Arabs watch Saddam's demise in disbelief

Reuters | 4/09/03 | Lucy Fielder

[kattracks]

Arabs watch Saddam's demise in disbelief

By Lucy Fielder

CAIRO, April 9 (Reuters) - Arabs watched in disbelief on Wednesday as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, described by one Moroccan as the Arab world's "best dictator," lost Baghdad to U.S.-led forces without a fight.

"It's like a movie. I can't believe what I'm seeing," said Adel, a lawyer in Beirut. "Why didn't he just give up to start with if this was all the resistance he could muster? Instead of wasting all those lives for nothing."

In Cairo, people gathered around television sets in shops and coffee houses watching U.S. troops toppling a huge statue of Saddam in the heart of Baghdad and Iraqis dancing on it.

"It seemed that Iraqis were all with Saddam, now it looks like many didn't like him. Maybe those destroying the statue are rebels against Saddam's rule," engineer Magdy Tawfiq said as he watched Saddam's statue being toppled by a U.S. tank.

But security guard Waleed Tawfiq said he still did not believe Saddam was out. "I will be upset if it turns out Saddam has lost power. He tried to defend his land. If he is dead he will be a martyr."

Most Arabs have no love for Saddam. But his defiance towards the United States has been met with approval in a region angry at Washington's support for Israel and perceived interference in Arab affairs, and the presence of U.S. forces in Arab countries.

Three weeks of war in Iraq have sparked anger across the Arab world, and the anger grew as civilian casualties mounted. Protesters at hundreds of rallies have chanted praise for "beloved" Saddam and held his picture aloft.

Rabat perfume shop owner Lahoucine Lanait described Saddam as the Arab world's "best dictator."

But few Arabs had a kind word for him as his 24-year rule collapsed on Wednesday.

"Saddam is not an Arab champion. The war is practically over, did he win? No, and Iraq is destroyed," said Ayman Abdel Rahim, a Cairo butcher.

"Saddam Hussein is proving for the thousandth time that he is stubborn, stupid, idiotic and a terrorist. He is more like the head of a gang and not the president of a respectable state like Iraq," said Sultan Nasser, 49-year-old Saudi bank employee.

STANDING UP TO THE UNITED STATES

Many Arabs liken the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In Oman, some said Saddam, whose fate is unknown after he was targeted by U.S. planes, symbolised resistance.

"It is irrelevant whether Saddam is dead or not. His memory will live on to inspire many Arabs to stand up against all the injustices committed by the U.S. and its friends in Israel," Belqees Hamood, a university student, said.

"Saddam was not an angel to his own people but he will be missed since many Arabs see him as a leader who was not afraid to challenge the American and Israeli aggressions over Palestinians," said Juma Backer, a businessman.

In Saudi Arabia, Mohsen al-Awajy, a reformist sheikh who has been jailed by the country's pro-Western monarchy, said: "No one wanted to fight under Saddam's banner."

"But resistance to occupation has nothing to do with Saddam and just part of the battle is about to end now."

Adel in Beirut disagreed. "So he was the only Arab leader to stand up to the Americans. Look what happened, no one else will dare try that again."

Some said his death at the hands of U.S.-led invaders would make him a martyr. It was a question of honour.

"My hope is that Saddam falls fighting with his own gun. If he flees or surrenders, as many people believe, then he is like other Arab leaders who do not care about honour, it would be a total shame," said Sellami Hidoussi, a Tunis car garage guard.

Fahd Saleh of Saudi Arabia expressed equal dislike for U.S. President George W. Bush and Saddam.

"Saddam is a terrorist but he's not alone. Bush too is a terrorist but Saddam is weak and Bush is strong. That's why he has won, because no one opposes a strong person," said the 33-year-old Saudi government employee.

"How wonderful the world would be without Saddam and without Bush!"

(Contributions from Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia)

04/09/03 12:52 ET

[smith288]

They are so predictable.

[stboz]

"Why didn't he just give up to start with if this was all the resistance he could muster? Instead of wasting all those lives for nothing."

Get a clue, dummy. His people didn't like him very much. < /understatement of the day>

[Hildy]

It's hard to keep trying to help people who look the other way to the murder and torture of their own.

[Slyfox]

He is more like the head of a gang and not the president...

What are all the terrorists going to do now that their cash-daddy is caput?

[Steve_Seattle]

"Why didn't he just give up . . . instead of wasting all those lives for nothing?"

Because he's a brutal dictator concerned only about preserving his own power.

[ClearCase_guy]

"How wonderful the world would be without Saddam and without Bush!"

If we waved a magic wand and got rid of both Saddam and Bush, we would wake up tomorrow with a brand new Saddam somewhere in the world. But there would be no Bush, and the world would sorely miss him.

[denydenydeny]

That's why he has won, because no one opposes a strong person,"

Exactly. I could not care less if they love us as long as they fear us.

[headsonpikes]

Arab Street now closed for renovations, apparently.

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[f.Christian]

Bush !

[Mr. Thorne]

Adel in Beirut disagreed. "So he was the only Arab leader to stand up to the Americans. Look what happened, no one else will dare try that again."

Which makes it all worthwhile, IMHO.

[Ciexyz]

What a shock for these people -- another one bites the dust.

[observer5]

""It seemed that Iraqis were all with Saddam, now it looks like many didn't like him."

That says it all.

[TopQuark]

"Saddam is not an Arab champion. The war is practically over, did he win? No, and Iraq is destroyed," said Ayman Abdel Rahim, a Cairo butcher.

And he knows: one butcher always recognizes another.

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

"It's like a movie. I can't believe what I'm seeing," said Adel, a lawyer in Beirut. "Why didn't he just give up to start with if this was all the resistance he could muster? Instead of wasting all those lives for nothing."

Someone needs to send the above quote to Al Jazeera and all the Arab media. The Arab media are "co-conspirators" in the deaths of the innocents of Iraq, because they have been consistently telling lies, lies and more lies.

[Maceman]

"Maybe those destroying the statue are rebels against Saddam's rule," engineer Magdy Tawfiq said as he watched Saddam's statue being toppled by a U.S. tank.

Gee. Ya think?

[BunnySlippers]

"Why didn't he just give up to start with if this was all the resistance he could muster? Instead of wasting all those lives for nothing."

BINGO! The light goes on.

[N. Theknow]

Any and all Middle East countries have to be extremely concerned with what is taking place in Iraq. People are free for the first time in their lives. They will have a government more open, a society more affluent for every citizen, an unfettered liberty to speak, act and think which no other Middle Eastern country, except Israel, will have.

Immigrant Middle Easterners that have fled to other countries will still flee from places like Jordan, Iran and Syria, but they will no longer feel the need to flee Iraq. Indeed, Iraq may experience an influx of immigrants.

Regardless of what other countries try to say about Iraq, the word will spread like wildfire that it is the only country other than Israel where freedom is a reality.

Iran, Jordan, Syria, Libya, etc....be afraid. Be very afraid. Civil war may be just ahead in your futures.

---

[the Deejay]

""It seemed that Iraqis were all with Saddam, now it looks like many didn't like him."

An understatement. They knew they'd be shot if they said anything against him.

[anniegetyourgun]

You are spot on.....and no thanks to the weenies in the last American administration who emboldened this bloody dictator in Iraq.

[Leo Carpathian]

What are all the terrorists going to do now that their cash-daddy is caput?

... for everything else there is Mastercard

Freep & Roll!

[dc-zoo]

I hope they finally realize that the arab media were constantly lying to them. How can they be so ignorant?

[Blood of Tyrants]

lost Baghdad to U.S.-led forces If this was a football game, Iraq would have lost 50,000,000 to zero.

[3AngelaD]

Yeah, he really did so much to improve the Palestinians' situation. They're all free and safe and rich now. Actually, they could have been free and safe and rich several decades ago if they had simply left Israel alone and built their own state on the territory given them in 1948.

[Alouette]

Rabat perfume shop owner Lahoucine Lanait described Saddam as the Arab world's "best dictator."

Please tell me this was copied from The Onion.

[thoughtomator]

point-of-the-whole-exercise BUMP!

[Trueblackman]

The reports could have went over to DU and got the same kind od responses and saved themselves the airfare. You know all terrorist do think alike.

[Plutarch]

"Saddam was not an angel to his own people..."

You've got to admire the use of understatement. A further example of lasting British influence in these former colonies.

[the Deejay]

Ya think the Arabs now know Baghdad Bob had been lying to them?? LOL

[Arkie2]

Just like the Arabs to glorify a dictator and a loser.

[pubmom]

Somehow I doubt it.

[tallhappy]

"Saddam is not an Arab champion. The war is practically over, did he win? No, and Iraq is destroyed,"

I think we'll here this a lot -- that Iraq is destroyed.

But it isn't. Don't let the left put this across.

[lafroste]

and Iraq is destroyed,

The pictures I saw of Baghdad showed a city that appeared remarkably intact, all things considered.

[Im Your Huckleberry]

The sand maggots are starting to get a clue.

"No one opposes a powerful person".

You got that right, you barbarians in filthy nightshirts. You topple two of our buildings in the largest city in our country, then we come to your region, invade your filthy medieval nation, overthrow your government, kill your leaders, and put you all under the boot.

Just because George Bush says "Islam is a religion of peace" in public doesn't mean he doesn't know the truth about Islam and the Arab world. I got a feeling Georgie is working overtime behind the scenes to insure that the Islamofascist hordes are crushed.

U.S.: 2
Barbarians-In-Filthy-Nightshirts: 1

And we're only in the first second quarter, a@@holes...

[Semi Civil Servant]

Adel in Beirut disagreed. "So he was the only Arab leader to stand up to the Americans. Look what happened, no one else will dare try that again."

Spread the word, Sherlock.

[Use It Or Lose It]

and no thanks to the weenies in the last American administration

You almost have to pity Arabs (or anyone else) who thinks GWB is anything like Bubba.

[Fighter@heart]

Those that fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it!!

[Im Your Huckleberry]

That should have been: "and we're only in the second quarter, a@@holes..."

[FeliciaCat]

Why cant the Arab world get some kind of handle on REALITY???? Why is DENIAL always thier first reaction???

Beyond Weird.

[anniegetyourgun]

Imagine how much harder they will be working in the future to launder funding through U.S. individuals and entities to try to influence future elections. They'll do anything to elect a DEM after this!

[Blood of Tyrants]

If he flees or surrenders, as many people believe, then he is like other Arab leaders who do not care about honour, it would be a total shame

If he is shot, it will be in the head by a Marine sniper as he tries to use a child as a shield. It would be so great if something like that could be caught on tape; probably even a Pulitzer prize.

because no one opposes a strong person,

The rest of the world will not quickly forget this.

[tictoc]

LOL

[beaversmom]

Arabs will never pull their heads out.

[missycocopuffs]

The best quote of the day from another thread:

"These people were silent for 35 years when Saddam used to kill hundreds of thousands of Iraqis so now we are hearing these statements for jihad because they are like retarded people living in the medieval times."

I don't recall the context, as all I did was copy the quote for posterity, but I believe it came from a Dearborn, Michigan Iraqi refugee commenting on the pro-Saddam/anti-American bent of the Arab "street". Someone here will correct me if I am mistaken :)

[monocle]

Remember how many voted for Gore.

[RogueIsland]

That's why he has won, because no one opposes a strong person

I think it's important that the left in this country learns to understand this sort of mentality and stops believing that rolling over and playing nice doggy with these people is going to get us anywhere.

[epow]

but Saddam is weak and Bush is strong. That's why he has won, because no one opposes a strong person," said the 33-year-old Saudi government employee.

Absolutely right Fahd, and don't you forget it. Tell it to your children and write it on your walls:
DON'T MESS AROUND WITH THE U.S.A. BECAUSE CLINTON ISN'T RUNNING THINGS HERE ANYMORE. YOU ATTACK AMERICA, YOU TAKE A DIRT NAP, GOT IT?

Raw power is the only thing those people understand or respect. They just have to see some of it displayed every now and then.

[Inspectorette]

Don't hold back, now - tell us how ya really feel ;-)