Iraqi Monument to Bush

[CurrieS103]

The formerly oppressed nation learns freedom of speech quickly...but not gratitude

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/29/iraq.shoe.monument/index.html

[ericire12]

I guess Iraq is the next France.......wish we could return Saddam to them....... or maybe just send them our own Hussein.

[MikeBjerum]

The most irresponsible and hateful thing associated with this monument is that they are "using" vulnerable children to construct and publicise it.  It is not just some liberal or other disgruntled group out voicing their oppinion.  They are taking impressionable children and indoctrinating them into their disrespectful mindset.

[TAB]

I still have not figured out why we let Sadam stay in power after the 1st gulf war.

[tombogan03884]

I still have not figured out why we let Sadam stay in power after the 1st gulf war.

I've studied many writings about that and came to the conclusion that it was for the same reason we are still there 6 years after removing him.
 There was no one with the credentials to replace him with out a long expensive period of nation building that would have involved keeping the various factions of Iraqi society from trying to kill each other. The Sunni minority has controlled, or filled the administrative positions of Iraqi Govt's for centuries, every one else hates them for their usually  heavy handed self serving methods, they want to retain power (and not be subjected to similar treatment). The Shiite majority has felt persecuted ever since the split in Islam 1,000 years or so ago,They control the coastal areas and would love to massacre the Sunni's in retaliation for things that happened not long after Mohammad's death. Then there are the Kurds, like the Pashtun in Afghanistan/Pakistan, their traditional lands are split between Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. In reality neither of the other 2 countries give a crap about the Iraqi Kurds beyond how their actions effect their own Kurdish minorities. In practice the Kurds want their own united country and are willing to use terrorism, and Guerrilla warfare to get it. All 3 nations wish to prevent this because that is where the OIL is, if that means massacring Kurdish populations , so be it. Turkey and Iran are only better than Saddam in that they have not been caught using chemical weapons. Then there are Iraqs neighbors, Saudi Arabia,Iran, Syria, etc all think they would be in a superior position if Iraq were kept in turmoil and in a weakened state, they believe they could grab off the good parts, such as the northern oil fields ( Syria and Turkey) the Southern oil fields and ports (Iran) and eliminate a potential military rival (SA, Iran ). On top of this you have the locals, Tribes, Clans, and individuals all jockeying for personal gain. And of course in case you THOUGHT you had a clue as to what the hell is going on there are ordinary criminals of every type taking advantage of what ever opportunity happens to knock.
What nobody had taken into account was the REAL joker in the deck, Wahabbiism, International Islamic extremism personified by Al Queda, which spawned Al Queda in Iraq, Which wants the entire world living under Sharia law and is willing to kill everyone, themselves included to achieve that goal.
The fact that Coalition Forces were as successful as they were, with the rate of death for Americans never exceeding that of a Major US city, (2005 there were fewer Americans killed in Iraq than in DC) is an absolute miracle.

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