What is the world opinion about today's events?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Evil_Eric_4
But they may no longer believe that America's only purpose for invading was to conquer, colonize and steal.

Of course not. The US also invades to control and prop up friendly regimes.

[Evil_Eric_4]

UR
In the name of national security***gasp***
Imagine that--we are so self-centered

and that quote is from Ned-not me--I dont think anything will ever change the minds of the arabs--its been hard-coded into their brains by their media ,Mullahs and their own governments for too long.

[MattyBoy]

If we take it as a given that US/Britain/Aus were going to fight until they won...

...I would think that both hawks and doves are rejoicing to see such a breakthrough. Hawks would be feeling triumphant and doves would be glad to see the fighting will probably be over much sooner. The only disappointment in seeing the war end sooner could have been from those who supported the Iraqi side and still held out hope for an Iraqi victory.

Why would people want to see more killing for almost certainly the same result?

For me it has been wierd to want to celebrate this victory, while I still feel we* should never have instigated this war.



* I would prefer to have used the word they here, but that would be inaccurate because I'm an Australian citizen.

[Ned]

There is a survey of world opinion posted on the CNN site. They all seem to want the UN to take charge in Iraq to curb American power and influence.

Well, I say to that - let's ask the people of Iraq who they trust more. The USA or the UN.

I think I know the answer to that question. The move to push the UN into a lead role in Iraq is a power grab by the Arab ruling class to "win the peace" and impose a regime in Iraq like their own: oppressive and undemocratic.

Americans to Bush: stand up to the UN one more time.

[nationalist]

Well, I hope that we start devoting our time to rebuilding and democratizing these two conquered countries (Iraq, Afghanistan). If 20 years from now these countries are working democracies with rising standards of living and good levels of human rights, then I think that we have done some good. If we screw things up, things in the ME will get even worse, and we will have just wasted 78 billion dollars. We're coming up to a crossroads. Maybe we can use this to create a Palestinian state and patch up our relationship with the UN and EU, or maybe we'll **** things up royally and create a world even more dangerous and menacing than ever before. We'll just have to wait and see.

[gsmoove23]

The Arab nations don't have any veto rights in the UN and I would be certain the Iraqis would trust the UN more then the US. Right now the only benefit of having the US control the reconstruction is the massive amounts of money that will pour into American comanies through contracts. This may be counterproductive since world opinion is already against us and it will simply feed into the arguement that the war was started out of self-interest.

[Ming]

It should get interesting... I'm sure all of the arab neighbors are praying to their gods that a strong, democratic country doesn't rise from the ashes... It will put a lot of preasure on their own rule if it does

[Ned]

gsmove32, the Iraqi opposition has stated many times that the new regime will remember those who helped it and those who did not.

If the Iraqi people have any say in this, they will avoid UN control as they will no longer be able to discriminate against collaborators and supporter their former oppressors. In fact, the new government probably will have very cool relations with a number of pro-Saddam Arab regimes.

[Ned]

News from CNN, Saddam paid al Jazeera.

This may be why al Jazeera suddenly began broadcasting the truth once Saddam and Baghdad Bob were no longer in charge.

[gsmoove23]

Ned, the Iraqi opposition is on the payroll of the US government. I thought by Iraqi people you meant the people that have actually lived there. They have no reason to trust American intentions. Great you "liberated" us, can you go now?

CNN story link?

[TheStinger]

The BBC reported from Jordan last night and boy were those arabs gutted. They couldn't believe that people were trashing poor little Saddams statues. They really did believe he was some sort of Arab saviour. They must be wondering what happened to the info minister

[Tattila the Hun]

Isn't it nice how Rumsfeld catecorizes Saddam with the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Lenin , Ceaucescu... Brutal dictator have-beens...

Learn history, dammit!

Lenin was a philosopher, and the bugger died in 19..23, I think, before **** hit the fan...

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Tattila the Hun
Learn history, dammit!

Lenin was a philosopher, and the bugger died in 19..23, I think, before **** hit the fan...

You're telling other people to learn history with this rose colored view of Lenin!

[TheStinger]

Lenin wasn't in the same league as Stalin or Hitler. To Rummsie though all commies are are the same I suppose

[tandeetaylor]

Originally posted by Ned
al jazeera is broadcasting the events without too much bias. This in itself is a major event.

As a speaker of Arabic, I'm sure you are a regular viewer of Al-Jazeera. I haven't watched Al-Jazeera much during the war, but I have to say, when I did watch it a lot a couple years ago, I saw more interviews with Israelies than I do on American news.