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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (43990)	4/8/2003 5:45:20 PM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50167

For the "(w)here are the happy Iraqis? BAGHDAD (AFP)(4/08)- More than 100 children held in a prison celebrated their freedom as US marines rolled into northeast Baghdad ... a US officer said. Around 150 children spilled out of the jail after the gates were opened as a US military Humvee vehicle approached, Lieutenant Colonel Fred Padilla told an AFP correspondent travelling with the Marines 5th Regiment. "Hundreds of kids were swarming us and kissing us," Padilla said. "There were parents running up, so happy to have their kids back." "The children had been imprisoned because they had not joined the youth branch of the Baath party," he alleged. "Some of these kids had been in there for five years."

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (43990)	4/9/2003 5:51:12 AM
From: Coz	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50167

Hi Ike, I can finally see the tide turning on this bloody war and felt compelled to say some things. Being of a Liberal POV, I know my thoughts are not fashionable in the world today. But that aside, I truly believe that there are liberal-like policies that could help make this new Reconstruction as a very positive uplifting time that will draw the world together and help us to see that the world is a better place when we respect each other and admit there is value to be found in all cultures. It's starting to look like it's over for Saddam's people. The streets are full of looters with no security forces in sight to stop them. The minister of information didn't show up this morning to tell the reporters that they had killed all the Americans. There were no "minders" to keep the reporters in check and this left the free to roam Baghdad at will. Unless we are missing some ominous surprise, this looks like the end of the massive killing operations. Now let us hope the United States will show how magnanimous it can be in victory. It is my hope the US will step back and let the UN come in to police the country and aid significantly in building a new government that serves all of the people of this country. I have always felt the US should have worked harder and longer to get the world on our side to do this action and it was disturbing to see the contempt expressed towards other nations which had different opinions on this march to war. IMO, from day one the US had war as the first solution on it's list. With that agenda, it seemed to me that this country should have worked much harder to convince others of this necessity and to have others, especially from the Moslem nations assist us in the war of liberation. With a broad base of Moslem fighters on our side, out stated goal of bringing freedom would have been more obvious to the world. So now, It is my hope that the US will end it's feud with the United Nations on the Iraq issue and turn over the work of civil obedience to them. Of course this action, if taken, wouldn't be perfect, but it would "send a message" as General Blount is so fond of saying. It would show the Iraqis that the US truly isn't there to conquer and plunder their oil, that lifting Saddam's yoke of totalitarianism is precisely the US goal. It is time to bring the whole world in no on the rebuilding phase so that those whose lives and experiences mirror most closely the liberated people of Iraq, can share their expertise at this time of confusion, and thing can begin to put things right again. The US could do this on their own, I am sure, but by bringing in the UN, the building fear of the people of Iraq that their country has been conquered by invaders could shortly be removed. Even though conquest is not the goal, I fear it will be the impression left, and this misconception could be worked up into a panic by the disgruntled losers whom have disappeared back into the population. Let us allow the unique and powerful experiences within the diversity of mankind to come together in Iraq that they may share the best of what they have to offer to restore law and order, to repair Iraqi industry and infrastructure, and to see that Iraqis work on these projects building their own future, learning to live and work together, as they edge forward to their new elections and their new form of government. It's time for the US President to stop saying, we are going to do this ourselves, and start saying, all of us in the world are now going to work together to assist the people of Iraq to build a new, strong and tolerant government which respects and protects its people. Huge sums of money are going to be spent and history is going to be made in the coming months. It can come out either bad, good, or mediocre. I believe that if the whole world will put aside the slights they feel, their bitterness and anger, they CAN come together in this place and be proud in the GOOD work that can be accomplished when people come together to help one another. This is a watershed moment in time, and perhaps it is up to us as individuals to petitions our leaders in our respective countries demanding to enter the rebuilding process working together for the GOOD of Iraqis and the GOOD of mankind. Aloha, --Coz