How do Iraqis feel about this war?

[Lord Kenneth]

I'm curious. I'm sure some don't like bombs raining down in their country, but some may rather have bombs than Saddam and the Ba'ath party...

Curious as to what Iraqis have said to American troops...

[Goshawk]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2897711.stm
One man sobbed for his five-year-old son killed while playing near the vegetable market.

"After this crime, I wish I could see [US President George W] Bush in order to cut him to pieces with my teeth," he said.

[Ben Shniper]

Originally posted by Goshawk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2897711.stm


As was mentioned NOT in the Arab press or on Saddam TV, this is not claimed by the US, who says that they believe it was an Iraqi missile.

Not that anyone cares about the truth, when the story works so much better as Bush being the only bad guy... It's too confusing to keep it straight in some people's heads that Saddam placed missiles and made his defense in a heavily populated area in order to maximize deaths like that poor child for propaganda, like you are falling for.

-Ben

[schplurg]

Depends on who you listen to and what you read.

Left:
"The Iraqi's are thumbing their noses at us and think the soldiers are demons sent from Hell to kill them and their beloved leader. We are intentionally bombing the innocents and they are quite disgusted with us."

Right:
"The citizens who are brave enough are fighting against the regime and facing death by Saddam if they are caught doing so. The one's who aren't grateful for our presence soon will be."

Most reports from the troops that I've seen - which are very few actually - have reported positive reactions.

My final answer: Who knows?

[clk]

Ironic, isn't it? The entire planet is wired to the Internet, and news travels at the speed of light. Yet, most people don't even know how the average Iraqi feels about this war. Is it really ironic...or is it sad?

[schplurg]

I'd lean toward the "sad" side since it appears there are no Iraqi's on this board to respond. But then I'm assuming (yikes) that Saddam would shoot anyone who tried to join.

Of course, that may be ironic as well. Hmmm... ;)

[EvilYeti]

Well, it all depends on who you ask. The Ba'ath are Iraqis, I'm sure they are perfectly happy with Saddam, at least if they are in his good graces.

The Kurds, also Iraqis, would love to see Saddam ousted.

The rest probably just want the war to be over so they can stop worrying about being killed by either side.

Originally posted by Dark Cobra
I'm curious. I'm sure some don't like bombs raining down in their country, but some may rather have bombs than Saddam and the Ba'ath party...

[svero]

You might just as well ask what do Americans think about the war? They think all kinds of things. Which American? Noam Chomsky or Donald Rumsfeld?

In Iraq, to a large degree it depends where you ask the question. If you ask that question in the northern Kurdish autonomous zone you'll get one answer. If you ask it of an Iraqi exile with a grudge or reason to fear saddam, you'll get another answer. Ask it of a man who just lost his child in a missle attack and you'll get yet another answer.

If you want to ask, what do the majority think... Well I'd say resistance being put up in the south is an indication that they're not terribly happy. I'm sure in the northern Kurdish autonomous zone theres support, but in the rest of Iraq, you don't have to have too much empathy to understand that, even if they hate Saddam, they might reasonably be pretty pissed off with Bush as well.

With regards to that market missle... well we can't know what happened, and while it's possible Saddam made a propaganda move I think it's far more likely that a us missle or bomb just went off target. I don't think it's in the US's best interest to admit that was the case, and strictly from a proper propaganda standpoint I doubt they'd admit it. That kind of thing could hurt troop moral and have negative political consequences and of course they know that.

[Nasarius]

Salam Pax (http://dear_raed.blogspot.com) has expressed his opposition to the war.

how could “support democracy in Iraq” become to mean “bomb the hell out of Iraq”?

[DanishDynamite]

Nasarius:how could “support democracy in Iraq” become to mean “bomb the hell out of Iraq”?It hasn't...yet. Of course, it's an open question what will happen if the war gets seriously bogged down.