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Playing the "Liberation" card

Reader comment on item: After Saddam? Remaking the Mideast

Submitted by Dr. Ron Polland (United States), Feb 17, 2003 at 09:53

Before we discuss how to split up the pot that everyone expects us to win, we have remember that the game is still in play.

Bush is a great leader, but a lousy poker player. He's shown his hand way too early.

I'm afraid that the Bush Administration is down to its last card. They've played the "disarmament card" which the French and Germans trumped. They've played the "Al-Qaeda card" which many countries believe is a bluff. Seems to me they only have one card left: the "liberation card."

Bush has to make the case to the world -- as Tony Blair has done -- that millions of Iraqis have suffered the worst human rights abuses under the Saddam regime and the UN has done nothing to stop him. The world turned a deaf ear --especially the Muslim world -- to the cries of Iraqi Muslims who have been brutally tortured, Muslim men and children summarily killed, Muslim women raped by the thousands, thousands more Muslims imprisoned for no reason, and forced relocations of whole Muslim populations. If Saddam is not removed now, millions more will suffer as he seeks to eliminate all opposition groups around him, as well as seeking to "pay back" countries that voted for his ouster.

Obviously, except for the nations who are with us, the rest of the world don't really care what happens to Iraqi Muslims at the hands of a monster. All they care about is blaming Israel and the United States for their own shortcomings.

I think it's time for our government to shame the world for turning their backs on human suffering. It's time to shame the world for using this crisis to advance their own selfish agendas. It's time to tell the world that this is not about oil, but about blood -- the blood of millions of Muslims that Saddam has on his hands.

What we will find when we go into Iraq will parallel what Allied troops found when they liberated the Nazi concentration camps. We have a great opportunity to show the world just how duplicitous are the Arab states who stood with Saddam and against the "Coalition of the willing."

How can the Arabs, on one hand, presume to care so much about the so-called "suffering" of their "Palestinian brothers" and care so little about the genuinely horrific treatment of millions of Muslims by a secular, sadistic Saddam (who also supported Milosovic's ethnic cleansing of Muslims)?

The answer is simple: all they really care about is themselves and ridding the Middle East of Jews. Their concern for Palestinians -- who fully supported Saddam in Gulf War I and helped him to kill and loot Kuwaitis -- is as phony as a $3 bill.

Bringing democracy to the Middle East is not the hard part -- our toughest job will be to undo the irrational and institutional hatred of Jews throughout the Arab world.

Yet, how does one put an end to the lies, distortions, and blood libels that Arabs have cultivated against Jews for the past 1,300 years?

I wish I knew.
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Reader comments (45) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Correction: Not "Don't Be Greedy!" but "Don't Get Greedy!" [2 words]Jonathan RickJan 5, 2005 08:3419427
Deconstruct Theocracy [91 words]Don van SickleApr 21, 2003 12:078494
difficulties ahead... [16 words]p cormanyApr 17, 2003 14:458427
Time to leave Saudi?? [69 words]Mark HMar 21, 2003 16:317497
Democracy at home - Tyranny Abroad [60 words]AhmedMar 14, 2003 15:037256
The theory of intended and unintended consequences [442 words]Shfep FargotsteinMar 12, 2003 12:177201
After Saddam? Remaking the Middle East [176 words]Wahid BoctorMar 3, 2003 00:527009
Keep up the fantastic work! [20 words]Dave PryceFeb 18, 2003 01:526707
Democracy? [25 words]HarmoniaFeb 17, 2003 10:216695
Playing the "Liberation" card [510 words]Dr. Ron PollandFeb 17, 2003 09:536694
Freedom of the Media IS necessary for Peace in the Middle East [250 words]Alex DashevskyFeb 16, 2003 14:046688
Not OK Oday [361 words]Chas. DahlinFeb 15, 2003 15:536674
Democracy is born out of maturity [213 words]Karsten BraschFeb 15, 2003 14:396672
4Problems in the US Policy [1260 words]Aslele ZaabiFeb 14, 2003 23:176658
False Dichotomy in Postwar Planning [409 words]Todd WinteringFeb 14, 2003 16:026648
Japan and the ME are like chalk and cheese [124 words]S.R.JudahFeb 14, 2003 08:156638
Beyond Technicality [107 words]A HFeb 13, 2003 19:266624
Japan [113 words]M SchultehenrichFeb 13, 2003 14:316618
Revamping the UN [354 words]Shep FargotsteinFeb 13, 2003 10:106610
How I see it at this time [106 words]Manuel GwiazdaFeb 13, 2003 08:306607
I'm with Ajami [96 words]Paul M. NevilleFeb 12, 2003 19:336598
Do we believe the Declaration? [164 words]Joseph SomselFeb 12, 2003 18:176595
Ready for Democracy [85 words]Ted VolckhausenFeb 12, 2003 15:056592
After Saddam - One Detail You Did Not Mention [333 words]Joseph E. RendiniFeb 12, 2003 14:176591
Notes [340 words]Alo KievalarFeb 12, 2003 11:376584
After Saddam: Islam Confronts Democracy [425 words]Dave DavisFeb 11, 2003 21:306573
Democracy vs. Imperialism [330 words]Arlinda DeAngelisFeb 11, 2003 21:266572
We'd have to be brutal with terrorists [192 words]Catherine FFeb 11, 2003 20:326571
America's Destiny [137 words]William L. KorstadFeb 11, 2003 19:526569
Democracy's Core Value [127 words]David JacobFeb 11, 2003 19:326567
Calling the Fouad Ajami Brigade [181 words]Andreas SamsonFeb 11, 2003 17:456565
To the above poster [49 words]JeffFeb 11, 2003 16:376564
Democracy and security are inseparable. [365 words]Quin RobertsFeb 11, 2003 15:566563
Give democracy a chance [233 words]Amir ZadehFeb 11, 2003 12:336556
Arabs already have disposable divorce [66 words]GloriaFeb 11, 2003 12:326555
Strongly disagree ! [225 words]R.IsakFeb 11, 2003 11:486553
Caution in the Middle East [625 words]James M. CarterFeb 11, 2003 11:356552
Forget About Reforming Iraq -- or the Arab World [311 words]Ralph WinstanleyFeb 11, 2003 11:086551
RE: Glenn Klotz's question [173 words]Bob SamualsFeb 11, 2003 10:586550
After Iraq [96 words]John HampeFeb 11, 2003 10:556549
Not trusting the US or the UK to take a long term view :response to Ajami's view [532 words]elaine bousfieldFeb 11, 2003 10:406548
Outstanding balanced article [107 words]John S. MorganFeb 11, 2003 10:396547
Can This Go On? [122 words]Steven HessFeb 11, 2003 10:216545
Liberals & Liberal democracy [108 words]Glenn KlotzFeb 11, 2003 09:476538
Famous Victory? [193 words]Graham Rael-BrookFeb 11, 2003 09:026537

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