Guest tank_abbott Report post Posted April 9, 2003 Saddam's statue in Baghdad was just pulled down! USA USA USA!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JangoFett4Hire Report post Posted April 9, 2003 That must have been quite the sight. To anybody that is watching this, do feelings evoked during the tearing down of the Berlin Wall come back to you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Edwin MacPhisto Report post Posted April 9, 2003 More importantly? It was pulled down by both US marines and Iraqi citizens. The Iraqi people need to develop agency in the affairs of their nation, and the symbolic cooperation of the intervening forces and the actual people of the nation finally being able to stand up for what they believe in is pretty darn sweet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mad Dog Report post Posted April 9, 2003 That thing wasn't even down for 2 seconds before the Iraqi people started dancing on it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest tank_abbott Report post Posted April 9, 2003 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...9/ts_nm/iraq_dc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JangoFett4Hire Report post Posted April 9, 2003 More importantly? It was pulled down by both US marines and Iraqi citizens. The Iraqi people need to develop agency in the affairs of their nation, and the symbolic cooperation of the intervening forces and the actual people of the nation finally being able to stand up for what they believe in is pretty darn sweet. That's what it should have been all along. The coalition should have incorporated Iraqi dissidents such as the IFF from the time the first cruise missiles were fired. They did great with the Kurds in the North, but I think that if Iraqi exiles were included in the capture of the southern cities like Basra and Umm Qasr, this war could have been seen as more acceptable in the eyes of the world, especially the Arabs. Not fully accepted mind you, but we might not have been seen as Viking conquerors or what have you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest SP-1 Report post Posted April 9, 2003 Them dancing on the statue was quite the sight to see. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted April 9, 2003 One Iraqi was trying to knock the statue over with a sledgehammer before the tank finally knocked it down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Powerplay Report post Posted April 9, 2003 More importantly? It was pulled down by both US marines and Iraqi citizens. The Iraqi people need to develop agency in the affairs of their nation, and the symbolic cooperation of the intervening forces and the actual people of the nation finally being able to stand up for what they believe in is pretty darn sweet. That's what it should have been all along. The coalition should have incorporated Iraqi dissidents such as the IFF from the time the first cruise missiles were fired. They did great with the Kurds in the North, but I think that if Iraqi exiles were included in the capture of the southern cities like Basra and Umm Qasr, this war could have been seen as more acceptable in the eyes of the world, especially the Arabs. Not fully accepted mind you, but we might not have been seen as Viking conquerors or what have you. That wouldn't have worked out as well. Yeah, it would have been nice, but these Iraqi exiles aren't used to fighting like the Kurds, who have been fighting for quite a while now. The Brits had enough trouble getting into Basra and they are trained and equiped far better than we could supply any exiles. That, and we've seen what can happen with that during the Bay of Pigs. More acceptable, maybe, but more successful? No way. And I doubt many of the Iraqi's right now see us as Viking invaders... maybe 'liberator' is a better term . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JangoFett4Hire Report post Posted April 9, 2003 I just heard that an American solider put The Flag over Saddam's big bronze head. Could someone confirm that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JangoFett4Hire Report post Posted April 9, 2003 Powerplay- I should have been clear. While it is obvious that the exiles were ill-equipped and trained, it would have been a good political and diplomatic gesture to "embed" them, for lack of a better term I s'pose, within our troops. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted April 9, 2003 A soldier put the U.S. flag over Hussein's head. It looked like he wanted a picture taken. He took it down immediatley after though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Powerplay Report post Posted April 9, 2003 Powerplay- I should have been clear. While it is obvious that the exiles were ill-equipped and trained, it would have been a good political and diplomatic gesture to "embed" them, for lack of a better term I s'pose, within our troops. Ah. Embedding would have been nice, ESPECIALLY if used as a translator or diplomatic role in a unit. I can see this much easier, and if you can take a damn noisy reporter, why not someone who can help you out? And CNN is saying they draped a U.S. Flag and a Pre-Gulf War Iraqi flag over it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JangoFett4Hire Report post Posted April 9, 2003 A soldier put the U.S. flag over Hussein's head. It looked like he wanted a picture taken. He took it down immediatley after though. Does anyone think that could come back to haunt us? I guess Al Jazeera broadcast it to the Arab world. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Powerplay Report post Posted April 9, 2003 A soldier put the U.S. flag over Hussein's head. It looked like he wanted a picture taken. He took it down immediatley after though. Does anyone think that could come back to haunt us? I guess Al Jazeera broadcast it to the Arab world. Naw. They took it right back down. One of the soldiers wanted his picture with it over Saddam's head. He took it off real quick and then they put the Iraqi one. I think it's better that he did it first rather than just covering the Iraqi flag. Now THAT might have been perceived the wrong way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted April 9, 2003 Haunt us, I doubt it. But it wouldn't shock me if Arab TV shows the US flag drapped over the statues head even though it was removed has fast as it was put on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JangoFett4Hire Report post Posted April 9, 2003 Do you think Iraq will adopt a new flag when the new government is established? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted April 9, 2003 Iraq had a different flag before Hussein changed it during the Iran-Iraq War. I'd guess that would be the one they'd use. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest WhenDanSaysJump Report post Posted April 9, 2003 Worst-case scenario : Saddam is still alive, his empire is in ruins, it turns out that he WAS stockpiling WMD somewhere, and he decides to take as many people out with him as possible. I'm still nervous. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted April 9, 2003 I clapped. The Berlin Wall came to mind immediately. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mad Dog Report post Posted April 9, 2003 I think there's a good chance that he doesn't have the resources left to use a WMD. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Some Guy Report post Posted April 9, 2003 When i woke up and turned Fox on and saw dozens of Iraqis running to the statue and others hugging our troops and cheering us on, two Iraqi guys holding a sign that they had presumably taken from from human shields that said "Go Home (in red spray paint) Human Shields (in black letters, what the sign origianlly said) You Wankers" Seeing them tryign to pull down that statue with a crappy rope and cheering when the Marines tore it down, seeign an Iraqi man waving our flag and the crowd cheering and seeing them wave their proper Iraqi flag with pride made me very proud to be an American and to be a supporter of their freedom. I wonder if all the nay sayers who said that we would be shunned and spit on and that the Iraqi people would never welcome us will stand up and say that they were fucking WRONG! It's was the same people who were fucking WRONG when they said Reagan was going to start WWIII when he said "Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall" and when he called the USSR the "Evil Empire" and when he put Nukes in Germany pointed at Russia. Reagan didn't start World War 3 he started a New World Order and President Bush may well have just started another. People want to be free, they don't want to be oppressed, they don;t want to be subject to the Ministry of Rape or the threats of being put in a meat grinder, they want to be free to live their lives as they see fit and we've just provided the Iraqi people with that ability. It is not over completely and their is a lot of stuff left to do but this is undeniably successful so far. So where are the anti-Bush/anti-war people to admit they were wrong? Some Iraqi-American guy on Fox just said that he lost his job to celebrate in Michigan and changed his name from Ed to Bush because he "loves the guy, he made us free!" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Midnight Express83 Report post Posted April 9, 2003 As a person who was in the anti war camp. I knew this part of the war would be fast. I was going more down the lines of Bushing willing to follow through to help protect the people of Iraq and help build a new goverment. I didn't want war if all they did was kick Suddam out because someone just as evil as him could take his place. And I will admit I am wrong when I see Bush follow through on what he said he wanted to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Some Guy Report post Posted April 9, 2003 What reason do you have to doubt that he will? He promised that he would liberate the Iraqis and he has/will, he has not gone back on his word so far and I don't expect him to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jobber of the Week Report post Posted April 9, 2003 The US media is sure making a huge song and dance out of how a few people helped bring down a statue. Typical. Supposedly, the one guy who pounded his shoe against a poster in Umm Qasr was killed by other Iraqis once the soldiers weren't around. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted April 9, 2003 The US media is sure making a huge song and dance out of how a few people helped bring down a statue. Typical. Supposedly, the one guy who pounded his shoe against a poster in Umm Qasr was killed by other Iraqis once the soldiers weren't around. Since not every Iraqi wasn't on the street that obviously means the rest don't like us. These people have been oppressed for 25 years. You don't think some might be afraid to immediatley rush out and knock over a statue. What the hell is your point. The Faydeen Saddam killed someone, big suprise. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Some Guy Report post Posted April 9, 2003 Because it is a big deal. Do you realize that Iraqis in America were afraid to even speak out against Saddam for fear of their family member's still in Iraq safety? Do you realize that if they so much spit in the direction of that statue a month ago that they would have been at the very least tortured? I don't think you can grasp how bad these people had it and that they are now, for the first time in their lives free. This is a huge deal. I hadn't heard about the guy who slapped the picture with his shoe possibly being killed but if he was that was 2 1/2 weeks ago or so and the war had just begun. Now all the Iraqis from Baghdad to the south know that they are free and I doubt you'll see too much more of that type of shit. Not many people are going to support Saddam now that he is dead/out of power/whatever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MentallyNormal Report post Posted April 9, 2003 When i woke up and turned Fox on and saw dozens of Iraqis running to the statue and others hugging our troops and cheering us on, two Iraqi guys holding a sign that they had presumably taken from from human shields that said "Go Home (in red spray paint) Human Shields (in black letters, what the sign origianlly said) You Wankers" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RenegadeX28 Report post Posted April 10, 2003 It was quite a piece of history to see. It must have felt like a huge burden was lifted off the Iraqi's backs. I think this is the sign that the war is winding down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Spicy McHaggis Report post Posted April 10, 2003 A soldier put the U.S. flag over Hussein's head. It looked like he wanted a picture taken. He took it down immediatley after though. Does anyone think that could come back to haunt us? I guess Al Jazeera broadcast it to the Arab world. Al-Jazeera can kiss my royal Irish ass. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
