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Re: strongman for Iraq

Reader comment on item: Is an Iraqi Strongman Emerging?

Submitted by Ruby Mercer (United States), May 5, 2004 at 17:12

I am intrigued about your statement that Iraq needs a strongman of certain qualifications and it sounds good but.............. There's that tricky old 'but' again. Every such wise, gently and strong leader eventually dies and sometimes earlier than he and/or his followers would choose. It requires time to groom and train a replacement for such a man. It seldom gets done. In a country like Iraq, with a three thousand year history of tribal practices, finding another such a one and insuring his place in Iraqs future would be problematic at best. The resultant confusion and susceptiblity of the Iraqi people to another dictator of Husseins caliber is a forgone conclusion. We'd merely be passing a terrible future on to the next generation, both theirs and ours. When will we make as one of our major goals the teaching of the Iraqis modern ways of thinking, appropriate to modern warfare means? They need true history.

We missed the boat in Japan in not insisting after WWII that future generations of Japanese should learn some of their history from their victims. Will we make the same mistake in Iraq? As a people who have been taught only to hate, we need not to leave that country until we've at least tried to bring them out the seventh century and into a world that can tolerate differing viewpoints from their own. I speak as one who has read the Koran. No one needs to try to convince me that it is a book of peace. The Iraqis need a lot of help. Can one strong man do the job? Perhaps. I'm doubtful.
Submitting....

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Reader comments (31) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Strongman? Remember the Shah of Iran? [34 words]Drew LIbertyMay 21, 2004 22:0915313
let Arabs sort themselves out [102 words]Yuval Brandstetter MDMay 17, 2004 14:2915255
Saddam II [34 words]TanruMay 11, 2004 20:1115146
Iraqi strongman before 30 June [47 words]AliMay 10, 2004 17:1015106
The Only Thing The Iraqi's Need Is For The Christians To Get The Hell Out of Their Country [77 words]Mike ZeldisMay 9, 2004 19:4115096
The real question [80 words]Phil SafranMay 7, 2004 20:5615081
surrender? [216 words]Javier LoscertalesMay 7, 2004 12:4915078
Comment on Iraqi Emerging Strongman [153 words]Alex M BerlinMay 6, 2004 17:0715072
Iraqi Situation [465 words]John R. PeacherMay 6, 2004 08:5915069
IRAQI SITUATION [231 words]Haider NaqviApr 9, 2006 03:3915069
Best way out [76 words]Patrick CaseyMay 5, 2004 18:4215066
Re: strongman for Iraq [270 words]Ruby MercerMay 5, 2004 17:1215065
Like the strongman idea, but... [65 words]Adam C. KolasinskiMay 5, 2004 15:0715064
A Whack Upside The Head [235 words]Tom KruegerMay 5, 2004 12:0915062
"Democratically-minded strongman" [378 words]Chris AtwoodMay 5, 2004 10:5515061
History Repeats [19 words]GandeshaMay 5, 2004 10:4315060
Where's Chalabi and the Iraqi Leadership? [93 words]Michael T. AlexanderMay 5, 2004 10:2415059
Wishful thinking [277 words]Bill BrentMay 5, 2004 01:5215054
The Iraqis and the Americans agree on something [43 words]Rob FosheeMay 4, 2004 23:2915052
If that is the good news, what about... ? [33 words]Hans GuggenheimMay 4, 2004 21:5315051
Iraq....who will rule? [125 words]Kim SegarMay 4, 2004 20:2615050
Saleh as Leader in Iraq...and the prisoner scandal [96 words]John LothMay 4, 2004 20:0415049
Who will be in charge in Iraq? [20 words]JimSMay 4, 2004 20:0015048
Is an Iraqi Strongman Emerging? [14 words]Menahem DunskyMay 4, 2004 19:0815047
Iraqis expatriates feel the same way [88 words]Azmath SyedMay 4, 2004 18:5915046
This is So predictable [126 words]Darwin BarrettMay 4, 2004 18:5815045
Agree [48 words]Ken HathawayMay 4, 2004 17:5615043
Have you considered? [120 words]Bernard FreedmanMay 4, 2004 17:5315042
Gaza Peace Plan [11 words]Dr. S. C. YuterMay 4, 2004 17:0415040
A strongman will very likely end up as a new Saddam [305 words]Vijay DandapaniMay 4, 2004 17:0315039
Why would the Shia go along? [27 words]Lloyd GreenMay 4, 2004 16:2915036

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