Rewriting History!
Baghdad, Iraq
It is truly amazing!
If you didn’t know, you would be hard pressed to know that the Americans had actually been the ones to overthrow Saddam Hussein and liberate Iraq.
One could even call it a stroke of genius!
Nowhere is there a monument, sign or anything to say “thank you” to the brave American men and women who paid the ultimate price of over 4,000 lives and over 40,000 injured, to as the young soldiers you can encounter every day say in their own words “Give the Iraqis what we have – freedom!”
You can call it “rewriting history”, “erasing history” or just plain old lying, but the results are the same – a very clear effort to erase the Americans and their contribution from Iraq and create a new version of history that, while not saying it in so many words implies that the Iraqis themselves overthrow the Dictator with the support of their friends in the Middle East.
One sees it daily in small ways.
A soldier at a Checkpoint who has to get permission from a group of Iraqi Soldiers for everything he does.
“You would think the Iraqis overthrew Saddam Hussein by themselves and we are just a nuisance they are trying to get rid of as soon as they can” he says.
American soldiers forced to bow and “genuflex” and literally apologize for their very existence in the country every time they have a meeting with an Iraqi.
Constant pressure to turn over more and more areas, vitally needed to complete the ongoing process of reconstruction and to protect and enable the American effort.
Another is visa requirements.
After liberating the country, putting in billions of dollars to rebuild the country and paying such a huge price in our best and brightest one would think that Americans coming to Iraq would be treated with a little respect, honor and appreciation.
It is traditional in countries that the US has liberated going from Japan to Korea to Germany and more that Americans are welcomed to come and visa requirements reflect this.
Nothing could be further from the truth!
Talk to George Stevens who recently came to Iraq. In spite of having an Iraqi Visa which he had waited for weeks to get, he was stopped at Baghdad International Airport for over three hours because the Embassy had not properly communicated his visa to the Interior Ministry and treated literally like a criminal.
For Bat Ye’or, though in her landmark book “The Decline of Christianity under Islam” it would be no surprise.
Her book analyzes the long relationship between political islam and what are called the “Dhimmi” or “peoples of the book”; literally the Christians and Jews living in the Middle East who until the rise of political islam were the vast majority in the area.
The major point of her thesis is that from its very beginning political islam was parasitic, essentially feeding off the “Dhimmi”.
Simply put, the beginning of political islam was tribes living in the desert conquering the stable Christian and Jewish areas, dominating them and feeding off them by charging them astronomical “protection” money, forcing them to wear distinctive clothing, bow and respect
their Islamic conquerors and more.
Due to this “parasitic” idealogy, essentially the Christian and Jewish communities were slowly driven out from the Middle East and as a result political islam killed the very source of their wealth.
Without oil to fill the gap, political islam would have died a very long time ago simply because of its inability to create wealth say experts.
The Christian and Jewish population which was essentially the Middle East was dramatically reduced to about 20% in the 1950s and following the rise of Khomeini in Iraq in particular, further reduced to the point that it is now under 2% and falling dramatically.
Many view the problems in the Middle East as more economic than anything else due to the dramatic departure of the Christians and Jews who ran the economies as the critical middle class of the region.
It is unemployed youth who are the main source of terrorism and the constant problems in the Middle East.
Many in fact go so far as to view the supposed great accomplishments of the supposed “golden age of political islam” as in fact not accomplishments of political islam itself, but rather much as in the Tang Dynasty in China, accomplishments of the oppressed Dhimmi in its midst instead.
“What is happening in Iraq today is not unique” says one expert who asks not to be identified.
“It fits into the classic pattern of using Christians, Jews and others to accomplish important tasks for political islam and then erasing what they have done.
In a few years, most people will probably think that the Liberation of Iraq was accomplished by the Iraqi people with support from the moslem world.” He continued
One would be hard pressed to disagree with him. The rewriting of history has already begun and at least on the surface the Americans seem to be enthusiastically supporting their own erasure from history.
One would think that if nothing else the unimaginable sacrifice of blood and treasure would be motivation enough to make sure that America’s great accomplishment in liberating 28 million people from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and the subsequent rebuilding of the nation in the greatest such effort since World War II.
A good start would be an official “thank you” from even one Iraqi Government official and at least one monument in a prominent place in Baghdad memorializing the sacrifice of America.
Amir George
Monday, February 23, 2009
Transparency and Accountability!
Transparency and Accountability
Baghdad, Iraq
At a time of financial crisis and in a new day where "Transparency and Accountability" are the new buzz words, a good place to start is Iraq where the United States has expended nearly one trillion dollars since liberating 28 million from the Terror of Saddam Hussein.
Shortly after the Liberation of Iraq, a TV Station and network was begun. It is called "Al Hurrah" or "The Free One"
The only other TV Network broadcasting in Iraq and available without Satellite amazingly was a 24 hour Iranian Arabic Channel slandering the US nonstop.
Paid for by US Taxpayers to the tune of over $70 Million Dollars a year, one would think that it would be a beacon of hope and positive news in Iraq and the Middle East.
A recent check of an average Middle East Satellite selection shows 522 Channels with 56 or just over 10% broadcasting what the locals call "Islamic" programming.
A far cry from any kind of religious fare one similarly copied "commercial" is nonstop on most of them – the picture of US Troops kicking down doors, roughing up prisoners interspersed with bizarre footage of bleeding children, wailing parents and more.
The ones suffering the most as a result in addition to the average public are the Assyrian Christians, the indigenous people of Iraq from the time Iraq was the first Christian Nation in history – now down to about 10% of the population.
Speaking with the director for Iraq – we will all him Ali Mohammed – we asked a few questions about the Channel he has been in charge of in Iraq since 2003.
"How often do you have programs on all the good the Americans are doing in Iraq – rebuilding schools, getting the electricity going, helping train the police, army and more."
A fairly reasonable question, seeing that it is a 100% US Taxpayer financed network.
The reaction was stunning and I checked again to make sure I had the words correct.
"I hate to report on anything the Americans are doing" he said
"It is not my type. It is not my job to promote American propaganda." He continued.
His assistant chipped in "what have the Americans done for Iraq"
We pressed on "When was the last time you did a program on what the Americans are doing in Iraq?"
He paused and said "Oh, maybe once six months ago"
Previously having worked at networks in Dubai and Kuwait he was hired immediately following the Liberation of Iraq and has been on the US Payroll since.
Watching "Al Hurrah" with some Iraqi friends they became instantly upset as an "Inman" or moslem Priest was featured on the program.
"Why do the Americans do this" they replied! Why are they always promoting islam?
Another young man put it even more clearly. "The Americans are hated because of a very simple reason" he said. "For those of us who see what the Americans do every day with our own eyes, we love them for it and are so grateful.
For most of the Iraqis, and for most people in the Middle East all they see are the terrible reports on all the Arab channels that tell crazy stories of the Americans purposely stopping the electricity to hurt the Iraqis, hurting the women and children and all kinds of other lies."
"While there are dozens of Arab channels lying about the Americans every day, even on their own channel – Al Hurrah they don’t tell their own story.
This is the reason! The Iraqis have never seen or heard all the wonderful things the Americans have been and are doing."
"There are two wars" he continued. One was the military one and that the Americans won completely. The other is the war of communications and for this the Americans have failed completely.
For some very strange reason they do not tell their own story."
With the director of their operations in Iraq saying and repeating that he "hates" to do any stories on all the good that the Americans are doing and an Assistant who chips in "what have they done?" it is no wonder that in spite of massive assistance and help in all levels of Iraqi society, nobody knows about it.
What country in the world would pay 70 Million Dollars a year and hire people who say they "hate" to do what should be their primary mission – giving the American message to the Iraq and the Middle East – just one voice against 56 others broadcasting a 24 hours a day message of hate.
In a normal situation a "fair and balanced" view might be possible, but when you are countering dozens of the most bizarre and hateful media systems in the world, the "fair and balanced" view is not enough.
“Go back to the drawing board", would be the view of those Iraqis in the know.
"Tell your story" the young man continued "tell your story because it is a beautiful story of all the good you have done for Iraq and above don’t pay to slander yourself."
A big of common sense from one young man in Baghdad who loves America and the freedom it has brought to his country.
A big reality check?
Most Iraqis and in particular Government Officials act as if they had singlehandedly overthrown Saddam Hussein.
It is definitely time for a bit of Transparency and Accountability!
Amir George
Baghdad, Iraq
At a time of financial crisis and in a new day where "Transparency and Accountability" are the new buzz words, a good place to start is Iraq where the United States has expended nearly one trillion dollars since liberating 28 million from the Terror of Saddam Hussein.
Shortly after the Liberation of Iraq, a TV Station and network was begun. It is called "Al Hurrah" or "The Free One"
The only other TV Network broadcasting in Iraq and available without Satellite amazingly was a 24 hour Iranian Arabic Channel slandering the US nonstop.
Paid for by US Taxpayers to the tune of over $70 Million Dollars a year, one would think that it would be a beacon of hope and positive news in Iraq and the Middle East.
A recent check of an average Middle East Satellite selection shows 522 Channels with 56 or just over 10% broadcasting what the locals call "Islamic" programming.
A far cry from any kind of religious fare one similarly copied "commercial" is nonstop on most of them – the picture of US Troops kicking down doors, roughing up prisoners interspersed with bizarre footage of bleeding children, wailing parents and more.
The ones suffering the most as a result in addition to the average public are the Assyrian Christians, the indigenous people of Iraq from the time Iraq was the first Christian Nation in history – now down to about 10% of the population.
Speaking with the director for Iraq – we will all him Ali Mohammed – we asked a few questions about the Channel he has been in charge of in Iraq since 2003.
"How often do you have programs on all the good the Americans are doing in Iraq – rebuilding schools, getting the electricity going, helping train the police, army and more."
A fairly reasonable question, seeing that it is a 100% US Taxpayer financed network.
The reaction was stunning and I checked again to make sure I had the words correct.
"I hate to report on anything the Americans are doing" he said
"It is not my type. It is not my job to promote American propaganda." He continued.
His assistant chipped in "what have the Americans done for Iraq"
We pressed on "When was the last time you did a program on what the Americans are doing in Iraq?"
He paused and said "Oh, maybe once six months ago"
Previously having worked at networks in Dubai and Kuwait he was hired immediately following the Liberation of Iraq and has been on the US Payroll since.
Watching "Al Hurrah" with some Iraqi friends they became instantly upset as an "Inman" or moslem Priest was featured on the program.
"Why do the Americans do this" they replied! Why are they always promoting islam?
Another young man put it even more clearly. "The Americans are hated because of a very simple reason" he said. "For those of us who see what the Americans do every day with our own eyes, we love them for it and are so grateful.
For most of the Iraqis, and for most people in the Middle East all they see are the terrible reports on all the Arab channels that tell crazy stories of the Americans purposely stopping the electricity to hurt the Iraqis, hurting the women and children and all kinds of other lies."
"While there are dozens of Arab channels lying about the Americans every day, even on their own channel – Al Hurrah they don’t tell their own story.
This is the reason! The Iraqis have never seen or heard all the wonderful things the Americans have been and are doing."
"There are two wars" he continued. One was the military one and that the Americans won completely. The other is the war of communications and for this the Americans have failed completely.
For some very strange reason they do not tell their own story."
With the director of their operations in Iraq saying and repeating that he "hates" to do any stories on all the good that the Americans are doing and an Assistant who chips in "what have they done?" it is no wonder that in spite of massive assistance and help in all levels of Iraqi society, nobody knows about it.
What country in the world would pay 70 Million Dollars a year and hire people who say they "hate" to do what should be their primary mission – giving the American message to the Iraq and the Middle East – just one voice against 56 others broadcasting a 24 hours a day message of hate.
In a normal situation a "fair and balanced" view might be possible, but when you are countering dozens of the most bizarre and hateful media systems in the world, the "fair and balanced" view is not enough.
“Go back to the drawing board", would be the view of those Iraqis in the know.
"Tell your story" the young man continued "tell your story because it is a beautiful story of all the good you have done for Iraq and above don’t pay to slander yourself."
A big of common sense from one young man in Baghdad who loves America and the freedom it has brought to his country.
A big reality check?
Most Iraqis and in particular Government Officials act as if they had singlehandedly overthrown Saddam Hussein.
It is definitely time for a bit of Transparency and Accountability!
Amir George
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