[Vision2020] Nationalism In Iraq - Re: Umm Qasr
John Harrell
johnbharrell@yahoo.com
Sun, 30 Mar 2003 14:09:20 -0800 (PST)
Iraqis in Umm Qasr Show Signs of Security
guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-2521324,00.html
3/30/03
UMM QASR, Iraq (AP) - The portrait of Saddam Hussein welcoming drivers to this port city
has been freshly painted over with three
red Xs. Overnight, locals say new slogans reading ``Death to Saddam'' and ``Down with
Saddam'' appeared on the walls at the market.
The new graffiti underlines the growing sense of security in this British-controlled
city. But even Iraqis arriving Sunday to seek jobs at
the port are hesitant to have their pictures taken - afraid Baghdad's agents are still on
the prowl and that the U.S.-led coalition won't
finish the liberation it started.
``I hope they continue doing what they are coming for and they get Saddam,'' Haider
Abduljabar Mrayir, 20, a former student who
was hoping to get hired at the port, said of the U.S. and British forces.
The job-seeking Iraqis were brought in military trucks and searched upon entering the Umm
Qasr port under the close watch of British
troops. Prospective employees were selected by the town council, which the military says
has no ties to Saddam's Baath Party. British
forces say they are trying to assure their new helpers that the coalition forces will
stay until the situation is stable.
``We're telling them that we're here to stay until they have a democracy, until they can
manage themselves,'' said Maj. Allen Poulson of
the Royal Logistics Corps, who is in charge of rehiring some 1,000 workers to operate the
port. ``What we want to do is give them
back their own job so we can give their port back to them and they can carry on with
their lives.''
Some workers said they were afraid of having their pictures taken for the jobs because
they still have relatives living in cities under
Iraqi government control.
``The British army is here, we are safe,'' said Yasser Hassan Ghanim, 22, who has been
unemployed since running away from the Iraqi
army in 2001. ``But we are afraid the armies will go back just like in 1991.''
``If Saddam Hussein is finished now, we are happy. But if not, we are still in danger,''
said Osamah Kadhem, 39, who was recently
rehired at the port, where he had previously been a supervisor for eight years. ``If they
find me working here, maybe they will kill me.''
{..snip..see URL above for complete artice..}
--- Bob Hoffmann <escape@alt-escape.com> wrote:
> Wow. One day the U.S. announces Umm Qasr has been taken. The next day the
> U.S. announces Umm Qasr has been taken (again). The following day the
> U.S. announces Umm Qasr has been taken ("for real" this time). But
> seriously, Umm Qasr was not controlled by "coalition" forces any of the
> three times. I'd say each subsequent announcement was proof that the first
> instance was false. Or did they re-take the city by means of friendly fire
> on the subsequent occasions?
>
> At 12:39 PM 3/30/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>
> >In a message dated 3/30/03 9:03:01 AM, escape@alt-escape.com writes:
> >
> ><< you were also probably sucked in by
> >the following fifteen bungled stories:
> >
> >1. Saddam may well have been killed in the first night's surprise attack
> >(March 20).
> >
> >UNTIL HE OR HIS SONS TO HOLD UP A CURRENT NEWSPAPER ON TV, IS THERE ANY
> >EVIDENCE HE WASN'T?
> >
> >2. Even if he wasn't killed, Iraqi command and control was no doubt
> >"decapitated" (March 22).
> >
> >THERE IS EVIDENCE IT WASN'T?
> >
> >3. Umm Qasr has been taken (March 22).
> >
> >THERE IS EVIDENCE IT HASN'T? HOW CAN THE BRITISH BE OFFLOADING HUMANITARIAN
> >SUPPLIES THERE IF THE IRAQI FORCES STILL CONTROL THE CITY?
> >
> >4. Most Iraqis soldiers will not fight for Saddam and instead are
> >surrendering in droves (March 22).
> >
> >GUESS THIS ONE DEPENDS ON THE DEFINITION OF "DROVES"
> >
> >5. Iraqi citizens are greeting Americans as liberators (March 22).
> >
> >AGAIN, WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF CITIZENS? SOMEONE HAS BEEN PICTURED ON TV
> >DOING SO.
> >
> >6. An entire division of 8,000 Iraqi soldiers surrendered en masse near
> >Basra (March 23).
> >
> >HEARD THIS ONE AGAIN THIS AM; ACCOMPANIED BY THE STATEMENT IT WAS A MISTAKE
> >TO RELEASE THEM AS THEY ARE NOW BEING FORCED TO FIGHT AGAIN.
> >
> >7. Several Scud missiles, banned weapons, have been launched against U.S.
> >forces in Kuwait (March 23).
> >
> >AND EXACTLY WHAT HAVE THE PATRIOT MISSILES BEEN SHOOTING DOWN? WAS THE
> >CHINESE SILKWORM MISSILE THAT BOUNCED INTO THE MALL A "BANNED WEAPON?'
> >
> >8. Saddam's Fedayeen militia are few in number and do not pose a serious
> >threat (March 23).
> >
> >AGAIN, DEFINITION OF "SERIOUS"?
> >
> >9. Basra has been taken (March 23).
> >
> >IT HASN'T? DON'T TELL THE BRITISH
> >
> >10. Umm Qasr has been taken (March 23).
> >
> >SEE NUMBER 3 ABOVE
> >
> >11. A captured chemical plant likely produced chemical weapons (March 23).
> >
> >NOT PROVED EITHER WAY TO MY KNOWLEDGE
> >
> >12. Nassiriya has been taken (March 23).
> >
> >EXCEPT FOR POCKETS OF RESISTANCE
> >
> >13. Umm Qasr has been taken (March 24).
> >
> >SEE NUMBER 3, ABOVE
> >
> >14. The Iraqi government faces a "major rebellion" of anti-Saddam citizens
> >in Basra (March 24).
> >
> >DEFINITION OF "MAJOR"
> >
> >15. A convoy of 1,000 Iraqi vehicles and Republican Guards are speeding
> >south from Baghdad to engage U.S. troops (March 25). >>
> >
> >WISH THEY HAD. APPARENTLY EITHER UNTRUE OR NONE LEFT TO QUESTION.
> >
> >
> >ALL THE ABOVE PROVES IS THAT THE MEDIA IS TRYING TO STAY AHEAD OF EACH OTHER
> >BY REPORTING SOMETHING FIRST, SOMETIMES PREMATURELY OR INACCURATELY. IF YOUR
> >POINT IS IN THE TIMING OF THE REPORTS, IT SEEMS MANY WERE NOT CORRECT AT THE
> >MOMENT THEY WERE FIRST REPORTED. HOWEVER, MOST HAVE NOW COME TO BE THE CASE.
> >
> >WALTER STEED
> >
> >_____________________________________________________
> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > http://www.fsr.net
> > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
> >ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
>
> Bob Hoffmann
> 820 S. Logan St.
> Moscow, ID 83843
>
> Tel: 208 883-0642
>
>
> _____________________________________________________
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> http://www.fsr.net
> mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
> ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
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