SEE THE REAL FACE OF WAR, SEE THE LIBERATION

by Adam 10 Replies latest social current

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  Adam

  BAGHDAD (AFP) - More than 100 children held in a prison celebrated their freedom as US marines rolled into northeast Baghdad amid chaotic scenes which saw civilians loot weapons from an army compound, a US officer said.

  Around 150 children spilled out of the jail after the gates were opened as a US military Humvee vehicle approached, Lieutenant Colonel Fred Padilla told an AFP correspondent travelling with the Marines 5th Regiment.

  "Hundreds of kids were swarming us and kissing us," Padilla said.

  There were parents running up, so happy to have their kids back."

  "The children had been imprisoned because they had not joined the youth branch of the Baath party," he alleged. "Some of these kids had been in there for five years."

  The children, who were wearing threadbare clothes and looked under-nourished, walked on the streets crossing their hands as if to mimic handcuffs, before giving the thumbs up sign and shouting their thanks.

  ....................................

  At one stage the marines opened fire after coming under attack from snipers, leaving at least two civilians wounded.

  One man needed treatment for gunshot wounds to his stomach and left arm.

  But his friend, Abdul Amir Jaffa, said he did not resent the Americans despite the shooting.

  "Americans are coming to free us," he told AFP.
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  DJ

  wow. I've read several uplifting stories like this. I am so happy for those people who are now free from Saddam. Just what was his gig anyway. Just a control freak? Thanks for the post.
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  Gopher

  Those 150 children in the prison are fortunate to be alive, it seems to me. Life was extremely cheap in Iraq, even before the war.

  I know that the situation is controversial in Iraq, some are pro-coalition and others are against any foreigners stepping foot on Iraqi soil (even to help). So we can expect to hear from both sides in the coming weeks, those who appreciate that the coalition is coming to liberate them, others who would rather have Saddam still in power because they want to deal with the devil that they know rather than the Westerners they don't know.
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  Adam

  Well, if they're worried about the U.S., U.K., and Australia becoming occupying, dictatorial forces bent on eradicating their culture, they have only to look at Germany, Japan, and South Korea. I don't think history will show that we did any of them a bad turn.

  Saw another report on NBC last night with people who had either been in the torture chambers or knew people that had been sent there. They reenacted the beatings and electrocutions people went thru for the cameras. One guy was tortured because he prayed too much and because of that was deemed dangerous to the Saddam regime. They also showed some women and children who had been kept hostage as human shields for weapons caches.

  No more kids in prison for not joining the Hitler Youth, no more being strung up by your arms and electrocuted for praying, no more women and children as human shields. Honest humanitarians must be so happy that somebody finally put an end to this. (wink wink to Trauma Hound)
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  Realist

  Adam,

  well at least there is a little bit of good coming out of this war.

  Germany, Japan, and South Korea.

  i think killing millions of people in these countries was actually bad enough.
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  dedalus

  There is no "real face" of war. This story is one part of a much, much larger picture. Still, I'm glad to have read it.

  Dedalus
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  dubla

  yes, we are truly forcing democracy on these people that clearly hate america, hate bush, and have no wish to be liberated............

  With the regime's feared security forces nowhere to be seen, Iraqis also dared cheer U.S. troops and attack the symbols of Saddam Hussein' rule.

  In front of the Oil Ministry, a man clambered up a statue of Saddam, sat on its shoulder and bashed its head with a stone slab. Others beat it with their shoes.

  They danced in the streets, waving rifles, palm fronds and flags, and defaced posters of the longtime Iraqi president — acts that would have been unthinkable days or weeks before.

  American troops moving through the Iraqi capital — at one point, running an armored column through a main square — drew instant crowds.

  One unit was swarmed by cheering Iraqis, with women lifting their babies for the soldiers to kiss. Young men shouted, "Bush No. 1, Bush No. 1."

  "Everyone must go one day — even prophets die. We are relieved because for years we lived in anxiety and fear," said Shamoun George, a resident of Baghdad's Karrada district, as two U.S. tasks pulled in.

  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,83655,00.html

  aa
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  Adam

  dedalus,

  I know, I used this particular title as a counterpoint to the other title recently used that starts the same way.

  I'm listening to NPR right now, a leftist radio station that loves to point out anything and everything that's going wrong with the war. It seems that they can't do that right now as all their reporters are filing the same reports: Massive crowds all over Iraq thanking the US soldiers, waving American flags, and chanting "Bush is #1!" I would like now to quote amac from an earlier thread. "THE DAMN IRAQIS DON'T WANT OUR "LIBERATION"! THEY WANT US GONE"
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  dedalus

  I'm listening to NPR right now, a leftist radio station that loves to point out anything and everything that's going wrong with the war.

  Oooooh, I take exception to that. NPR is pretty fair, I think. This morning there was report after report about Iraqis throwing flowers at tanks and that sort of thing. Not a trace of cynicism that I detected. The reason NPR hasn't reported the throwing of flowers at tanks beforehand is that it hadn't happened beforehand -- soldiers were consistently surprised at the level of resistance.

  Dedalus
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  Adam

  Okay, maybe the term "leftist" is a little strong, but it sure ain't as unbiased as it presumes to be. Anyone can tell that the articles and comentary favor the left to a very visable extent. Tell you what, I'll concede that Fox is "skewed" to the right if you acknowledge that NPR is "skewed" to the left. Neither are quite as "fair and ballanced" as they tout.