Bush hero of Iraq, claims Saudi columnist

WorldNetDaily.Com ^ | Posted: December 19, 2003 5:00 p.m. Eastern | © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

[Bobby777]

President 'will go down in Arab history as the liberator of Baghdad'

Despite today's widespread Arab rage over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, President George W. Bush "will go down in Arab history as the liberator of Baghdad," writes one bold Saudi columnist.

Writing in the Saudi daily Arab News yesterday, columnist Dr. Muhammad Al-Rasheed praised last Sunday's capture by Americans of the former Iraqi tyrant and hailed Bush as a liberator. Here, courtesy of the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI, are excerpts of Al-Rasheed's column:

"Beware the march of history or the ides of March, whichever appeals to you. Those who have eyes and ears will learn from the demise of Saddam Hussein and the pathetic pictures shown to the world. Gone are the palaces, the swagger, the mindless ruthlessness, the endless resources of money and men. Nothing is left but a shabby old man, who is now as pathetic as his rise and fall had been tragic and murderous. "Dictators and murderers are a breed apart. The lucky ones die in office. The majority live to suffer the humiliation and anger of their victims and those who survived them. Count with me and fill in the blanks as you wish: The Shah, Bokassa, Idi Amin, Ceausescu, Sese Seko of Zaire, Hitler, Mussolini, the Soviet apparatus, and last but not least, Saddam, the son of Hussein. The most notable of this lot were the most courageous: Nero and Hitler. At least Nero had the courage to fall on his sword and lament that Rome was losing a 'great artist.' I wonder who is next.

"The jubilation in Baghdad put the Arab media to shame. America, for this brief moment at least ... is a liberator and not an occupier. I can’t help being smug, since what I saw gave me back some confidence in the possibility of justice in this world. I had almost lost hope. It took George Bush to give me that back. I don’t agree with him on many things, and while many Americans share my stand, I’ll give the man his due. He will go down in Arab history as the liberator of Baghdad, even if the whole mission in Iraq comes to nothing more than this.

"... The reality we have to face is the fact that it took Americans to relieve Baghdad of its dictator. Arab impotence recorded a new low. I might sound naive but I would like to ask where the 'freedom fighters,' 'the resistance,' 'the strugglers for the freedom of Iraq' were when that man ran amok. Having delivered Saddam, the Americans will have to deliver Iraq. Shouldn’t we now be wise enough to give them at least a chance, if not a real helping hand?

"We started this business of post-September 11th by jousting with the Americans loudly and virulently. We could not believe that any of our sort would behave in such barbaric ways. The truth became clearer with time. Regardless of the reason for the American intervention in Iraq, the end result couldn’t have been happier for the Iraqis or more loaded with hope for other Arabs.

"Dare we say Carpe Diem and actually seize the day?"

[Bobby777]

ummmmmm .....

[Bobby777]

FReepmail me if you'd like to be on or off this ping list ...

[onyx]

I had almost lost hope. It took George Bush to give me that back.

Not so for democrats and Dean. :)

[nopardons]

Because the Dems & Dean are not as intelligent as this Iraqi auther.

[onyx]

This author writes for *gasp* a Saudi newspaper.

[MJY1288]

"Hero of the Peace" alert

[nopardons]

So I saw.

Yet another Christmas present for President Bush and us. :-)

[inyurhed]

How long before the writer is facing an "accident", or an outright assassination attempt in his home country? Though he is right on target, these kinds of statements are still dangerous in that part of the world. There are still too many terrorist organizations, with too much hate. However, the leaders of the Mid-East had better be careful. If too much of this positive sentiment gets out to the people, they may be facing their own removal from power. I can think of a few I'd like to see under new leadership....

[Mo1]

WOW!!!

[Bobby777]

if he's sincere, I can't imagine him being too popular in his homeland ... as you say ...

[Mo1]

How long before the writer is facing an "accident", or an outright assassination attempt in his home country?

Don't know

But one this is obvious ... he wasn't afraid to write it ... Times are a changing

[jwh_Denver]

The truth became clearer with time. Regardless of the reason for the American intervention in Iraq, the end result couldn’t have been happier for the Iraqis or more loaded with hope for other Arabs.

Chingowa! Give this man a microphone.

[Allegra]

Despite today's widespread Arab rage over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, President George W. Bush "will go down in Arab history as the liberator of Baghdad," writes one bold Saudi columnist.

Works for me.

Liberator of Afghanistan, too.

[Tall_Texan]

That's one Saudi who just had his Pulitzer nomination revoked. You think the Arabs hate Bush, they have nothing on our leftist media.

[MJY1288]

"If too much of this positive sentiment gets out to the people, they may be facing their own removal from power"

It's too late, it's already underway.

Saddam Hussein was the strong man of the region and he now shares rank with the most cowardly of dictators the world has ever seen.

I will bet that Saddam Hussein will cry at his tribunal and beg for his life.

[NutCrackerBoy]

The truth became clearer with time. Regardless of the reason for the American intervention in Iraq, the end result couldn’t have been happier for the Iraqis or more loaded with hope for other Arabs.

To have any long-term national security, President Bush reasoned, one thing we must do is remove Saddam's regime. The military interventions that are the most pressing are also the ones which liberate.

[ChicagoHebrew]

But one this is obvious ... he wasn't afraid to write it ... Times are a changing,

They are indeed... we've seen a lot of baby steps towards freedom in the Islamic world since the occupation of Iraq began, and this is yet another (other steps seen are the Saudi's reversing posture and arresting rather than funding the most crazed Wahabbists, Lybia's agreement to end WMD, the massive student protests in Iran, Quatar's opening of a giant new secular university etc.).

I'm truly starting to think that George W might go down as the greatest American President since Lincoln (yes, that includes Reagan). Reagan brought down communism, but communism would have collapsed anyway-- Reagan merely accelerated the process twenty years. Left unchecked (as it was by Reagan), Islamofascism would have taken over Europe and threatened the world.

I think it's going to take 10-20 years to finish the job, but we'll start to see the first fruits of Iraq within a few years. Within a decade, I fully expect to see a mostly democratic, sweepingly secularizing and modernizing Middle East.

[Mo1]

I'm truly starting to think that George W might go down as the greatest American President since Lincoln (yes, that includes Reagan).

Time will tell about that

But he will surely be in the top 5 list of greatest american presidents

[TruthNtegrity]

That picture just grabs me everytime I see it. Nothing staged. Just honest emotion. As quickly as they take a shoe to a picture of Saddam, whether it be newspaper or their old money, they kiss our President's picture in glee.

It is truly something to see.

Now with authors like this, we will get the chance to see if democracy can flourish in an Arab country - and won't that be exciting. Freedom, democracy, capitalism right in the middle of Arab territory.

How many peoples of other Arab countries might then rise up against their regimes, whether "princes" or tyrants. Doesn't matter. These guys had better be ready to run for cover.

[AmericanVictory]

Where there is articulate Arab rationality there is hope. May they survive the demise of their one crop economy.