Looting easing but anger rising in Baghdad

[John Bryce]

Looting easing but anger rising in Baghdad (http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/04/13/baghdad_030413)

Iraqis' feeling of concern could quickly change to anger with soldiers who call themselves liberators, says a senior CBC foreign correspondent. "The dominant anxiety is clearly the lack of order," says Don Murray in Baghdad.

Basics like electricity and water have still not been restored Baghdad, he said. "Increasingly, people are blaming the Americans."

Murray, who has extensive experience in reporting from war zones, said one can't just expect a city to run itself when there's a vacuum of power.

The U.S. took military control of Baghdad on Wednesday.

"It's not as if they don't know this," he said, pointing to the U.S.'s similar behaviour in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

The U.S. must make a quicker transition from Baghdad as war zone to one of transition to a civil society. Otherwise, as time goes on, Iraqis will get angrier, he said.

[corplinx]

I love reporters who think Rome was built in a day.

[crackmonkey]

Goddammit! It's been 5 days, and we still don't have cable TV! What kind of liberation is this?? American bastard infidels...

[iain]

Originally posted by crackmonkey
Goddammit! It's been 5 days, and we still don't have cable TV! What kind of liberation is this?? American bastard infidels... I think for many people the lack of water and electricity is what's troubling them, not the lack of cable TV.

[Smalso]

Resentment over the U.S. actions and presence in Iraq will rise steadily as time passes, not only in Iraq but also in the rest of the Arab world. I look for the Iraquis to feel much like the French did in 1944-45: "Okay, you've liberated us. Merci. Now get the hell out and let us have our country back."

(Interesting report in the Washington Post yesterday. While looters were destroying government buildings, museums and hospitals, there was one building in Baghdad under heavy guard that was not touched. Anybody want to guess which one?)

[richardm]

Originally posted by Smalso
(Interesting report in the Washington Post yesterday. While looters were destroying government buildings, museums and hospitals, there was one building in Baghdad under heavy guard that was not touched. Anybody want to guess which one?)

Was it a mosque, by any chance?

[iain]

Originally posted by Smalso
(Interesting report in the Washington Post yesterday. While looters were destroying government buildings, museums and hospitals, there was one building in Baghdad under heavy guard that was not touched. Anybody want to guess which one?) US embassy?

[John Bryce]

If the U.S. government has a plan to rebuild Iraq, it is very vague. It seems to me the U.S. government is stumbling through this having giving little thought to what to do after the "Liberation".

A week is a long time to go without water and electricity. The U.S targeted the water and power plants, and they would have known the effects of these plants being disabled (they purposely didn't level them, so they could be brought back on line easily) would have on the population. They should have had a plan ready to go as soon as possible to make sure people had at least a clean water supply.

The people of Iraq are only concerned with self presevation right now. They care about having food, water, medicine, shelter, and a resonable level of security. They don't care about the oil wells, or any thing else. The U.S. government had better figure this out soon, or the people of Iraq will turn on their "liberators".

[EvilYeti]

Maybe the people of Baghdad should take a break from looting and start working on rebuilding their city?

[Cleopatra]

Good point Evil Yeti but they have to eat first. Food supplies haven't arrived yet.

[Tricky]

Originally posted by Smalso
(Interesting report in the Washington Post yesterday. While looters were destroying government buildings, museums and hospitals, there was one building in Baghdad under heavy guard that was not touched. Anybody want to guess which one?)
I believe it was something like the headquarters of the national oil company.

[ceo_esq]

Considering that Iraq's long-term humanitarian relief needs are going to be provided for by oil revenues, if you had to pick one building in the neighborhood to guard, the oil ministry isn't a bad choice.

[DrBenway]

Originally posted by ceo_esq
Considering that Iraq's long-term humanitarian relief needs are going to be provided for by oil revenues, if you had to pick one building in the neighborhood to guard, the oil ministry isn't a bad choice.
I wish we'd picked two buildings to guard.

[EvilYeti]

Originally posted by DrBenway

I wish we'd picked two buildings to guard.

I wish the Iraqi's showed a little more respect for their own culture and community.

[John Bryce]

Originally posted by EvilYeti
Maybe the people of Baghdad should take a break from looting and start working on rebuilding their city?

There are those that are trying, but in a country of mob rule how much can be done? At least, there is are signs of improvement, but there is a long way to go.

Baghdad struggling back to life (http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/04/14/baghdad_030414)

BAGHDAD - There are small signs in Baghdad that show a traumatized city struggling back to normalcy.

Ahmed is stocking cans of Pepsi in his small Baghdad shop. He's also restocking packages of candy and bottles of shampoo he had hidden in his apartment when the war broke out March 19.

It's not that he feels safe, but the combination of American patrols and growing weary of being cooped up has put him back in business.

Things are still a long way from normal.

Wholesalers were looted, meaning supplies of some goods are short.

Electricity is still out in most neighbourhoods, giving looters the cover of darkness.

[John Bryce]

Originally posted by EvilYeti


I wish the Iraqi's showed a little more respect for their own culture and community.

Every society has a criminal element, and when there is no law and order, the criminals run wild.

[EvilYeti]

Originally posted by John Bryce


Every society has a criminal element, and when there is no law and order, the criminals run wild.

Yeah, but on this scale? The looting is so widespread that either a majority or very signifigant minority is taking part in it.

Unfortunately, the only thing that could have been done to prevent the looting would have been to shoot the looters on sight. But I'm pretty sure our armed forces were not authorized to use lethal force to defend property.

[Smalso]

Evil Yeti:But I'm pretty sure our armed forces were not authorized to use lethal force to defend property.

No. Just to conquer it in the first place.

[EvilYeti]

Originally posted by Smalso


No. Just to conquer it in the first place.

Feh, nice non-sequitor. I implied "lethal force against civillians against unarmed civillians in the defense of iraqi property". Which should be obvious based on the previous thread content.