The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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Dear everyone, the Iraqis I associate with do not torture millions, murder two million, deport three million, and opress the remainder of the population, unlike the Iraqis you associate with Ghazwan, you murderous ba'athi. Hassan --- Ghazwan Al-Mukhtar <gaz@uruklink.net> wrote: > Dear list > Hassan Hadad says about the Iraqi pople < They have > suffered so much because > of Saddam, that they would kiss Ariel Sharon's feet, > if he were installed as > the puppet for the Americans after Saddam is > ousted.> I am sure he is taking > about the Iraqs he associate with. Naturally he is > free to "kiss Ariel > Sharon's feet" or any other part of Sharon's body. > He is talking about the > "iraqi" people that NO ONE wants to associate > himself with! > > Best regards > Ghazwan Al-Mukhtar > Baghdad, Iraq > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Hassan Hadad" <abufellah@yahoo.com> > To: <casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk> > Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 8:06 PM > Subject: Re: [casi] Mark Twain: on anti-war support > > > > Dear Elga, list, > > Since when have we needed to listen to people such > as > > the pope or Mark Twain regarding politics? Does > the > > pope have any clue about what's really going on in > > Iraq? Probably not, and I'll bet neither do most > of > > the anti-war protesters. Maybe we should get some > > meaningful opinions, like the ones of the Iraqi > > people. People whose lives and futures are being > > discussed around the world without their say being > > included. If you happen to read some of the > > high-ranking emails from people in Iraq, you'll > find > > that they'll quickly show their love for Saddam > and > > their hate for any American interference. For > those > > of you who actually believe these people, I'll let > you > > in on a little secret: > > The average Iraqi would welcome the long overdue > war > > against Saddam with open arms and hearts. They > have > > suffered so much because of Saddam, that they > would > > kiss Ariel Sharon's feet, if he were installed as > the > > puppet for the Americans after Saddam is ousted. > > Castro is not slaughtering the Cuban people for us > to > > be worrying too much about them right now. We > should > > be focusing on the people who are really > suffering. > > For all you human rights activists: Where have you > > been the in the last twenty to thirty years? Do > you > > all of a sudden have a voice when the US is > finally > > helping out the Iraqis? Where were your voices > when > > Saddam deported, tortured, and murdered his > people? > > Why are you all of a sudden interested in the > > estimated number of casualties that will take > place > > when the Americans take out Saddam? These numbers > are > > a mere fraction of the number of lives already > lost, > > and the number of lives that will be lost if > Saddam > > stays. The people that die because of a war with > Iraq > > will end up dying under Saddam's regime. Most > Iraqis > > would rather death than the continuity of Saddam's > > rule. > > Let's pray that the Iraqi people stop suffering by > > making sure the American government finally gets > rid > > of the dictator that inflicts the suffering. > > Yours, > > Hassan > > > > --- H Sutter <citext@chebucto.ns.ca> wrote: > > > > > > "Liberate" is Orwellian doublespeak for _invade > and > > > occupy_. It's used to make wars of conquest > > > palatable > > > to the public. To me, using the terms "liberate" > or > > > "collateral damage" signifies utter > insensitivity. > > > Sorry, > > > but that's how I feel. > > > > > > Mark Twain hated "liberate" too. If he were here > > > today, > > > he would heartily denounce Bush's proposed > > > "liberation" > > > of Iraq. It would remind him of Cuba's > liberation by > > > US > > > guns in 1898 - and of many other "liberations". > > > > > > Cuba's "liberation" is a well-established US > myth. > > > > > > In a speech on Cuba in May last year, Bush > ranted > > > lustily > > > about "freedom" and "liberation" for Cuba. He > > > proposed to > > > put Cuba (once again) on the "path to liberty" - > ie, > > > in > > > the arms of American business. > > > > > > Unwisely perhaps, Bush referred to the previous > > > attempt > > > when "Cuba's independence was achieved" with US > > > support. > > > > > > This US "support" was in fact an interference > with > > > the > > > Cuban people's strive for independence from > Spain: > > > The US > > > waged war against Spain in 1898 to gain control > of > > > Cuba. > > > As the winner, the US did then "liberate", ie, > > > invade and > > > occupy, Cuba and made it a US protectorate. (In > this > > > neat > > > little war the US also grabbed Guam, Porto Rico, > and > > > the > > > Philippines.) > > > > > > Cuban aspirations for independence were further > > > thwarted by > > > the Platt Amendment in 1901. A student and > workers > > > revolution > > > in 1933 replaced dictator Machado with Grau San > > > Martin. Quickly > > > the US arranged for San Martin's ouster and > > > installed dictator > > > Batista. For 25 years Batista carried out US > orders, > > > making > > > the Cuban people suffer hardship, oppression and > > > torture. But > > > US business concerns flourished - until Batista > fled > > > in 1959. > > > > > > Witnessing the US exploitation of Cuba and the > > > Philippines, > > > Mark Twain became a self-declared > "anti-imperialist" > > > - and > > > opponent of war. (In the Philippines they put up > a > > > Mark Twain > > > memorial and in Cuba too, I believe. He is their > > > hero.) > > > > > > In _The Mysterious Stranger_, he made some > shrewd > > > observations > > > on war propaganda, anti-war support - and > courage. > > > (I often > > > feel disheartened when I see people caving in to > the > > > current > > > onslaught of propaganda. Reading Mark Twain's > words > > > makes > > > this a little easier to accept.) > > > > > > Anti-war support wanes quickly, Twain felt, > because > > > of the > > > individual's "desire, for safety's or comfort's > > > sake, to > > > stand well in his neighbor's eye". > > > > > > This need to be accepted still exists. But today > > > peace > > > proponents can encourage one another worldwide - > > > thanks > > > to the internet. So the anti-war support for > Iraq > > > has > > > actually gained momentum, especially in the US. > > > > > > And if public resistance together with Francis > > > Boyle's > > > plan succeed, Bush will never make a speech > about > > > Iraq's > > > "liberation" - by US daisy cutters and 'smart > > > bombs'. > > > Just for once, Iraqis may get a chance at > > > determining > > > their destiny. > > > > > > bon courage, > > > Elga Sutter > > > > > > > > > Here are some excerpts from _The Mysterious > > > Stranger_, > > > chapter nine: > > > > > > [Satan's observations on the human race] > > > > > > '"Oh, it's true. I know your race. It is made up > of > > > sheep. > > > It is governed by minorities, seldom or never by > > > majorities. It suppresses its feelings and its > > > beliefs and > > > follows the handful that makes the most noise.' > > > .... > > > > > > 'I did not like to hear our race called sheep, > and > > > said I > > > did not think they were. "Still, it is true, > lamb," > > > said > > > Satan. "Look at you in war--what mutton you are, > and > > > how > > > ridiculous!" "In war? How?" > > > > > > "There has never been a just one, never an > honorable > > > one--on the part of the instigator of the war. I > can > > > see a > > > million years ahead, and this rule will never > change > > > in so > > > many as half a dozen instances. The loud little > > > handful-- > > > as usual--will shout for the war. The pulpit > > > will--warily > > > and cautiously--object--at first; the great, > big, > > > dull > > > bulk of the nation will rub its sleepy eyes and > try > > > to > > > make out why there should be a war, and will > say, > > > earnestly > > > and indignantly, "It is unjust and dishonorable, > and > > > there > > > is no necessity for it." > > > > > > Then the handful will shout louder. A few fair > men > > > on the > > > other side will argue and reason against the war > > > with > > > speech and pen, and at first will have a hearing > and > > > be > > > applauded; but it will not last long; those > others > > > will > > > outshout them, and presently the anti-war > audiences > > > will > > > thin out and lose popularity. > > > > > > Before long you will see this curious thing: the > > > [anti-war] speakers stoned from the platform, > and > > > free > > > speech strangled by hordes of furious men who in > > > their > > > secret hearts are still at one with those stoned > > > speakers--as earlier--but do not dare to say so. > And > > > now > > > the whole nation--pulpit and all--will take up > the > > > war-cry, and shout itself hoarse, and mob any > honest > > > man > > > who ventures to open his mouth; and presently > such > > > mouths > > > will cease to open. > > > > > > Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, > putting > > > the > > > blame upon the nation that is attacked, and > every > > > man will > > > be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, > and > > > will diligently study them, and refuse to > examine > > > any > > > refutations of them; and thus he will by and by > > > convince > > > himself that the war is just, and will thank God > for > > > the > > > better sleep he enjoys after this process of > > > grotesque > > > self-deception."' > > > ### > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign > Against > > > Sanctions on Iraq. > > > To unsubscribe, visit > > > > > > http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss > > > To contact the list manager, email > > > casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk > > > All postings are archived on CASI's website: > > http://www.casi.org.uk > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > Yahoo! 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Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk