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2003-12-20 Iraq

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Posted by Super Hose 2003-12-20 11:35:30 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I'm getting really annoyed with the Arab world over their constant use of the term "humiliation" when it comes to how we captured Saddam.

The short video that was released showed Saddam getting a medical checkup by a Doctor. He was NOT in handcuffs, he was NOT in leg irons, he had NOT been beaten or tortured. My god, if we had wanted to humiliate him, we would have beat the snot out of him and dragged him cuffed and in irons and left him on the floor whimpering for the world to see.

But no, we gave him a medical checkup instead. So stop it already with the humiliation act.

Posted by Guyjean 2003-12-20 12:07:52 PM|| 2003-12-20 12:07:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Hey, Guyjean, give it some slack. As he makes it clear, it's more of shame towards himself than any Arab ideal, more of how the 24 million of Iraq could not overthrow one MERE "old disturbed man", some sort of overbearing yet invisible force forcing their oppression until overthrown by the equivalent of another (the US) ...

Posted by Lu Baihu 2003-12-20 1:18:58 PM|| 2003-12-20 1:18:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 I think it's partly Stockholm Syndrom. Saddam held the whole country hostage all of Zeyad's life. Another part of it is what Lu Baihu said. I'd say that what Lu said is probably most of it. The shame/humiliation is more in the fact that they didn't do it themselves. Of course, he looks at Saddam and doesn't think about all his henchmen...

He'll be ok.

Posted by Kathy K 2003-12-20 1:28:26 PM|| [site-essential.com/] 2003-12-20 1:28:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Saddam was never alone. Other iraqis, other arabs, other muslims were doing the torturing, raping, and killing. None of those dictators are acting alone, and the muslims are still in denial about it. It's all America's fault, of course.

Posted by 4thInfVet 2003-12-20 1:51:17 PM|| 2003-12-20 1:51:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 This is going to take some time to undo the twisted sense of values that have evolved over a generation and a half in Iraq under Saddam. People develop systems of behavior to survive and cope under this corrupt and brutal dictatorship. Changing things that are ingrained for survival purposes is going to be long, difficult, and often painful. Remember that many people (millions of 'em) were heavily invested in the sytem and lived quite well under Saddam. Everything is not going to come up roses after Saddam's capture. Change will be quite painful at times. We have to have patience and understanding, and we have to listen. The Iraqis are not us.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-12-20 2:21:20 PM|| 2003-12-20 2:21:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Actually, Zayed is being overloaded with the images of Hobo-Saddam.

Hobo-Saddam is what the man was reduced to, it's not the man who was, in absence of real military opposition, the smiling mass-rapist of the opposition's mothers, sisters, and daughters...

Zayed shouldn't ever feel bad because Iraq couldn't overcome the Hobo-Saddam. They were never given the chance.

-Vic

Posted by Vic 2003-12-20 2:28:07 PM|| 2003-12-20 2:28:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 I wonder if the depression is isolated to the Sunni population, becuase there was little Sunni resistence to the regime. The Shiite and Kurds would rejoice because they fought and resisted to the extent that many of their family now reside in mass graves.

POW's seem to suffer from depression to an extent that is inversely proportional to how much they resisted their captors. It's like a whole has been populated with the psychological equivalent of the crew of the Pueblo and residents of the Hanoi Hilton.

I am surprised that Zeyad is this effected in that he has taken an active role in marches and other activities. A sense of participation in a movement and a sense of being in control of your own destiny should be good medicine against melancholy.

Posted by Super Hose 2003-12-20 5:15:29 PM|| 2003-12-20 5:15:29 PM|| Front Page Top

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