Baghdad: 8 blocks from the Green Zone. Who do you believe?

Question

Meeting a woman via IM who revealed herself as an Iraqi, I asker her the 10 mil $ question: What do the average Iraqi think? Do they want the US occupying Iraq for the next 3 to 15 years? She said she personally want the US there because the secular violence caused by the war would be worse. But she admit, it WAS BETTER under Saddam. There were no bombings, secular hit squads, soldiers roaming the streets shooting 1st and asking questions after. Women and children were not dying daily. But 5 out of 7 of her neighbors, friends, and relatives want the US out now, this moment. Who do you believe? Someone suffering there or a government that even now tries to do an end around on the Supreme Court on illegal military tribunals?

When she say it was better under Saddam. Under Saddam she could go out to the market and have a 98.9% expectancy of returning home safe. She doesn't feel safe. Some neighbors lost lives to roadside bombs or mistaken for rebels. Maybe is some of you would go life in an inner city drug turf. Maybe you would not feel as safe walking the streets. And if you Would not walk the street of some cities after dark, imagine feeling like that everyday you left your home.

Well, enough times has gone. Here is the break down of those who didn't make the cut & why:

Bud--Was in the park but missed the main reason.

Rock..UNder Saddam only those opposing were in peril. Now EVERYONE is.

SNCK--No comment. I can not say anything against the feeble minded

Acardia--Maybe true. But Americans created that situation in LA too

Vas..741--Saddam got to where he was by the blessing and help of the US when he was fighting Iran(hated because of the embassy taking)

Tricia--Almost made it, but refuse to see that the invasion is the cause to the chaos. All that is going on was not going on under Saddam.

Answer 1

I think that Iraqi people are going through a very very tough time. Much like the people devastated by Hurricane Katrina - only more so because they do not have a stable government and must face violence every day. It seems like they do not know how to build a government that is not a dictatorship - while the US is trying to get them to build a government based on democracy. Their religious beliefs run contrary to a democratic government. Until the US recognizes the cultural and religious differences, the situation will remain a stalemate - mostly stale... Those that were wealthy under Saddam are most likely the ones that are complaining now, and the poor are struggling as they always have.

Answer 2

I think that if the Iraqi's really desired to be "free" of oppression by Saddam, they should have fought for it themselves. The US basically forced them into a democracy by removing Saddam from power, and now things are not going as planned and the US looks like the bad guy. War is never a good answer, and there will be turmiol in Iraq for years to come. But, perhaps if the Iraqi people had initiated the overthrow of Saddam themselves, they would be more willing to stay strong and see the new country through to it's finished product. As it is now, innocent people are dying, insurgents are moving in, and it is easy to blame the US military and look back and say things were better under Saddam.

Answer 3

The people here were happy to first see us but, what they don't understand is that change doesn't happen overnight. They wantED Saddam out but now they are faced with the responsibilities of actually working for soemthing. They are the kind of people that need to be told what to do, how to do it, when to do it, etc. There are some countries that rely on a dicatator to tell them how to do things. Yes, there was extreme poverty to some and extreme wealth to other, no inbetween. Either you were dirt poor, not allowed to go to school, speak your mind or you were given eveything on a silver pallet. Either way, this is not condusive to success. Yes, there were not people dying under Saddam's regime or, at least they had a choice. Before, if they said anything bad about Saddam, they were killed. They knew the consequences. Now, they can walk to the store for a loaf of bread and be blown up by a car bomb. They need to decide what is better. If it was me, I would rather have the choice of speaking badly about someone... (menaing the US would have to leave and put Saddam back in power). Who knows... there are so many viarables and so many different people, just like the US. We (US) should not be forcing "democracy" onto them though, just as I said, some countries and people just will NOT functoin on this system.

Answer 4

COMPLETE BS!!!!!!

Even if this was legit, I bet this Iraqi chick wouldnt have been chatting away on IM under Sadaam. Its not like they were even allowed to own Satellite Dishes much less Computers with Internet Access. What a LOAD OF CRAP!!

I don't know what is funnier, the orignial poster for thinking this sounded legit or those of you that actually bought into this bull crap. Wait is this funny or scary.

BTW, Its a good thing this average Iraqi woman spoke english, huh? Who do I believe? I think Santa Claus has a better grasp on the truth and realities of the world than you.

Answer 5

The woman that wrote the email I'll bet that she was not telling the truth, Saddam, was ,and will do the same thing that he was doing to his own people. What most or the majority of the Iraqi's want is to be killed by their dictator which is Saddam. If it was at all possible to withdraw all of the armed forces from Iraq, and let all those people killed themselves if they want too.

Answer 6

Personally, I'm betting she wasn't one of those that had family gassed under Saddam, either....
Hitler wasn't such a bad guy either, as long as you fit his criteria for living - in other words, as long as you weren't Jewish, black, etc.
In terms of being safe, it WAS better when Saddam was in power - for those that agreed with him and questioned nothing. He basically ruled by fear. He also regularly replaced his personal bodyguard to keep attacks on his person to a minimum.

I didn't agree with going into this war to start with, or now. But we need to stay there until something stable is in place.

Answer 7

i imagine that the female became no longer an Iraqi, residing in Baghdad as internet get proper of entry to is modern-day constrained to certain elements and in person-friendly words then by radio feeds (the phone equipment continues to be no longer operating perfect both). therefore she is both an impostor or she has a 12 foot diameter dish in her backyard.

Answer 8

Baghdad is safer than LA....