Did anybody know what was happening to the Iraqis before the US went in Iraq?

Answer 1

All the mass graves found there certainly give us insight.

Answer 2

The same things happening in the Sudan, Somalia, the Congo.

I don't deny that Hussein was a horrible man on par with some of the worst dictators in world history. We should have done something to rid Iraq of Saddam (in '91), but we didn't. We weren't prepared for the war that Cheney and Rumsfeld drew up and without the support of the world, we've placed ourselves in a war that may very well be impossible to win.

That's not an insult to the soldiers, especially those who have sacrificed their lives or have been injured. It has been run so poorly by the leaders that it has become the worst foreign policy decision since Vietnam (maybe before, we still don't know).

Answer 3

Yes. They were the most progressing and "free" nation before they became buddies with the US in the 1980s thought that started going downhill after Desert Storm and our bombings of their civilian water infrastructure and anything else we felt like destroying. Even their working mothers got 5 years paid maternity leave; the nation was secular with Iraq Muslims and Christians living peacefully together with the Christians selling liquor; and so forth.

The biggest killer of Iraq citizens prior to this invasion was the sanctions that were imposing collective punishment on the innocent there. Over 500,000+ died and the US would veto any changes to the sanctions that would have stopped those deaths.

Then we invade and kill more. If you want to know where the insurgent guerillas get their zeal to drive the US out, just think how many of those had family members die due to the sanctions.

Answer 4

What was happening to the Iraqis?

Most we're getting along. They held a couple of elections where Saddam won 99.9% of the vote; I even think he scored a 100% in one. That was either because no one else was on the ballot or everyone feared voting for someone else.

The sons we're clearly horrific. They had political dissidents thrown into pools of acid in front of them for entertainment. There have been mass graves found since we invaded with well over a 100,000 dead - some say 300,000. All of these since the end of the first gulf war.

The ruling elite was a "tribe" or 'sect" of people that we're of Saddams nationality. That same group is among the most contentous now because they are out of power, and they once enjoyed great power over the other two cultures in the nation. The three are the Kurds, Shiites and Suni's.

They did enjoy better access to water, power and such. We either knocked alot of that out or the insurgents have been to help recruiting. Our country (US) is spending a large sum trying to restore that, but the focus is on security forces so we can leave.

Answer 5

Being in the US Army I would like to say being a pain in the butt. Don't get me wrong but if you look back we Americans came over here and did some things and nothing changed. Now that might be our fault but look at the big pic. I think that they have grown but still really do not care about there land or their people. Serving time over there is what I'm basing my answer on. I see the women doing most of the hard labor and the men just sitting around in the market place. I see men smoking and not buying cloths or shoes for the kids. So with that I think that the men of this country need to just swallow their pride and do something about they terrorist they harbor. Look out for your family not your tribe and rival tribe on how you can use the US Army to put fear in your enemies eyes.

Answer 6

The atrocities in Iraq did surface, rather slowly at first, but then it became common knowledge as to what Saddam and his two sons were up to and their disregard for human rights and life. It appeared that both his sons were competing with each other for their father's approval. It seems, the more in humane they were to their fellow man, the more the old man enjoyed it.

At one point Uday went too far, when he killed one of his father's favorite servants for some trivial reason. Uday lost a lot of power after that incident. Anyone else would have been killed on the spot for that indiscretion.

Answer 7

Being "killed senslessly?" Kind of like the men who fought for the independence of the United States? They were living under a tyranical leader who killed without provocation and with the least bit of susspicion. He killed his own son in law. There was no due process in his regiem. But the people were much happier then? How can you say this, what is your source? Did that source survey Iraq before the US freed them? News agencies had to agree to not report the truth just to remain (CNN) in country, are these your sources for the "truth"?

Answer 8

They were being murdered by a ruthless, insane leader that took advantage of his people and country. That alone should be enough reason to support the war in Iraq and bring democracy to this country, but there are many more.

Answer 9

No, they don't care about that. They just want to focus on the bad. You see the good that our soldiers have done does'nt make as good of a story for the 11 O'clock news. What gets me is the people bashing our soldiers. They are just doing a job that they swore to do. No matter what your view is on this war in my opinion our soldiers are heros for the hell that they have gone through.

Answer 10

Oh goodness yes we knew very well what was going on. The world public has been informed for at least the last 15 years. I know the government knew long before that.

Answer 11

Put it this way, most of the Iraq's people think it is worse on the whole now then it was then! Except maybe in the SAFER green zone! UGG!