Many in Arab world celebrate US helicopter attack

[jdbjdb]

It's not just Iraqis in that country's most fiercely anti-American region who celebrate attacks like one Sunday that brought down a U.S. helicopter and killed at least 15 soldiers.

Across the Arab world, such strikes are applauded as resistance to occupation and stirring proof that Iraqis - and by extension their ethnic brethren - were not completely humiliated by the relative ease with which a U.S.-led coalition toppled Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party regime.

The reaction is no surprise given prewar opposition among many Arabs to a U.S.-led invasion and warnings from their governments that violence in Iraq could drag the region into chaos.

At a meeting in Damascus Sunday, foreign ministers from countries bordering Iraq and others in the region repeated calls on the United States to restore order in Iraq.

Some, though, wonder whether what they see as a pointed anti-American tone can be productive.
"The Americans are not getting what they deserve, the Americans are suffering from trying to put Iraqi politics on the right track," Jordanian businessman Amer Muasher said Sunday. "The people who are suffering are the ordinary Iraqis. .... But the Iraqis had put themselves in such a situation because they accepted the tyranny of Saddam Hussein."

In Egypt, U.S. Ambassador C. David Welch has accused Egyptian commentators of spending too much time criticizing the United States and too little exploring how Iraqis might benefit from the fall of Saddam. Egyptian journalists responded by declaring a boycott of Welch.

"Iraq is now building the glory of the (Arab) community," Mustafa Bakri, editor-in-chief of the Egyptian weekly Al-Osboa, declared in his Sunday column.

Samir Ragab, editor of the Egyptian daily Al-Gomhouria, wrote in his Sunday column: "Every citizen who lives in Iraq, be they Baathist or anti-Baathist, whether they support or oppose Saddam, will stand up and shout at the top of his lungs: `We will chase the Americans and their followers until they leave their home ashamed and defeated."

Their comments followed a particularly bloody week in Iraq. Among the most dramatic strikes: On Oct. 26, ground-fired rockets roared into a Baghdad hotel housing hundreds of staffers for the coalition administration led by American L. Paul Bremer, killing one person.

The next day, three dozen people were killed in a series of suicide bombings in Baghdad that targeted the International Red Cross headquarters and four Iraqi police stations, killed three dozen people.

Sunday was the deadliest day for American troops in their six-month occupation of Iraq, with a U.S. Chinook helicopter hit by a missile and crashing west of Baghdad. At least 15 soldiers were killed and more than 20 wounded, the U.S. command and witnesses reported.

Iraqi villagers displayed charred pieces of wreckage like trophies to reporters and in nearby Fallujah, center of opposition to the Americans, townspeople celebrated on the streets.

Some Arab observers are disturbed to see international aid workers and Iraqis attacked along with the Americans.

Under the headline: "More than a crime: a political mistake!" Talal Salman, publisher of Lebanon's As-Safir newspaper, urged Iraqis to choose their targets carefully.

"There is a huge difference between the bombing which targeted a hotel known to be the base for occupation officials and their followers, and the crimes of mass murder that took place ... against the Red Cross and Iraqi police stations and groups of Iraqi citizens," Salman wrote. "Precision in specifying the target is the sharpest resistance weapon."

[Seoulstriker]

these are the same arabs who celebrated 3,000 innocent people being killed on September 11th, so this is really no surprise. :|

[jdbjdb]

Yes the Palestinians had big celebrations on 9/11

[Deuterium]

"There is a huge difference between the bombing which targeted a hotel known to be the base for occupation officials and their followers, and the crimes of mass murder that took place ... against the Red Cross and Iraqi police stations and groups of Iraqi citizens," Salman wrote. "Precision in specifying the target is the sharpest resistance weapon."

Well at least its something.....

[Nawlins]

B*st*rds.

[Fargin]

these are the same arabs who celebrated 3,000 innocent people being killed on September 11th, so this is really no surprise. :|

...

[NcDeuce]

Seoulstriker wrote:
these are the same arabs who celebrated 3,000 innocent people being killed on September 11th, so this is really no surprise.


I hate those type of people.

[Vance]

Seoulstriker wrote:
these are the same arabs who celebrated 3,000 innocent people being killed on September 11th, so this is really no surprise.


I hate those type of people.
Eh, whaddya gonna do.

[Jack Mehoff]

I understand if people don't have any sympathy for some dead strangers because we all do that. But what kind of sick **** jump up and down in celebration if someone die?

[Fargin]

I understand if people don't have any sympathy for some dead strangers because we all do that. But what kind of sick f*** jump up and down in celebration if someone die?

...Uday and Husay?

[NcDeuce]

Uday and Qusay weren't exactly respectable.

[Argyll]

The same sick fu*ks that hate you,and always have and always will !!
As long as the US continues to openly support Israel,then the Extremist Palestinians, I'm afraid will always do something like this,it's just a never ending cycle of violence and resentment shown by certain sections of the Muslim world,against the great Satan!!

I doubt there were the same scenes in places like chechnya,Albania,Turkey,the Phillipines,Malaysia,just the Middle East........pathetic isn't it?

[jdbjdb]

America will always support Israel :hug:

[jdbjdb]

2 more Americans killed, so much rage building seeing these Iraqis celebrating

[usa320]

i say the next time they try to fire an RPG, or plant a roadside bomb, we should just call in a tactical air strike and put some serious firepower on the muther effers, show em who is boss.

[Argyll]

Actually these scenes of jubilation are not unique to Palestinians either.

In the early 90's in Northern Ireland 2 British soldiers accidently drove into a funeral procession of a Republican who was Murdered by the Loyalist Michael Stone in a grenade attack at Milltown Cemetry,an angry crowd gathered round the car,and cut off their escape route,they were overpowered ,stripped, beaten and executed in cold blood,all in front of jubilant Republicans,the whole episode was captured by the Lynx chopper a thousand foot in the air,who watched heplessly as the soldiers were murdered on camera,TV camera's also captured the harrowing moments of the frenzied attack.
Nobody as far as I'm aware has ever been tried and jailed for their murder,scenes of jubilation,oh yes plenty,so you see even Westerners can behave like a pack of baying animals,and show no sympathies whatsoever!!

[Fargin]

Human nature :oops:

[Argyll]

jdbjdb.........put that rage you got onto the dotted line then and go and fight this war.....or are you just a pathetic little kid,who hasn't got a clue?

There are guys here who've already done that,and I can understand their feelings,for thoses today are fallen brethern,something you know nothing about,and I mourn with them,but each one who died today all took the oath,and died for a cause ,that will cost more fatalities along the way,that is the nature of war!

You just seem to be an angry young man who still has a lot to learn!

[jdbjdb]

I remember seeing 2 Israeli soldiers beaten by a crowd of Palestinians, and then thrown out a 2nd story window errrr terrible terrible

[jdbjdb]

rage rage rage

[Jack Mehoff]

I understand if people don't have any sympathy for some dead strangers because we all do that. But what kind of sick f*** jump up and down in celebration if someone die?

...Uday and Husay?

Odd enough, i didn't see any of my buddies and neigbors go out on the street and fire shotguns in celebration. I did that when the Marlins won the World Series though. Beside, why bother to compare those two monsters, Uday and Husay to oridinary soldiers?

[duck]

I have a similar standpoint on blatantly anti-american members of this board as I do with our jewish colleagues trying to stir up anti-arab sentiment: Pathetic. Grow up.

[UoUo]

What ?

[Ichhabe]

I don't feel anger towards the celebrating Arabs or Iraqis. It just sadens my heart that they are so victimised by their true oppressors. Their leaders.

And when I'm in to Arab leades. Have to give them credit for being able to really screw their people, and being able to put the blame on the USA and other western countries.

I just do not know what can be done to wake up the Arab masses. Maybe they already know it themselves, but have to walk the whole nine yards cause they are to ashamed to turn around?

[duck]

Israel and the fictious palestinian state is the key. Has been for the past 60 years and will be until the matter is solved, in one way or another. Bastards like Saddam or Assad have always had one ace card to pull out of their sleeves if everything else failed:The liberation of Jerusalem.

[California Joe]

Perception is reality.

We all live with preconcieved notions. Our perceptions of events are colored by infinite amounts of input and experiences.

Most of the things that people do are colored by what they know to be true. Whether it's true or not.

Gray areas.

[budanski]

Damn Joe. Gettin all smart on us here? ;)

[California Joe]

Nah, I'm wicked drunk.

[He219]

Nah, I'm wicked drunk.
rofl


Though a few villagers tried to help, many celebrated word of the helicopter downing, as well as a fresh attack on U.S. soldiers in Fallujah itself.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=1&u=/ap/20031102/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

Arabs in the Sunni Triangle tried to help; there is hope. Remember, the people of this region were Saddam's true power-base.

[Guttorm]

Well...
It's not quite the same thing, but it borders up to it.
Just to show how easily the opinon of politics can "change" people.

I've seen severalcomments on forums like this, where people talk down on the iraqis, calling them such things as "sand******s" and "ragheads".

Expressing hate towards that whole country... Because of its leader...

[ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð]

Well I believe they should feel fortunate that people on the other side of the world would come and liberate them from a leader who would kill and gas his own people. If they like it so much maybe next time we'll leave em alone to there third world ****hole and tyrannical dictator to make the decisions for them...we'll see how much they'd be dancing in the streets and shooting guns in the air when there dictator kills there family.

[Durandal]

"Many in Arab world celebrate US helicopter attack"

Thus proving that "Many in the Arab world" are a buch of wankers.

Edit: Anyone read any of Ralph Peters' stuff?

[Saranof]

Uday and Qusay weren't exactly respectable.

So? Everythings relative. Because we see them as bad guys, which they were, the Iraquis who are fed up with the fumbling of the oppcupation forces see them as heroes.
So when we see them die, we cheer. When they see their enemy nr 1 in their eyes, us soldiers, die, they cheer. Get the picture?

[WARPIG]

I do not find joy in shooting the enemy. True warriors do not celebrate the deaths of other warriors. Only cowards celebrate the death of the valliant.
If I ever find myself descending to the level where the death of another brings me reason to celebrate.. pray for me.. and put two in my chest and one in my head.

"The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty. "~Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)
It is funny how those who have lived in opression for so long fear liberty as being evil.

[Argyll]

Bloody hell WARPIG, that's pretty philosophical stuff there!!

[NcDeuce]

"The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty. "~Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

Abe always has a good quote, impressive for someone who was only president for a short period, not even controlling the 'entire' country.

[WARPIG]

Well, I aim to enlighten Grasshopper!
Wanna hear more??

[Argyll]

Hell yeah ..........keep em comin'

[martinexsquaddie]

Argyll they did get some of the scum and they got chucked in the maze.
personally I know one COP team got caught heading for a funeral with a GPMG in the back with 400 rounds :) naughty but thats the light infantry for you no sense of humour :(

[WARPIG]

"During times of war, hatred becomes quite respectable, even though it has to masquerade often under the guise of patriotism."~Howard Thurman

"If you want to make enemies, try to change something."~Woodrow Wilson
"The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire."
~Murphy

[Minjin]

i say the next time they try to fire an RPG, or plant a roadside bomb, we should just call in a tactical air strike and put some serious firepower on the muther effers, show em who is boss.

This would no doubt make a bunch of people feel better, but would probably do more harm than good in the scheme of helping win the hearts and minds and bringing about the desired changes in Iraq.