August 6, 2007

This is from a very enlightened commentator. I loved her comment so much, and it was worded so beautifully, I had to give it its own running room.

thank you Anon!

truth

I met A few iraqi students in the 80s Abroad , i was on a scholarship from an Arabic country , the Iraqis used to receive 3 times more money from iraq and spent like there was no tomorrow . i was careful paid expensive rent and books only , but they spent on theatres , cinemas , concerts tec... Iraq had the most Degrees in the Arab world , even among women . women were educated from the 40s and many of Iraqi Nuclear scientists were women . Saudi only started allowing women to study in the 80s .

Most cafes in Baghdad were a place where people sat and discussed books , litterature , philosophy and Poetry . there is a saying that says : Books are printed in Beirut and Damascus but read in Iraq . In the 80s the UNESCO congratulated iraq for eradicating Illettracy in iraq , when the rest of the Arab world was deep in it .

same with the health care , and dentists services all free of charge and the best . Gulf Bedouins used to visit iraq for a treatment and not washington . (the ones who conspired against iraq and got it destroyed to the stone age ) the 12 years of injust sanctions were supposed to destroy iraq but they managed and everyone had something to eat , the rations at the end of the month were helpful so were the free oil Vouchers (that you can only dream about now )

Iraq used to be the envy of the Middle East but America wanted and expected full obedience. i dont think it was concernd about human rights, otherwise it would be concerned about those dying right now in Saudi and Eygptian police stations which the whitehouse never mentions nor condemns . A libyan writer who criticized Ghaddafi got his fingers cut then his body dumped , did the Newyork times mention it , not even "compassionate" thomas Friedman wrote about it . same happens to Pakistani Journalists who dare tell the truth about what really happens in Waziristan and Baluchistan and how the war on terror is terrorising hundreds of thousands .

I recommend this book (reading right now )

Web of Deceit: The History of Western Complicity in Iraq, from Churchill to Kennedy to George W. Bush

I would also like to add a very, very educated approach to the future of Iraq:

The Future of Iraq: Dictatorship, Democracy, or Division?
by Liam Anderson and Gareth Stansfield (Palgrave MacMillan 2005, 288 pp, Updated Version ISBN: 1403971447)