Hizzoner, The Mayor Of Baghdad

[Cowperson]

Interesting look at the new Mayor of Bagdhad, a former chief nuclear scientist for Saddam Hussein and now a guy who thinks the Americans should be living in camps outside the city instead of taking up 10% of the center of town and snarling traffic with blocked roads.

“I don’t want Americans in the Green Zone, or outside the Green Zone. I want them outside Baghdad in their camps”

He's thankful for the downfall of Saddam but not so thankful for the situation afterwards.

“We were living under darkness, and then there is a light—and then? The situation we are living now is the result of many mistakes.”

And he says Saddam would have had a nuclear bomb by now if he hadn't invaded Kuwait and says Saddam would have resumed his WMD campaign the minute sanctions had been lifted.

An example of how the USA has reversed course on its purge of former Saddam loyalists and is now incorporating them into the new Iraq:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5470140/site/newsweek/

Cowperson

[octothorp]

Originally posted by Cowperson@Aug 4 2004, 02:35 PM
An example of how the USA has reversed course on its purge of former Saddam loyalists and is now incorporating them into the new Iraq

Doesn't sound like a Saddam loyalist--escaped from the country in 1995, was threatened by the secret service, and was not a member of the Ba'ath party. Plus, he seems to be strongly in favour of Bush and the defeat of Hussein.

Anyway, really interesting article. I don't agree with all of his opinions, but he's probably the sort of practical but proud leadership Iraq needs to move forward. You can't have leaders that are American puppets or they'll lose the people's support, but you need leaders who understand the need to work with Americans, and don't harbour any sort of religious grudges.

[Cowperson]

Originally posted by octothorp+Aug 4 2004, 04:19 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (octothorp @ Aug 4 2004, 04:19 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Cowperson@Aug 4 2004, 02:35 PM
An example of how the USA has reversed course on its purge of former Saddam loyalists and is now incorporating them into the new Iraq

Doesn't sound like a Saddam loyalist--escaped from the country in 1995, was threatened by the secret service, and was not a member of the Ba'ath party. Plus, he seems to be strongly in favour of Bush and the defeat of Hussein.

Anyway, really interesting article. I don't agree with all of his opinions, but he's probably the sort of practical but proud leadership Iraq needs to move forward. You can't have leaders that are American puppets or they'll lose the people's support, but you need leaders who understand the need to work with Americans, and don't harbour any sort of religious grudges. [/b][/quote]
"Saddam loyalist" was an overstatement on my part. Although you couldn't be anything remotely close to being a "Saddam dissident" to get into the position he held.

I agree with his premise the Americans eventually, but sooner rather than later, need to withdraw their physical presence from the city. They should be near at hand to provide muscle as its needed but not a source of antagonism . . . . or targets.

I agreed with pretty much everything he said in terms of his evaluation and outlook.

Cowperson