Is the identity of the SOTU Iraqi woman going to break?

[slor]

I have been expecting that story to finally reach the MSM by this morning. I guess I was being too optimistic.

[LiberalVoice]

1. She was probably spanish or something...

[displacedtexan]

2. From what I've seen and read this morning...

Dems are playing the "I certainly hope she wasn't a GOP plant" card.

Even Imus wondered if she was a plant.

[brainshrub]

3. What are you talking about?

Is there something about the Iraqi woman I should know?

[SCDem]

4. That she is a GOP fundie

and left Iraq at the age of 4.

Not too sure what else is known about her

[Mistress Quickly]

5. Was her father killed

by Saddam's 'henchmen'?

[notadmblnd]

6. They were claiming she was some Iraqi humans right

activist/leader. I find my self becomming more and more frustrating with these Iraqis that support bush. If they are so happy with what bush has done to their country, why haven't they packed their bags and gone back yet? I would think that they are needed there to help rebuild and lead their people.

[Ravenseye]

10. Many of them have

I am related (by marriage) to a few of these people. One of them, my first cousins, first cousin's wife (his mother is my father's sister, this other guy is his father's sister's son...that guys wife...blech arab families suck)

Anyway, most of these people are totally siding with Bush because they hated Saddam THAT MUCH. Saddam tortured and murdered and hurt certain groups of Iraqi's so much that all they care about is that he's gone. They can't see the damage it's doing to Iraq. They don't dare complain about the administration etc. Most of them though are in the process of going back. Either one of the parents is there, or they're working on getting back over. It's hard though with jobs etc to move.

Still. you're right to be frustrated. THe people that the bushies bring forward are generally so full of hate and anger they could care less who is helping them as long as they get what they want, which in most cases is a Shiite controled religious state friendly to Iran.

Nice move Bush. Hmm. Iraq and Iran. Lets make it more simple and just have Iran 1 and Iran 2.

[shrike]

14. "A Shiite controlled religious state friendly to Iran"

Isn't that what Bush DOESN'T want?

This situation reminds me somewhat of the exiled Vietnamese whom the U.S. government brought back to "run" Vietnam. Most of them had spent their lives elsewhere. One of the so-called presidents, if I'm not mistaken, couldn't even speak Vietnamese.

[Ravenseye]

15. Yeah Exactly

Think about this in a different way...

The United States is invaded and occupied by the Iraqi army. After a couple years they hold an election for our new government. In addition to people voting here, 'americans' can vote in certain places overseas.

Some of those voting overseas are people who left the U.S. in the 1940's, 50's and 60's. They haven't been back here since. Thave have nationalized and are now living in Iraq as Iraqi citizens. They have children who live and work there in Iraq. They consider themselves Iraqi's.

On the day of the election these 'americans' go to the polls to vote in the elections. Their children, born in iraq, never having been to america, also get to vote in the U.S. election.

How would you feel about those people?

[Hissyspit]

9. See Links In My First Post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1561907

[chelsea0011]

7. So the poor mother who lost her son to this war and hugged this woman

has been screwed twice. Once by the President starting an illeagal and immoral war and then again by a Republican plant? Has this administration no shame? They could care less about the public. They are only concerned with oil money and lining their pockets.

[Adderall552]

20. That's not the way she sees it!

[Hissyspit]

8. I nominated this story for the front page and its not there yet... LINKS

I'll try again. Will add links to other disc threads on this in a second. I think it's a big deal.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1561907#1566281

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1561594

[SmokingJacket]

11. Was there ever any question that it was all staged?

I don't think there's even anyone claiming that it wasn't.

It was about as "real" as a reality TV show, and in the same way.

That's all the reality we're allowed, these days.

[Red State Rebel]

12. The parents say it wasn't

They were on with Diane Sawyer I think and said they didn't meet her till they were coming in the door and that it wasn't planned. Who knows tho....

[Hissyspit]

13. That's not the point

They were not straight-up about who the woman was and it was manipulative.

[ynksnewyork2]

18. you're right

The Norwood's wrote to Bush awhile ago when their son died They've supported Bush and their son admired him. She said they were invited to the SOTU address but didn't know they'd be featured. he said she met the Iraqi lady in the gallery when they got there. She denies anyting was staged. Whether it was or it wasn't, it was a powerful moment that alot of people will remember. She's a classy lady.

[Jane Austin]

21. The letter Mrs. Norwood wrote bush?

Paraphrased from memory:

"I told my son I wish I could protect him from harm like I'd always done."

He said, "You always have, Mom. Now it's my tourn to protect you."

Who talks like that?

[izzybeans]

25. Well the parents sure didn't plan on it

But the speech writers obviously did. Anyone with an embargoed copy of the speech read write along with the Chimp as he pointed them all out. They were sitting within arms reach, of course the mother, who loves Bush is going to feel a sense of accomplishment to this "Iraqi" lady from Dearborn Michigan or wherever she's lived her life. It would have been natural for her to want a hug. The father was looking at the marines next them as if they were his son. Any parent would have. I find it very low for the Bushees to propagandize on these parent's misery. Rather than Pomp and Circumstance they could have played Master of Puppets. It would have been better suited to frame the SOTU. I find it more appalling then planting the American pseudo-Iraqi in front of them. Why not cheerlead al Sistani-this election had more to do with him than the Chimp anyhoo.

[Career Prole]

26. A powerful moment like Jessica Lynch's "rescue",

and the "impromptu celebration" when Saddam's statue was pulled down, and "Mr. Gorbachev...tear down this wall!"
A bunch of staged hooey every bit as genuine as Rocky Balboa's inspiring speech after he whupped the evil Commie in Rocky IV.
BFD... :eyes:

[oasis]

28. "staged hooey" that's what the Bushies are selling, and the red state

kool aid drinkers lap it up like it was honey.

[bluedog]

16. I wrote to Keith

yesterday......I am hoping he'll get on this story ...........the people were duped into believing this woman was an ordinary Iraqi.........which is untrue.......she has ties to many people here.


they are, being non-partisan and all. Board of Directors?

Steve Forbes.
Jack Kemp.
Jeanne Kirkpatrick.

OK, so far not so balanced.

Distinguished Advisors?
Newt Gingrich.
R. James Woolsey.



Board of Advisors?
Gary Bauer.
Charles Karuthammer, (yes the columnist)
Bill Kristol.
Zell Miller.
Richard Perle.

wow. OK and then finally we see who represents the other side on that board.

Donna Brazille. (?)
Frank Lautenberg.
Chuck Schumer.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/3/61911/26777

[ynksnewyork2]

19. I'm betting Keith will stay as far

away as he can from this story. Fox had 5 million viewers, CNN had 1 million and MSNBC had 716,000!! These stats are available on TVNewser.com. In the 8p-11p primetime slot, Fox had 1, 609,000 and MSNBC had 242,000. Going after a dead Marines mom or an Iraqi woman who's father was killed by Saddam just ain't gonna boost your ratings! I love KO and ask everybody i know to watch the Countdown so I don't understand why Fox keeps gettig so many viewers. i know of no one who watches Fox. Who is watching them???

[Jane Austin]

23. Who is watching them?

Neilson families?

[ynksnewyork2]

17. not much to break

She's been interviewe by David schuster,diane sawyer, linda Vester. You can read abou Schusters interview on Msnbc.com. He thinks she's for real and ended up scolding Ron reagen Jr and chris Matthews for their remarks about her on Wed night. I didn't watch the SOTU speech live but it's on CNN on Demand and I saw it yesterday. The hug was a powerful moment. Mrs Norwood, the dead marine's mom, was interviewed by Diane sawyer today. She's a cool lady. Republican though.

[Disturbed]

22. It was a toal coincidence that this lady..

was with Laura Bush right next to the parents of the soldier that was killed while flattening Falujah, right?

[shrike]

24. I doubt the general public knows much about her, though

She sounds like a player to me -- if I'm not mistaken she's in line for a spot in the general assembly. I'll bet she's delighted Mrs. Norwood's son was in Fallujah.

I've seen other people like the Norwoods interviewed. I think this song lyric sums them up well.

If I listened long enough to you
I'd find a way to believe that it's all true
Knowing that you lied straight-faced, while I cried
Still I look to find a reason to believe

[eridani]

27. The interesting thing is about her sister

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/Newsdesk.nsf/Story/99E97EBB097BF94242256E02002D09B5?OpenDocument&PRINT

The daughter of a leading Iraqi opposition activist who was assassinated in Beirut by Saddam's secret service in 1994 says she will sue the ousted Iraqi dictator before three international courts, charging that the U.S. was a virtual accomplice in her father's murder.

Nora al Tamimi, daughter of slain Iraqi opposition activist Taleb al Suhail al Tamimi, said from Beirut in a newspaper interview published Saturday that her father had planned a coup d'etat to overthrow Saddam in 1993, operating from Beirut and Amman.

"Zero hour was set for a certain June day in 1993 to stage the coup when Saddam would have been sponsoring an official event in Baghdad," Nora told the London-based Asharq Al Awsat newspaper in an interview conducted at the family house in Beirut.

"But the Americans, who did not want the coup to succeed possibly because they were certain my father would not go along with their polices, tipped off Saddam about the impending putsch by my father and gave the names of his top aides," Nora said. "All of them died in Saddam's torture chambers."

http://tides.carebridge.org/TIRR/DT-IRR256.htm#_Iraqi_government_denies_alleged_dis

Well-informed sources have said that 47 ambassadors have been selected to represent Iraq in several Arab and foreign capitals including only one lady, Safiya Al-Suhail, which will become the first Iraqi female ambassador in Cairo.