Some number of years ago, I read the comments of an Iraqi girl about the US invasion. She had a negative view of the invasion, but not for the reasons most Americans might guess. Given, that she was living in the US, she was hardly anti-American or pro-Saddam.
In her personal experience, the US invasion brought chaos to Iraq. Before the invasion, water and electric power worked. After the invasion, not so much. Before the invasion, she could safely go outside. After, the invasion, people hid in their homes. She was hardly naïve about Saddam’s regime. According to her, parents of the kids she went to high school with would disappear from time-to-time. She had a clear idea of what happened to them.
In her view, order was better than chaos. Her views shocked her ‘born in America’ classmates who more or less universally expressed a preference for chaos. She knew better. Chaos only seems romantic to those who don’t have to endure it.
Thanks for the praise of the advantages provided by the American system. But I'd grant more credibility to the opinions about the Iraq invasion expressed in the article if they had been written by someone still living in Iraq.
I didn't and don't think we had a vital interest in being there. Sure Saddam was a thug and if he did have any WMD then our pals in Israel would have been happy to take them out. We could have rebuilt our infrastructure and employed all the folks wasted on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with money left over to pay off everyone's student loans. By the way Richard Nixon wrote an awesome book on foreign policy that we should have followed. Peace and love and carry a big stick. Know when to use it. Right now our secret weapons are the Japanese and the Germans. It is time to unleash the hounds on their ancient enemies.
Just about any Kurd you talk to is thankful that we invaded Iraq. I helped welcome a Kurdish family to northern Virginia in the late 90s and they never stopped talking of the horrors of Saddam's Iraq. Life was hell for them. Look into Halabja if you haven't already and read about thousands of Kurds gassed to death by Saddam. It isn't paradise there now by a long shot but anything is better than the gulag Iraq was when Saddam ran things.
Thanks for writing this. Many of my Iraqi colleagues felt the same. Freedom and liberty is worth much sacrifice, something we in the west have forgotten.
Thank you, Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, for this very significant article. We need more people like you to remind us of all we have in the United States, and all we take for granted. I am grateful every day to be an American but, more and more, I wonder if many of my friends and family feel the same way. Your powerful piece lets me know my gratitude is valid
For what it's worth, the article reflrcts my view of the matter. The Iraqi War was messy, very expensive, and - like all American wars - poorly conducted, particularly at the outset.
But I do believe it jump-started a process that had to n happen, and was always going to be messy and expensive. In the largest terms, it may have been worthwhile.
Is it just me, or did anyone else get a 'propaganda' vibe from this piece? All the independent investigative journalists (who do on-the-ground reporting) and the foreign policy wonks' reporting of events I've read paint a different picture. Perhaps I've become too cynical from everything I've learned over the years about America's malfeasance throughout its sordid history, but I find myself asking why I should consider as credible this individual's appeal to emotion (a common propaganda tactic).
Some number of years ago, I read the comments of an Iraqi girl about the US invasion. She had a negative view of the invasion, but not for the reasons most Americans might guess. Given, that she was living in the US, she was hardly anti-American or pro-Saddam.
In her personal experience, the US invasion brought chaos to Iraq. Before the invasion, water and electric power worked. After the invasion, not so much. Before the invasion, she could safely go outside. After, the invasion, people hid in their homes. She was hardly naïve about Saddam’s regime. According to her, parents of the kids she went to high school with would disappear from time-to-time. She had a clear idea of what happened to them.
In her view, order was better than chaos. Her views shocked her ‘born in America’ classmates who more or less universally expressed a preference for chaos. She knew better. Chaos only seems romantic to those who don’t have to endure it.
Thanks for the praise of the advantages provided by the American system. But I'd grant more credibility to the opinions about the Iraq invasion expressed in the article if they had been written by someone still living in Iraq.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. 🙏🏻
Thank you for your insightful article and telling us about your experience.
I didn't and don't think we had a vital interest in being there. Sure Saddam was a thug and if he did have any WMD then our pals in Israel would have been happy to take them out. We could have rebuilt our infrastructure and employed all the folks wasted on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with money left over to pay off everyone's student loans. By the way Richard Nixon wrote an awesome book on foreign policy that we should have followed. Peace and love and carry a big stick. Know when to use it. Right now our secret weapons are the Japanese and the Germans. It is time to unleash the hounds on their ancient enemies.
None of us know Iraq like Faisal. We don't know what was opened up by removing Saddam.
Just about any Kurd you talk to is thankful that we invaded Iraq. I helped welcome a Kurdish family to northern Virginia in the late 90s and they never stopped talking of the horrors of Saddam's Iraq. Life was hell for them. Look into Halabja if you haven't already and read about thousands of Kurds gassed to death by Saddam. It isn't paradise there now by a long shot but anything is better than the gulag Iraq was when Saddam ran things.
Thanks for writing this. Many of my Iraqi colleagues felt the same. Freedom and liberty is worth much sacrifice, something we in the west have forgotten.
I certainly appreciate this different, inside perspective on this.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you, Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, for this very significant article. We need more people like you to remind us of all we have in the United States, and all we take for granted. I am grateful every day to be an American but, more and more, I wonder if many of my friends and family feel the same way. Your powerful piece lets me know my gratitude is valid
For what it's worth, the article reflrcts my view of the matter. The Iraqi War was messy, very expensive, and - like all American wars - poorly conducted, particularly at the outset.
But I do believe it jump-started a process that had to n happen, and was always going to be messy and expensive. In the largest terms, it may have been worthwhile.
This was a moving story. The Iraq was a mistake and not worth the lives and treasure, but that doesn't mean it did no good.
I am choked up.
Is it just me, or did anyone else get a 'propaganda' vibe from this piece? All the independent investigative journalists (who do on-the-ground reporting) and the foreign policy wonks' reporting of events I've read paint a different picture. Perhaps I've become too cynical from everything I've learned over the years about America's malfeasance throughout its sordid history, but I find myself asking why I should consider as credible this individual's appeal to emotion (a common propaganda tactic).
“Hunted down for the sins of wrong-think”, that’s a good one. Nobody’s being hunted down for wrong-think in North America: lol!
Our author is lucky, he escaped with his life and America still affords opportunities, that is if you don’t get cancelled for wrong-think.