Category: Middle East, World Affairs Topics: Iraq Views: 3443
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The Dark Clouds Over Iraq Haven't Lifted Yet
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The joy was deep, but the pain, too, was overwhelming as I remembered relatives and friends who lost their lives opposing Saddam's tyranny or in his wars.
I remember my disappeared and dearest school friend, Hazim, whom I hugged goodbye in 1969 at the canteen of the college of medicine in Baghdad. I never saw him again. Although only 15, Hazim had the courage to distribute anti-Baathist leaflets at our school in Baghdad within months of the 1963 CIA-backed coup that brought the Baathists to power. I remember, too, my dear friend Ghassan, who died in a hospital in Canada after many years in exile. He didn't live to see the moment he had waited so long for. But here it was, at last: Saddam's surrender in ignominy. However, this delightful moment - enjoyed by all the Iraqis I spoke to as the news of his capture was breaking - was soured by the fact that it was Iraq's newly appointed tyrant, Paul Bremer, doing the boasting: "Ladies and gentlemen... we got him!"
What will the Americans do with their captive? Is Saddam going to face a trial? Will the truth of his mass murders and crimes come out? Will the trial shed light on how the US backed him and supplied him with chemical weapons? Will it reveal how the US encouraged him to launch the war on Iran, causing the death of a million Iranians and Iraqis? Will the trial go into the alliances with and support for Saddam by so many of members and parties now in the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council? The dark clouds over Iraq haven't lifted yet.
Thousands of Iraqi civilians have been killed by the US-led unjust and immoral war, and the death toll continues to rise as innocent people are being killed in US military raids, bombardments and Sharon-style collective punishment, and harmed by the depleted uranium shells used by the US-led forces. So at this moment of joy, other questions keep intruding: Who is going to try Bremer, Bush, Rumsfeld and Blair? Will Iraq ever be free?
One thing I do know: Saddam was not leading the resistance from his dirty little hole. This was acknowledged on Sunday by an unlikely source - Sherif bin Ali, a relative of the last Iraqi king, Faisal II, and a strong supporter of the US-led invasion. "The truth must be spelt out," he said, "Saddam has nothing to do with the resistance. His cowardly surrender confirms what we have known all along... It is time to negotiate with the resistance. It is time to call on the resistance to declare a truce."
It has suited the US to blame Saddam for the resistance to the occupation and to use him as a pretext for the continued occupation. But Bin Ali is merely confirming what the CIA and US Congress sources have recently confirmed: That there are no less than 15 organizations involved in the resistance, which enjoys widespread support. A recent CIA report admitted that, "there are thousands in the resistance - not just a core of Baathists", and concluded that "the resistance is broad, strong and getting stronger". Saddam's surrender is likely to embolden the political forces in Iraq which, until now, feared that a call for the immediate end to the occupation might help Saddam return to power.
The largely peaceful resistance in Baghdad and the so-called Shiite areas of Iraq will also attract greater attention. In the past two weeks, trade union leaders in Baghdad and the south have been arrested. The occupation authorities shamelessly used Saddam's 1987 law barring trade union activity within state institutions. But such opposition will be difficult to suppress. This week in Hilla, a so-called Shiite city, a militant but peaceful mass insurrection succeeded in deposing Iskander Jawad Witwit, the US-appointed governor. The thousands who besieged the governor's office called for free elections to replace him.
Now that Saddam is no longer a bogeyman to scare the people with, trade union and other mass opposition is likely to increase, complementing and coalescing with the armed opposition.
One demand is now uniting nearly all Iraqis, from armed resisters to trade unionists to Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. Elections! And it is the one demand to which the US has refused to agree, because it has accurately assessed the likely result. That is also why it swiftly moved to stop elections of city mayors and why, a few weeks ago, it sacked the elected dean of Baghdad University after his outspoken criticisms of the occupation authorities.
Saddam's ignominious end is likely to weaken US-led efforts to divide the Iraqis along sectarian and national lines. In memory of all those who died resisting Saddam's tyranny, the peaceful and armed resistance is likely to intensify and attract greater support across the world, including that of the American people.
Sami Ramadani was a political refugee from Saddam's regime and is a senior lecturer in sociology at London Metropolitan University.
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Older Comments:
OMAR MASRY FROM BAGHDAD, IRAQ said:
Your comments while in depth are in some cases either inaccurate or misjudged. Sistani and the US are coming to terms on an agreeable format for election. Ironically CPA has to in effect act as a protector for the minority Sunni group, albeit often guilty for many atrocities against Shia's. Thankfully we havent seen many revenge killings. I wonder if Mr Ramadani is actually seeing the progess, and pitfalls, here in Iraq.
SGT OMar Masry
Baghdad, Iraq
www.omarmasry.net
SGT OMar Masry
Baghdad, Iraq
www.omarmasry.net
2004-01-02
H.A. FROM TRANSGRESSOR COUNTY said:
Those Iraqis who were killed by Saddam must SUE U.S. gov't (NOT JUST SADDAM) for supporting Saddam and supplying him with chemicals.
The U.S. gov't's slogan of speading freedom is indeed a crappy slogan. They want OIL, which is the engine that runs the U.S.
Remember!!! The U.S. had plans to occupy all the Oil fields in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during the 1967 war when the oil supply was cut to the MOST POWERFUL NATION ON EARTH. The Powerful nation was virtually choked to death. See its weakness!!! Seize the moment with Kodak!!!
&
No wonder Kings and Queens of Middle East have close ties to the U.S. gov't & NO WONDER they flee to the U.S. in order to avoid fasting in the month of Ramadan.
I don't konw when Muslims will grow up....
The U.S. and the Israeli gov'ts (not necessarily the people; they are all currently drunk; only momentarily wakes up when shaken by Big Bangs and when hear psuedo-terror honks), which are full of crusaders and zionists, are enemies of Islam and Muslims.
That's the truth. Not just my opinion. If anyone can't digest my truth... that's too bad!!!
The U.S. gov't's slogan of speading freedom is indeed a crappy slogan. They want OIL, which is the engine that runs the U.S.
Remember!!! The U.S. had plans to occupy all the Oil fields in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during the 1967 war when the oil supply was cut to the MOST POWERFUL NATION ON EARTH. The Powerful nation was virtually choked to death. See its weakness!!! Seize the moment with Kodak!!!
&
No wonder Kings and Queens of Middle East have close ties to the U.S. gov't & NO WONDER they flee to the U.S. in order to avoid fasting in the month of Ramadan.
I don't konw when Muslims will grow up....
The U.S. and the Israeli gov'ts (not necessarily the people; they are all currently drunk; only momentarily wakes up when shaken by Big Bangs and when hear psuedo-terror honks), which are full of crusaders and zionists, are enemies of Islam and Muslims.
That's the truth. Not just my opinion. If anyone can't digest my truth... that's too bad!!!
2004-01-02
SALEEM FROM USA said:
i agree with the author mostly.
one world order and the capital economy is trying too hard now.
The stock markets are cheering for it.
Expect nothing better from them they will keep repeating their history,
they will do exactly
what they did to native americans and what they did to slaves (the people they shipped from africa).
the result we can see now, how
the african americans and native american are living in NOrth america, in a so called free trade economy etc etc.
one world order and the capital economy is trying too hard now.
The stock markets are cheering for it.
Expect nothing better from them they will keep repeating their history,
they will do exactly
what they did to native americans and what they did to slaves (the people they shipped from africa).
the result we can see now, how
the african americans and native american are living in NOrth america, in a so called free trade economy etc etc.
2003-12-29
GARY O DAVIS FROM USA said:
leaders like saddam, who lead there people in the wrong direction, must be stoped. the people of irac will be the judge.
2003-12-21
IDRIS BANKSTON FROM DETROIT, MICH said:
As salaamu alaikum
I agree with brother Ramadani. One thing
though, Dubya was probably hoping that
Saddam was killed during his capture. I'm
quite sure that once Saddam starts talking,
the whole world will hear a story that some
people in Washington won't want said.
Since Saddam had no way of communicating
from his spider hole, the freedom fighters
were, and still are, on their own. Could be that
orders were given previously, but no cell
phone was found on Saddam. I don't think that
because Saddam has been "captured" that
the world can breathe a sigh of relief. There's
others out there who are just as dangerous as
Hussein, bin Laden and Bush.
May Allah protect us all from the existing evil
that wants control over us.
Peace and Blessings
I agree with brother Ramadani. One thing
though, Dubya was probably hoping that
Saddam was killed during his capture. I'm
quite sure that once Saddam starts talking,
the whole world will hear a story that some
people in Washington won't want said.
Since Saddam had no way of communicating
from his spider hole, the freedom fighters
were, and still are, on their own. Could be that
orders were given previously, but no cell
phone was found on Saddam. I don't think that
because Saddam has been "captured" that
the world can breathe a sigh of relief. There's
others out there who are just as dangerous as
Hussein, bin Laden and Bush.
May Allah protect us all from the existing evil
that wants control over us.
Peace and Blessings
2003-12-19
ABDUL-KHAALIQ MOHAAMAD FROM USA said:
I very much enjoyed this article. I am a recent revert to Islam living in the U.S. I believe the U.S. should get out of Iraq and let the the long suffering Iraqis enjoy free elections and the opportunity to govern themselves.
2003-12-18
ASADULLAH FROM CANADA said:
I Agree with the author.
2003-12-17
BEN PERZANOWSKI FROM USA said:
there arre many points in this article that i believe are on target. there are several i find questionable.
mostly, the strong dislike of the american intervention which has in and of itself produced the opportunity for iraq to create itself anew with all the benefits of a democratic society, puzzles me. to a small extent it seems like not wanting to take a medicine that will cure a serious illness just because the medicine tastes bad.
if the iraqis specificly and the arab peoples generally would stop blaming the non arab world for their current plight and sieze the opportunity at hand to join the society of free trade, commerce and representative governance all the world would be better for it.
the arab region has a rich history and a treasure of contirbuting to the advancement of the world over thounsand of years, you will only regain this heritage through throwing off the shackles of factional domination and participating in the advancement of your rights as a free peoples in a world of increasingly freer peoples.
the usa is far from a perfect system of government or society, but we are a country who wants to spread individual freedom to those who are denied it. as a people we are willing to sacrifice our young men and women if the result is that another countries people have gaied self rule.
mostly, the strong dislike of the american intervention which has in and of itself produced the opportunity for iraq to create itself anew with all the benefits of a democratic society, puzzles me. to a small extent it seems like not wanting to take a medicine that will cure a serious illness just because the medicine tastes bad.
if the iraqis specificly and the arab peoples generally would stop blaming the non arab world for their current plight and sieze the opportunity at hand to join the society of free trade, commerce and representative governance all the world would be better for it.
the arab region has a rich history and a treasure of contirbuting to the advancement of the world over thounsand of years, you will only regain this heritage through throwing off the shackles of factional domination and participating in the advancement of your rights as a free peoples in a world of increasingly freer peoples.
the usa is far from a perfect system of government or society, but we are a country who wants to spread individual freedom to those who are denied it. as a people we are willing to sacrifice our young men and women if the result is that another countries people have gaied self rule.
2003-12-16
