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 List, As a non-Iraqi, speaking in nobody's name, I still have the right to disbelieve the obvious lie that life in occupied Iraq is just fine: "Iraq back on track, U.S. official says", Globe, March 27. The official is Paul Bremer. So I second the motion on that reality check, Roger. Let me know when you start collecting for those bus tickets - I want to chip in. "Liberated Iraqis consider the end justified the means", writes Muhamed from a computer terminal in Greater London - not having suffered from the "means" and not living in the "end". The means were not only cruise missiles - shock and awe. The longest and most devastating means were the sanctions. For thirteen years life and hope was squeezed out of the Iraqi people. Some actually preferred a quick death by bombing to the long, drawn-out torture the sanctions imposed. But perhaps Muhamed was one of those who petitioned for this war. Perhaps his signature, among hundreds of others, was submitted to Downing Street and to the Security Council asking that the means be inflicted on the Iraqi people - for their own good. And perhaps he sometimes thinks about the victims: the maimed, orphaned, widowed, homeless, starving, displaced, traumatized, and the broken-hearted? For the dead, of course, the choice has been made. He must also be aware of the real, 'unliberated' situation: the devastation, the chaos, the lack of security, the loss of dignity, the pain, and the complete breakdown of this society he calls his own. So stories like the "mass graves", the "baby parades, the OFF money, and so on, may help people like Muhamed to assuage their conscience - if they have a conscience. I have no other explanation... --Elga -----------Original Message---------- To: casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk From: VnStroope@aol.com Subject: Re: [casi] Mass Graves Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 11:59:32 EDT In a message dated 06/02/2003 7:53:15 AM Central Daylight Time, mali@gw.hackney.gov.uk writes: > Genuine friends of the Iraqi people should be > congratulating them on the downfall of their tormentor, > regardless of who and how it was achieved. Liberated > Iraqis consider the end justified the means. They expect > and deserve all the help they can get from others. > Ironically, that help has recently come from > "Imperialist powers to be" rather than the self > proclaimed "Anti Imperialists" of the 21st century. The > latter should adopt some other cause and refrain from > speaking in the name of the Iraqis. > Otherwise, the Iraqis polite message to them is: > NOT IN OUR NAME. Between you and Yasser, in order to accept your view of Iraq, we will need to rewrite the history books, psychology texts, sociological texts, and bury our heads in the sand whilst kissing our backsides good-bye with a USUK boot up our butts. To suggest that Iraqis feel as if the ends justify the means is unknowable by the two of you who happily sit outside the sovereign nation once called Iraq. What we can know for certain, is that the dismembered, dead, and maimed of Iraq are unable to hand a carnation to a passing soldier who recently shot one of their family members in the head, or bound and gagged an Iraqi citizen while carrying them about at the end of a forklift, or forced them to disrobe and simulate sex acts! The reason I know they wont be waiving any flags or handing out carnations, their dead or have been liberated of the ability to hand anything as their hands are blown off. You two should get off of your computers and get a one way ticket to Iraq. Then, go to the center of downtown Iraq, and tell the Iraqi citizens, the ones who survived shock and awe and the civilized liberation of their ministries, their museums, their limbs, their money, their dignity, those glowing with radiation, that they should be happy that the USUK emperium has just stolen their lives, their past, their future, and their dignity, and lets just have a little look-see at what happens to the two of you. I will happily collect monies for your bus tickets. Yours in idiocy... Roger Stroope Austin College Sherman Texas, USA www.austincollege.edu _______________________________________________ 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