Baghdad—I heard the sound of freedom in Baghdad’s Firdos Square, the famous plaza where the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled one year ago. It sounds like machine gun fire. On April 4, Iraqi soldiers, trained and controlled by Coalition forces, opened fire on demonstrators here, forcing the emergency evacuation of the nearby Sheraton and Palestine hotels. As demonstrators returned to… return to article
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Reader Comments (10)Page 1 of 1 pagesRebecca: I thought you might like to read this article by your favorite—Naomi Klein.
Hope passover went well—if celebrated at all—and your BIRTHDAY!!! Sorry I haven’t called in a while—will do so soon!
Posted by Rebecca on Apr 13, 2004 at 7:21 PM So much for the “virtue of military might over all else” proclaimed by many before this hideous invasion started.
I think we have an extra strong case now for trying to salvage order and peace in the world by the reforming of the United Nations and acceptance of the International Criminal Court.
America can’t be a loner in the world anymore and say it is serving the worlds best interests.
Posted by Patrick on Apr 14, 2004 at 1:14 AM Thee are other stirring article are inspiring to me. It is a privilege to read the “thinking ” of those who dare to step out of lock step with the current administration and his neo con supporters.
Keep them coming.
Posted by Mary Transue on Apr 14, 2004 at 6:27 PM I thank you for your information on the status of Iraq, my heart goes out to the Iraqi people. I do what I can to speak out about the crimes of the Bush administration, but I speak to the deaf. My question is, why isn’t it a criminal act for the mainstream media to distort, omit, and conceal the facts that the American people so badly need?
Posted by Regina Carpenter on Apr 14, 2004 at 6:50 PM It’s an excellent article by all means, but I still find it a bit one sided. You did indeed find out the situation from the Iraqi view, but decided to ignore the view of the U.S. army.
CNN does exactly the opposite. Don’t get me wrong, this is great, but I still feel that the information given across fell a bit short of what I expected.
It isn’t hard to imagine that Iraqi’s think that the U.S. army is a terrorist orginization, but this comes from their stance. The level of safety the U.S. army seems to try to maintain is just so high that it takes force to maintain it.
Once again, good article, I hope to read more from you.
Posted by Anon. on Apr 15, 2004 at 8:57 PM 24 april 2004
Should our forces harm, kill or arrest al-sadr we can just about be guaranteed serious heavy combat fighting will ensue. Should the attack take place—especially in one of their holiest cities—iraqis from the north, south, east & west will be incited to battle. Why Bremer is taking the path of most resistance is beyond me.
You argue
Washington has given up on its plans to hand over power to an interim Iraqi government on June 30, and it is now creating the chaos it needs to declare the handover impossible. A continued occupation will be bad news for George Bush on the campaign trail, but not as bad as if the handover happens and the country erupts, an increasingly likely scenario given the widespread rejection of the legitimacy of the interim constitution and the U.S.-appointed Governing Council.
That very well could be however it is already known the iraqi “interim” government will have little if any real power. Moreover the military will be stationed there for years to come. The US has been counting on Brahimi to bail them out. IF the fighting continues and conditions remain unstable the UN says a transfer of power will not take place. So perhaps the military’s strategy is to rouse all the insurgency at once to quell it in order to get it out of the way regardless how many lives are lost? They will be in for the fight of their lives.
I think one of the (several but) major things the CPA did not take into consideration, the glue that binds the iraqis regardless of their differences in religiousity, is their iraqi “nationality.”
Insofar as what the iraqis say, they oppose the “occupation”; it is unfortunate that even the moderates who approved and were supporters in the beginning, aren’t any longer. After the heavy-handed manner, lack of respect, killing children, women and seniors they have changed their minds according to the various iraqi statements i’ve read. It is said that even 10% of the iraqi police forces have quit in protest saying they did not sign-on to fight their own.
Until showing sensitivity, respect, understanding (of “foreign” cultures, mores, nationalities, customs) the west will not win hearts and minds. However, we can begin by showing the same here at home and abroad. Peace begins within. Treat others as You wish to be treated begins with treating oneself with respect and love. Subsequently others do likewise. Teach via example. Until then shall we see peace anew.
Posted by serena on Apr 24, 2004 at 6:38 AM I couldn’t help but comment on someone else’s comments. Anon wrote:
“The level of safety the U.S. army seems to try to maintain is just so high that it takes force to maintain it.”In response, I suggest to you that this is not any kind of safety which I recognize. The issue here is control and arrogance. The safest thing to do would have been to cooperate with the world community in pacifying Irag.
When safety becomes an obsession that is fueled by fear, it begins to look a lot like fascism. In fact, it is fascism.
You can bomb the world into pieces, but you will never bomb it into peace. History will remember this war as a costly idealogical error, and may we never make this error again.
As for me, I agree with the Iraqi children about Mr. Bush.
Posted by Joshua Daley on Apr 24, 2004 at 2:40 PM I wish people would simply relate the facts instead of speculating and assuming things.
What would it happen if we all instead of critizing and finding fault with our goverment and people in power, we would find peace in our hearts and share,
through the power of meditation, that sense of peace to all beings everywhere.No one is perfect and no one will ever please everyone no matter what their intentions are. Bush is compared to a terrorist, however, he did not cause 9/11 and other terrorist attacks which has happened all over the world for centuries, or should I say millennia?
Please study a bit more the History of that part of the world. “Judge not…”
In the 80s there was on the news that the world was in peace with 12 wars going on. Was that also Bush’s fault?
I am pro peace, happiness, I understand however that peace can only be found within ourselves.
Are you peaceful and happy?
Do you practice acceptance and compassion, or are you engrossed in the world’s misery and therefore identify yourself with it?
Are you aware of your true nature?
How do you see others? As yourself?
Anyway, my suggestion for you and all the media in the world is to stop
sensationalizing everything and start to work on “fighting the war within you.”CMB
Posted by carla on Apr 24, 2004 at 11:07 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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Posted by isis on Apr 15, 2004 at 12:48 AM 
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