Something Has Changed in Baghdad
EmailThe personal observations of Iraqi journalist Ali Al-Mashakheel:
It started out like any other commute. Journalist Ali Al-Mashakheel climbed into a taxi and began winding his way through the streets of Baghdad to the office. All of a sudden, an American military convoy turned into the street ahead of him.
Anyone who has encountered an American convoy in Iraq has seen the forbidding warnings plastered onto their armored vehicles in English and Arabic blaring "KEEP BACK." Often, they have been accompanied by a gunner furiously gesturing with his arms and shaking his head as if to say, "Don’t even think about coming within 100 yards of us."
So you can imagine Ali’s surprise today when an American soldier waved at his taxi driver to drive right on past the convoy, within a few feet of them. Ali was even more astonished to hear that the same thing had happened to his taxi driver a number of times over the past few weeks. Then Ali looked around him and noticed that the city’s streets were jammed with Iraqis celebrating the Muslim festival Eid al-Adha.
Something has changed in Baghdad. "For me," Ali said, "it is a signal from both the Iraqis and the Americans that they are trying to overcome the past and move ahead with more confidence in the future. I think it is a step forward and we are trying to see life as it should be."
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wow…. look at that…… and obama was dead set against the surge….. his judgement SUCKS!!!!!!!! oh but it cost 500billion in 6 years….. oops…. now that barry is in, 500bl does’nt seem that much ….. now the dems (majority in congress and house) are spending money like a drunkin sailer on leave it’s OK to add a trillion or two within WEEKS
Posted by: USAF SSGT | December 12, 2008, 6:55 pm 6:55 pm
Mr. Obama will be the most hypocritical President ever.
Posted by: young_voter | December 12, 2008, 7:19 pm 7:19 pm
To the last poster…
*yawn*
Posted by: Dave | December 12, 2008, 7:20 pm 7:20 pm
USAF SSGT, adding a trillion or two to the AMERICAN ECONOMY instead of Iraq is a major improvement or would you rather we continue to fund Iraqi corruption.
Posted by: JR | December 12, 2008, 7:31 pm 7:31 pm
Plus, “surge” hell, if we had NOT started a useless war, we wouldn’t be trying to find a way out.
Two wrongs only make a “republican” right.
Posted by: JR | December 12, 2008, 7:33 pm 7:33 pm
Maybe we all need to drop it. We all know the war was wrong..we all know that we were lied to… we all know because of that (and others reasons) that we needed a surge …the problem is none of that means anything…I think the Iraqis are tired, just like americans are..of dying for reasons that had nothing to do with them but others peoples stupid egos and ambition.
So how about this yall..how about me just start over…y dont you both join the new ‘change” for “whatever state you are in”? Why dont you do something for your community that can help us all. The election is over, and we can either complain or do something for your country, the people…working for the people is a lot more patriotic than complaining..i am prior Marine my self so i am not saying, Mr. ASAF, that you are not patriotic. I am saying your way of thinking does not help. We all have to find out what we can do to help someone else..personally..thats how you can help YOUR COUNTRY people.
Posted by: Shawana | December 12, 2008, 8:01 pm 8:01 pm
They are looking for ANY excuse to pullout so they can reinvade Pakistan and Afghanistan!!! Thank you O’bomba!!! BRING THEM HOME NOW!!! NO EXCUSES!!!
Posted by: please! | December 12, 2008, 8:07 pm 8:07 pm
Hey USAF SSGT – If Obama had been president 8 years ago, 4,300 of your friends would still be alive today, and 30,000 of your friends wouldn’t be missing an arm, leg, or eye.
And you know what, 42 of your buddies died since the election in your pres’dint Bush’s war.
So spare us this BS about the “Surge” because the only thing Bush gave us is a surge in American soldiers dying for no reason, and the upcoming surge in VA benefits for the 30,000 wounded.
Thank GOD for Obama.
Posted by: clifton | December 12, 2008, 8:28 pm 8:28 pm
My goodness, Pres-elect isn’t even in office yet and already the Rush Limbaugh robots are out in force. Get over it people. My God. Cut yourself and see if you bleed American blood or some kind of Republican hateful spewing blood. Please don’t try to tell me how great your current President has been. We wouldn’t have to deal with this mess without the wonderful last 8 years!
Posted by: CMSgt P | December 12, 2008, 9:35 pm 9:35 pm
I am an American Citizen, migrated from India.
I do not like lot of things President Bush did, but one thing we all should be thankful to him to keep this country safe without any attack for the last 7 1/2 years.
Do not think terrorist are not trying, they are trying everyday. I know, I come from india and terrorist attack almost every month.
God Bless America
Posted by: adam | December 12, 2008, 9:39 pm 9:39 pm
adam – Pres’dint Bush has not kept our country safe without any attach. 4,300 of our soliders were killed in thousands of attacks.
Bush has increased worldwide hatred of America through his arrogance, stupidity, and christian crusading. That hatred increases our chances of being attacked. Fortunately, Obama will subdue much of this anger.
Posted by: clifton | December 12, 2008, 10:24 pm 10:24 pm
Bush and Condosleeza Rice and Rummy and Cheney all lied and said Iraq would nuke an American city if we didn’t attack them first. Then Bush slaughtered 250,000 Iraqis and 5,300 Americans. Saddam Hussein had protected all Christians and Jews in Iraq from all harm. Anyone so much as vandalizing a church or synagogue woud be imprisoned. After Bush’s attack and occupation Rummy said that looting was OK. Massive looting, and the rapes of thousands of women occurred over the next few months. Bush bombed dozens of civilian apartment buildings in Baghdad, slaughtering thousands of Iraqis in their beds. Today thousands of Iraq women are working as prostitutes to make the $130 to $300 a month they need to survive in Baghdad, because their husbands have been killed by Bush, and in some cases their sons also. And the islamic extremists who SADDAM HUSSEIN KEPT UNDER WRAPS don’t allow woman to work in normal profession. Under Hussein, women could be doctors, lawyers and shopkeepers. That’s history now.
Please don’t tell me that the Texas traitor Bush was right to attack Iraq based entirely on a pack of lies and cause all of this destruction, just because you drove in a taxi across Baghdad and arrived in one piece. Fifty people were killed in a Kirhuk Iraq bombing 2 days ago. Bush’s reign of idiocy continues. ~~~~ Bush’s remaining supporters are moronic drones who now WANT OUR AUTO INDUSTRY TO GO DOWN THE DRAIN. The Confederacy ain’t coming back, you imbeciles. Climb back under your slimy rock for another 8 years and take your treasonous Bush family with you!
Posted by: Tryi Malange | December 12, 2008, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm
THANK YOU!! USAF SSGT for protecting our freedoms. if it wasnt for people like you we wouldnt have all of the freedoms we do!!
Posted by: rdav36200 | December 12, 2008, 10:56 pm 10:56 pm
USAF SSGT – While the surge may have proven to work in some respects, going to war and spending a trillion dollars to acquire cheap oil is still pretty stupid. What happens when we pull out and this government fails and chaos takes hold? Surely that is a possibility. Obama was correct in opposing intervention into Iraq. On the republican side Ron Paul was correct and voted correctly on the Iraq war resolution. All we have done is increase Iranian influence, helped to bankrupt ourselves, and killed a whole bunch of people in the process.
Posted by: Huh | December 12, 2008, 11:50 pm 11:50 pm
They still have a ways to go before returning to the peace and prosperity they enjoyed under Saddam Hussein. There is still a lot of rubble left over from the shock and awe.
Posted by: JoeForSure | December 13, 2008, 1:51 am 1:51 am
yea yea yea 42 of my buddies died….you fools don’t have a clue what goes on …..BUT WAIT….. your party….the party of death…stand up and defend the policy murder of 3000 babies EVERYDAY and don’t say a PEEP and want to expand that procedure to PBA…sure thing … the difference is that everyone of us in the military volunteered to fight and know the risk BUT you brave liberals like to attack innocent blood…a baby who can not defend itself coming out of the womb legs first so you can snip the neck…PLEEEEZE you selfish self centered people.
Posted by: USAF | December 13, 2008, 6:23 am 6:23 am
wondering why all those young iraqi men, pictured, aren’t in iraqi military uniform fighting for their own country? if the enemy, whoever they are, is smart all they have to do is stand down until the u.s. military leaves then strike in force. they can infiltrate the iraqi police, military and just wait to strike a decisive blow.
Posted by: Lawrence | December 13, 2008, 7:22 am 7:22 am
Tryi Malange….what are you smoking?? You make the case that Iraq and the world was better off with Saddam Hussein??? What twisted sick logic you use…..of course there was no dissent under his regime…..he was a murderous dictator. Was it o.k. for him to kill to “keep the peace????” Forget whay you may think about the reasons for the war…..and by the way Bill Clinto, Hillary Clinton and a host of other Democrits publicly proclaimed that Saddam had WMD’s long before George Bush ever set foot in the white house. The hypocrisy of the left is amazing.
Posted by: centurion666 | December 13, 2008, 10:28 am 10:28 am
PLEASE, this story is no evidence of any kind of success. The insurgents are fighting less because Bush is going out of power soon. The surge has nothing to do with it. You can’t have 3,000 failed plans then start cheering when finally one appears to work. 8 years of mismangement, murder, and tarnishment of America will take 7-fold the time to repair. Shame on George Bush. SHAME ON ANYONE THAT VOTED FOR GEORGE BUSH. And may you rot in hell anyone that still follows behind him. You are clearly an evil person if you believe that anything George Bush has done has benefited America.
Posted by: Adam Annato | December 13, 2008, 2:22 pm 2:22 pm
Joe,
You are wrong, and you know it. The situation in Iraq was stalilizing long before Obama won — any claims that Obama’s election has made any difference in Iraq as of yet (good or bad) is simply insane. And to claim that the murderous terrorists whom mainly killed innocent Iraqis only did so “because President Bush is in office” is either a blatant attempt to excuse those same terrorists, or is someone shooting their mouth off without thinking. Which is it Joe?
And Adam Annato — your silly anti-Bush ranting is prime evidence of the single-minded idioticy that the extreme left wallows in. I have soldiers on my staff who have been in Iraq for two or three tours, and *every* *single* *one* of them has stated that the surge has worked, and that Iraq is a different place from 2-3 years ago because of it.
You do not like that, so you try to lie about it.
Posted by: Fair Play | December 13, 2008, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm
The people of Iraq have been ruling themselves for 5,000 years and capable of doing so without the occupation of foreign armies. We had no moral right to invade Iraq as we have no moral right to remain. The US Army has become no more than an instrument of murder and thievery. All this talk about stabilizing and securing the country from themselves is nonsense. They are there to secure the booty. The blood of over a million Iraqi civilians is on the hands of these brutal killers. Time is up, get out.
Posted by: JoeForSure | December 13, 2008, 5:30 pm 5:30 pm
Boy what a lot of word’s. Thank god we have the fredom of speech. Thank A Soldier.
Posted by: Scott | December 14, 2008, 1:42 pm 1:42 pm
Joe, what is it that you people loved about Saddam Hussain and his sons so much that you wish they were still in power?
Was it their three wars, two million deaths, or 10 million bbl oil dumped on otters in the ocean, or 600 wells blown up polluting the earth? Or did you like when he sent assassins to Great Britain, tried to kill GHWBush’41, or tried to develop nuclear weapons (what did Israelis’ bomb)?
Maybe you loved his use of poison gas, or Udday’s rape rooms, the plastic shredders, burying alive, throwing people off of buildings, starving whole provinces to death? Was it his secret police, murder of families, children, or maybe the actions of his thugs after his overthrow?
Do you really believe the world would be better with Saddam and his son’s still ruling Iraq, $140/bbl oil, the embargo gone, the “no fly zones” canceled? I see, your are the same people who hated the US during the Cold War, loved the North Vietnamese, think Cuba is a socialist paradise, and think that at least Pol Pot, Mao, and Stalin made the trains run on time.
Now I understand….
Posted by: Jacknola | December 14, 2008, 9:56 pm 9:56 pm
They have just traded one kind of hell for another.
I’m afraid that the people of Iraq will not find lasting peace no matter who ‘wins’. This insanity has been going on for many generations.
Yes, we have spent a trillion or so dollars on this war. So apparently, it’s not for the oil. We could have bought the stupid oil cheaper.
So stop saying ‘it was for the oil’.
That argument does not hold water.
I pray that the people of Iraq find peace.
Iraq SHOULD be a first-class country – with all that oil. Why didn’t that happen in the past? Why can’t it happen?
Posted by: Oil-Soaked | December 15, 2008, 7:41 am 7:41 am