Seeing Baghdad with fresh eyes

jorge — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:47:03 GMT

When I think of what Bush's invasion and occupation has done to that country, it makes me ashamed to be an American. Hard to imagine having electrical power coming and going, no running water, checkpoints and concrete bunkers everywhere, disease outbreaks with so little doctors left in the country to treat people.

Does anybody seriously think the deaths of 4100+ troops and 100,000+ dead Iraqis was worth this??

All of this for WMD that didn't exist. All of this for a flip-flop over to bringing democracy that hasn't arrived and isn't going to be arriving for long time if ever.

And still some Bush-lovers are crowing about victory when all we're doing over there is trying to contain the mess we started. We've set Iraq so far back that it will be decades before they regain what we took away from them.

And now we're paying for it at home. But at least we deserve what we've brought on ourselves. Iraq didn't.

Seeing Baghdad with fresh eyes

Beau Bennett — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:17:48 GMT

I completely agree Jorge. We completely blew it as Americans and our press was either lazy, intimidated, or outright complicit (FOX NEWS) in creating an atmosphere of fear. Imagine, after 9/11 we had the WORLDS sympathy and support. So, what does the Bush administration do? Go attack Iraq! And act that was not only insanely stupid, but sick and wrong.

Lookout Hugo Chavez! Next, Dick Cheney may easily say you have WMD in Venezuela!

Seeing Baghdad with fresh eyes

Pepe Engelmann, Western Australia — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:52:49 GMT

I aggree with Cherylls optimistic view of the months to come. God bless her.

The road Cheryll drove is safer now and numbers of attacks are down significantly.

Many thanks to U.S.soldiers doing good service there and many thanks to all the other troops. They are working for freedom and truth.

Cheryll will tell us about all issues in the time to come.

Seeing Baghdad with fresh eyes

Charles, Los Angeles, Ca. — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:35:33 GMT

And to think that all that mess and chaos was brought upon the warmonger president of ours. That's what happens when the lust for power and ambition moves an unscrupulous and evil person, such as mr. bush.

Seeing Baghdad with fresh eyes

R. C. Teasdale — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:48:22 GMT

and now for a word from the other side of the fence...I was there in 2003; I saw Saddam's torture chamber in the basement of the Iraqi Olympic Office; I saw rape rooms in several of the "palaces"; I saw the chained animals in Uday & Qusay's palaces...and I talked to lots and lots of Iraqis who cried with joy at being rid of Saddam. We screwed the pooch in trying to be liberators, but let's not confuse good intentions with lousy results. If - and I'll agree it's still a big IF - but if Iraq can find some secular, forward-looking' semi-democratic Islamic Republic existence the American invasion will be the best thing that ever happened to them (and the Middle East)....in January of '04 I was wildly optimistic; in mid-'06 I was sadly pessimistic; I"m now cautiously optimistic...I still e-mail Iraqi friends who say their lives are getting better...very slowly, but getting better. and the reason there's not much electricity in Baghdad is 'cause we forced the power grid to share with the rest of the country. Saddam used to divert ALL power to Baghdad with virtually none to "the lesser cities." Power is widely MORE available in Iraq today than it was six years ago...but NOT in Baghdad.

Seeing Baghdad with fresh eyes

R. C. Teasdale — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:55:22 GMT

Cheryl - I'm eager to hear about life in the capital...I'm new to blogging; an old man who's a digital immigrant, not a native, but I have questions about the western style grocery store on Karradah Street, the four or five liquor stores on the street one over from Karradah, the great Italian restaurant on the Tigris across the street from the old US Embassy grounds (now a vacant lot)...and what about the ice cream stand at the big 4-way intersection just east of Kamal Juhblat Square??? great pistachio ice cream which I bought for all the kids walking home from school....a way different view of Baghdad than many had.

Seeing Baghdad with fresh eyes

Rick, Rockford, Illinois — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:11:31 GMT

Seems to me someone is forgetting the thousands and thousands of innocent people that were being killed and tortured by Sadam. A waste? Let's not get that carried away. My daughter is serving in the Army in Iraq now.....