October 4, 2004
OUR HOMETOWN:
Iraqis agreed to help drive out terrorists (Ward Sanderson, October 3, 2004, Stars and Stripes)
Tribal leaders in the city of Samarra met with government officials prior to this week’s U.S. and Iraqi assault on insurgents there, agreeing to help drive the terrorists out, according to the new government’s top security official.About 125 of those insurgents — including foreign fighters, Saddam Hussein supporters and common criminals — were killed in strikes Friday and another were 88 injured, Qasim Dawoud, Iraq’s minister of state for national security, during a Friday evening news conference. [...]
Dawoud said the new Iraqi government was intent on meeting with tribal and social figures in war-torn towns such as Samarra, Najaf, Fallujah and Basra to garner local support for ousting insurgents. In the case of Samarra, Dawoud said the government met with about 110 local leaders, who then asked for military intervention and pledged cooperation on Tuesday to “purify the land of Samarra of these terrorists.”
The local leaders included clerics, professionals and social figures, the minister said.
In the wake of the strikes, Dawoud said residents of Samarra could now “enjoy peace and the reconstruction.”
a revealing contempt is required to believe that Iraqis--or anyone for that matter--want their society run by the extremists. Posted by Orrin Judd at October 4, 2004 11:36 AM
Unfortunately this good news from Samarria has been drowned about by the MSM's fascination with Kerry the Comeback Kid.
Posted by: AWW at October 4, 2004 11:48 AM"a revealing contempt is required to believe that Iraqis--or anyone for that matter--want their society run by the extremists."
It's all part and parcel of the entire "A-rab's ain't fit for democracy" meme that some on the left (and right) have been pushing.
Posted by: H.D. at October 4, 2004 12:24 PMThis is starting to make the rounds:
Exclusive: Saddam Possessed WMD, Had Extensive Terror Ties
By Scott Wheeler
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
October 04, 2004
It could be argued how somebody watching the past 4+ years of Palestinian politics might come to believe an Islamic society would want to be run by extemists.
A less compelling argument might be made from observation of Saudi society as well.
I would like to note that an extremist is someone whose beliefs lie outside the mainstream of that society. So what looks like extremism from outside the society (i.e. to everyone else) may well be centrist when viewed from inside that society.
Phil;
The Palestinians were OK with their extremist leadership when it appeared to be winning. Now that it's not, there is increasing rejection (much of it violent) of that same leadership. The Iraqis just learn faster.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at October 4, 2004 10:04 PMPhil;
The Palestinians were OK with their extremist leadership when it appeared to be winning. Now that it's not, there is increasing rejection (much of it violent) of that same leadership. The Iraqis just learn faster.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at October 4, 2004 10:04 PMI got it in spades. Why not, don't results count?
The continued arrests of Iraqis who signed up on our side but turned out to be working for the other side does tend to prove that, in fact, some Iraqis do want to be run by extremists.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at October 5, 2004 4:15 PMThey're just Ba'athists who want to retain power and are afraid the Shi'a will treat the Sunni like the Sunni treated Shi'a the past thousand plus years. It makes good sense for them to fight.
Posted by: oj at October 5, 2004 4:20 PMOnly apparently some of them are not.
Although I contend I was right to say that there was no such thing as Iraqi nationalism in early 2003, there may be some now.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at October 6, 2004 1:32 AMHarry:
Of course there is--the Sunni think they're Iraq and the Shi'a, more accurately, think they are.
Posted by: oj at October 6, 2004 8:59 AMAn Iraqi nationalism would comprehend both.
Your version reminds me of the Christian woman from Des Moines who was interviewed the other day, who said she might consider that some Jews were like 'regular Americans.'
Posted by: Harry Eagar at October 6, 2004 7:43 PMWho was the last nationalist whose nationalism wasn't exclusive?
Posted by: oj at October 6, 2004 7:53 PM