I swear I can hear them singin’ “We Shall Overcome!” And I wonder if Code Pink has infiltrated the campuses in Iraq. I hear that Tom Hayden, Mark Rudd, and Bono are enroute. Juan Cole got a translation of this article:
Baghdad, Abdel-Wahed Tohmeh, Al-Hayat, 06/24/05:
11 Student Unions approved the call made on al-Jaafari’s Government to set a timetable for the withdrawal of multinational forces and considered that the request made [by the Government at the UN] for the extension of their presence is “an infringement on Parliament’s prerogatives.” … More below:
The Unions called on the lists that won the election “to remain faithful to their promise and put their political programs into practise so that the people could respect them.” Their statement also called on the Government “not to adopt crucial decisions without referring to the representatives of the people in the National Assembly.” The statement also expressed bewilderment at “al-Jaafari’s and his Government’s support for maintaining occupation troops at a time when the US Congress is asking for their withdrawal.”
The statement was signed by the Student Unions at the Universities of Baghdad, Mustansariyya, Kufa, Qadissiyya, Basra, Diali, Ramadi, Mosul, the Technological University, the Islamic University and the Organism of Technical Education.
The president of the Student Union of the University of Baghdad, Mustafa Shabar, said that “the students of Iraq are resolute to get the Government and the National Assembly to abide by anti-occupation demands.”
Moreover, 18 students representing Iraq’s 18 governorates ended a sit-in at al-Firdous Square in the center of Baghdad, … Read all.
“we will leave if they ask us to leave”
Yeah, right!!
What they meant to say was, if the puppet government that we have installed asks us to leave then they will, but there’s no chance in hell that we’ll let that happen.
What, the Iraqi people? Who gives a dman about them? This is DEMOCRACY dammit!
These folks put me to shame, they are so brave, so determined in the face of atrocities that so many of will never face, they have the will, the heart and the soul to stand up. More power to you my brothers and sisters!!
Despite my silliness at the start, I’m really pleased they’re doing this. It’s exciting and it will be empowering for them.
What a wonderully AMERICAN thing for them to do! Thoreau would be so proud!
Good for them. It’s their country. Funny how Bushco seems to forget that.
He remembered that when someone from the press asked why isn’t anything getting done?
Paraphrase Bush: That is up to the government, it’s not our country(only our oil) I am not the President of Iraq. Ask Jafarri. It’s his responsibility. All the while the PM of Iraq looked weak an unable to stand up to the pressures of the American leaders.
If this weakness by the “Iraqi government” continues and there remains no tangible progress Iraqi’s will rebel against all forms of moderation and restraint. I would argue that the only thing holding them back even now is Al-Sistani.
It is not true, as Bush says, that the Iraqis who are against the US occupation are against democracy. I am having a real problem with this term “insurgent.” What does that mean? As a letter to the NY Times today pointed out, here, (9th letter) the colonial forces in the American Revolution were also insurgents. These kids aren’t insurgents. They are the people of Iraq, whose voices should be heard in a democracy.
What the US occupation did to Fallujah, along with bombing hospitals and dropping napalm.
Power to the people!