Iron fist is all they know. It's what they grew up with. It's what they at least fear if not respect. The entire reason for this continuous spate of bombings and hostage taking is a lack of fear of real retaliation. Saddam just would have slaughted several neighborhoods until things went quiet again. And it would have worked.
They grew up with iron fist but that was a homegrown devil. The coalition troops are all foreign and as such can't remain there forever. The Iraqi insurgents know this. Add to this that much of the initial (and temporary) Iraqi goodwill towards the coalition was based upon the overthrow of Saddam and since then things have gotten worse...where will they channel their disappontment?
All these things are being tried because the fundamentalist muslim perceives anything and everything western as weak.
I don't follow (the comment about Western weakness point of view as pertinent to specific policies being tried in Iraq), although I would these things have not been tried and even if they have not to their fullest (everything is pretty much war). The significant push towards an greatly increased international role began only due to the massive insurgent push (UN resolution attempts and Iranaoffering to mediate, and furthermore, the US welcoming Iran, as long as it's "constructive"
. I would also point out (AFAIK) that only one of twenty something (21?) ministeries has been transitioned to the interim govt. - June 30th is not that far away.
I'm not advocating a wholesale slaughter - but an iron fist is all they understand and all that will have any chance of working in this kind of situation.
Anything else is likely to simply make things worse.
And it may very well cause greater bloodshed as well as sow poor roots for a 'free' Iraq. It also negatively reinforces vehement anti-americanism in the one place it was supposed to do the opposite (how far do you think the insurgents can and will take this hate?). Furthermore, they deserve better than iron fist (unless you wish to send Saddam back?).
Edit: To reiterate, they may accept oppression from an Iraqi tyrant but that "rule" won't work so easily if they see themselves as being bullied by a foreign power.
This message last edited by Monotonous Mantra on 4/15/2004 at 4:19:28 AM.
