Who do Iraqis want for prez?

[transplant99]

Appaently it doesnt matter to them.

Complacency?

[Lanny_MacDonald]

More like skepticsm. I think the one guy hit on the head when he said (and I'm paraphrasing) that the President won't matter much as its foreign policy that has to change. It's sad when someone who has been living in a closed society under a tyrant has a better grip on the issue than most people where the election is taking place.

[arsenal]

I think what you are refering to is this:

"Bush? Kerry? It really makes no difference. American policies in the Middle East and Iraq will not change because everyone knows they are controlled by Israel," said Hamid Majeed, 40, a factory manager in Baghdad.

Another quote:

"Kerry is better than Bush because he had experience fighting in Vietnam. Only someone with military experience can run a country," said Baghdad businessman Ouf Abdel Rahman, 56.

Those are the views of 2 people that have lived the majority of their lives under Saddam.

2 more quotes from the younger generation:

"I wait for Kerry's victory over Bush. He may pull American forces from Iraq and rid the Iraqis of the killing and destruction and put an end to the mess from the occupation," Abdullah al-Abaichee, 15, a student in rebel-held Falluja.

"Bush gave us the biggest present when he removed Saddam. Today we are scared a Kerry victory would lead to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq," said Zansit Othman, a 23 year-old student in the Kurdish city of Arbil.

The one living in Falluja beleives that if the US leave, everything will suddenly get better. The one that lives in a Kurdish controlled area is glad to see Saddam gone, and supports the US action.

2 completely different views.

As far as US policy goes. If Kerry gets elected, the policy will change. If Bush gets elected, it will pretty much stay the same. What happens in another 4 years? The policy will probably change again.
One of the inherent problems with the US 2 party system, especially when they are so far apart from each other.

[Cowperson]

Originally posted by transplant99@Oct 20 2004, 09:46 PM
Appaently it doesnt matter to them.

Complacency?

Kerry said he wants to withdraw USA troops within four years after internationalizing the problem and stabilizing the country. That's about 2.5 times longer than Bush has been there up to now.

Kerry says you need to see it through which presumeably means he has no plans to leave Iraqi's in the lurch anytme soon.

In short, not a lot would change with Kerry except the perception that the USA might cecede control of the situation to an international environment, more in line with what you see in Afghanistan. And yes, that would be an improvement.

Still, the average Iraqi sounds as cynical about politicians as Americans do!! And maybe as divided.

Cowperson