA.
Another thing we need to realize is that no matter how 'Fox News' or any other so called 'patriotic' channel tries to convince Americans and the world that America's main cause was for librating Iraqis, it will prove to be nonsense to all who differentiate between normal and abnormal. The USA has its interests and it should not send troops and invade another country unless there is absolutely need to do so.
The first justification that proved to be absolutely rubbish is that Iraq was a threat to the world, and in particular to the USA because of his 'WMDs'. After this failed to be the case, the US administration shifted to 'liberation' and bringing freedom and democracy from the 'free world' to the oppressed people of Iraq. This is also nonsense because the USA is not an angel, and cannot go on freeing any country just because it is living in a dictatorship.
Then we come to the question: Why go all this way and lose so many people and money? I don't want to give an exact answer, because I may be unjust in my conclusions if I say it was just for oil, or to divert attention of the American public from the internal US economic scandals and problems. All I would say is that the real reason needs to be investigated, and if taxpayers who paid for this war with their money and lives are not interested to know, who will be?
Then we come to the optimistic Bush scenario of things in Iraq: Iraqis will be happy and a democratic government will be elected. This government, unlike the earlier ones, will not be hostile to the USA, and hence will enable it to gain all the money spent on Iraq back in terms of oil or contracts to rebuild the country.
Well, if this assumption is right, then that assumes that Iraqis love the USA and would elect a government that is friendly to the USA. Let me cut this sentence here by just quoting a story from UK-based international news network Reuters, which is just one of so many similar news items broadcast even on CNN:
“Iraqi teenagers cheer as American blood flows: If Washington doubts there is Iraqi public support for guerrillas killing its troops, it should consider the teenagers who happily watched American blood spill on Wednesday ''This is good. If they ask me, I will join the resistance. The Americans have to die,'' said Ali Qais, 15.””
So, as can be seen, Iraqis want Americans slaughtered and not just wounded. “Teenage boys were irritated to hear that two American soldiers were just wounded, not killed.”
So this means that in truly democratic elections, any puppet government cannot be brought to power against the Iraqi people's will.
To be continued next week:
Why the USA will fail in Iraq
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