Iraq Might Welcome a Strongman

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/latimests/20040621/ts_latimes/iraqmightwelcomeastrongman&cid=2026&ncid=1480


Talk of imposing martial law or restoring the death penalty has been welcomed by many among a war-weary populace.


"We need a tough ruler," said Burwa Tayyeb, who owns a boutique in Baghdad's Mansour district. "I have very high hopes and am looking forward to the 1st of July."


On Sunday, in his inaugural news conference, interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi pledged to "crush" Iraq's enemies and said the nation's resources would be directed against terrorism. He said he was considering imposing "emergency law" in some areas, but he didn't elaborate.


Other Iraqis are skeptical that Allawi's tough talk can translate into effective action and fear that things may only get worse.

[Cooley Hurd]

1. They can have ours...

Vote Bush for Iraqi Dictator, '04!

[rfranklin]

2. He already is in fact...

if not in name.

[ElectroPrincess]

5. Oh, I get it ...

A Strongman? = a kinder, gentler Dictator a la Saddam Hussein. Only real difference is that he's a puppet of the USA Bush Administration.

Shameful. I've lived under Martial Law for six weeks in Singapore Malaysia (1964) until the British and USA contractors were spirited back to the good ole USA.

Reality Check: The world was NOT recreated on 9/11. Further the tactics and the world view of such behaviors has not changed by Bush's hyperbole and surreal suggestions that THIS (terrorism) is something new. ONLY we changed (the USA) in that we permit the Bush Administration to invoke the words "terrorist and terrorism" as a justification to invade, maim, torture and kill indiscriminately at the mere whisper of THAT those (to the USA) new and shocking words.

BTW this so called novel (for the USA) *beheading tactic* is far from NEW or even considered novel in the world outside the USA. Four miles away from the "America's" grade school I attended in 1964, what we would NOW call terrorists - killed students and beheaded four teachers ... displaying their heads on sticks in front of the school.

Terrorism has ALWAYS been with us. If we continue to lash out without proper rationale (beyond labeling our enemies as terrorists), killing innocent Iraqi civilians, Bush's new puppet will need a hell-of-va lot more than the declaration of Martial Law to stop the implosion of Iraq into the bowls of hell.

I'm only stating the obvious when I suggest for that bastard (our new budding puppet Iraqi dictator) always sleep with one eye open.

[FlashHarry]

3. I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

When you have a country created by European colonialist powers that encompasses historically antagonistic tribes or ethnic groups (straight-line borders that don't follow geographic features are a dead giveaway. See: Nigeria), only a dictatorial regime can hold it together. Post-colonial Africa is full of these sad stories.

[Barkley]

13. South Africa is an exception

Yeah, the west loves a strong-man too: Marcos, Somoza, Bastista, Pinochet as long as he's not a "Mugabe", a "Noriega", or a "Saddam".

I think that the policies and tactics of many of the strong-men dictators in Africa also helped push these countries towards armed insurgents and civil wars.

The problem with democracy in the middle east is not that its incompatible with the culture but that it is fundamentally incompatible with US strategic goals. For example, the Iraqis would never vote for "shock and awe" campaign or foreign occupation and control of their key assets.

Our occupation is doing a fantastic job of keeping Iraq united -- against US.

[Bhaisahab]

21. I'm proud to say that India is an exception to that. n/t

[gorrister]

4. how 'bout...

Saddam?

[dad]

6. 0

This is pretty hilarious!! I got if from TheDailyFarce.com - go to that site for the rest of the article.

President Bush To Deliver Strategy On Monday; Wants Saddam To Take Over Iraq On June 30th

At a time when the Abu Ghraib abuses surfaced, Spain pulled out all of its troops from the region, insurgency has exploded throughout Iraq, 2 presidents of the IGC have been killed and a current leader of the IGC has been found to be giving top secret information to Iran, President George Bush, on Monday, will deliver a speech to the world outlining his strategy on Iraq.

"My previous strategy was one of chaos." Stated President Bush in a televised interview giving a sneak peak at his upcoming speech, "We thought that if we allowed chaos to take over Iraq, as it has, it would shock people into wanting a none-chaotic, free Iraq. That has not worked. It was a dumb idea, I know. However, my new idea is much better. I guarantee this. It involves one person that will bring stability back to Iraq. You'll see."

President Bush did not want to share who this person was at the time of the interview, however, insiders at the White House have told The Daily Farce News that President Bush will announce on Monday night that on June 30th, Saddam Hussein, will be given Iraq back.

....

[TrogL]

15. This is scarily close to the truth

I could see Dubya declaring "it was all a mistake, we were lied to, Saddam is a nice guy and we're putting him back in charge".

[disinfo_guy]

7. a ruthless dictator like Saddam, but pro-Usa

This is exactly what they said they wanted after the first Gulf War, a dictator that they control. Now that we tried so hard to bring democracy to the ungrateful Iraqis, and they rejected it, we have no choice but to appoint a stronmgman.

[NNN0LHI]

8. Didn't they used to have one of them before all this shit started?

The more things change the more they stay the same.

Don

[David__77]

9. Iraqis will not welcome fascism and they never have welcomed it!

Iraqis heroically struggled against the US-supported Ba'athists for decades. The soil is red with the blood of Iraqi patriots. They will not now bow for another foreign-installed puppet. This is wishful thinking on the part of the media elite.

[bluestateguy]

10. Anarchy always breeds the conditions for tyranny

Plato's Republic warned of this.

[donsu]

11. this is bushgang propaganda aimed at US people

the criminal bushgang is going to put in a strongman, strong everything and martial law.

and they want us to go along with it so they make statements saying the Iraqi people want all this strongness.

the Iraqis want us to go away. they have had it with strong men.

[Gloria]

12. So, he already vowed to outlaw the militias...

How is he going to do that? So, if he imposes martial law and the militias are still operating.....will anything really change???

Why don't they just rewind the tape and reinstall Saddam?

What a fiasco!! Meanwhile, this AM I heard that one of the pipelines is operating and the oil is flowing to Basra terminal....I thought, how quickly they can do that...but to fix up the hospitals??? NAH!!!

[THUNDER HANDS]

14. who didn't see this coming?

I got pretty shelacked when I said that democracy can't flourish in Iraq and that only a dictator could control the country.

Sometimes it sucks being right.

[0rganism]

16. It's Burwa's lucky day! We got John Negroponte all ready to step in...

> "I have very high hopes and am looking forward to the 1st of July."

Oh, I'm sure you are, Mr. Tayyeb, I'm sure you are. Got that AK-47 all oiled up and good to go? Ready to do a little "ethnic cleansing"? Maybe even handle a few executions on your own? You could be just the kind of self-starter we like to see in a 3rd-world citizen.

[ElementaryPenguin]

17. Saddam about to announce candidacy?

Okay, so Allawi is a terrorist - but he's OUR terrorist...at least as of this date, he is.

:puke:
:crazy:
:silly:

[daleo]

18. But, what about bringing Iraq democracy?

What about eliminating weapons of mass destruction?
What about getting rid of torture chambers and rape rooms?

Well 0 out of 3 ain't bad.

[struggle4progress]

19. Iraqi interim president plays down talk of martial law

Iraq's interim president played down talk of martial law Monday after the nation's prime minister suggested such a move was under consideration in some areas after the June 30 transfer of sovereignty.

President Ghazi al-Yawer said during a meeting with a U.S. congressional delegation, including Michigan Republicans Peter Hoekstra and Mike Rogers, that comments Sunday at a press conference by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi were in response to a "hypothetical question asked to a member of the government."

Al-Yawer said the government would be within its rights to impose martial law but it was not inevitable.
<snip>

The congressional delegation included Hoekstra, Rogers, Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev.; Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla.; and Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/special_packages/iraq/8978800.htm

[SoCalDem]

20. Maybe they could let Noriega out early.. he was always

"Strongman/Manuel Norgiega"...

Mark my words.. Iraq will end up with a dictator.. This "new guy" will not be eager to depart..He will take over completely, and we will be told to go pound sand.