Baghdad Welcome Going Sour for U.S. Soldiers

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030818/wl_nm/iraq_troops_dc&cid=574&ncid=1473

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - When U.S. soldiers first rolled into Baghdad and overthrew Saddam Hussein, Iraqis embraced them but as civilian deaths mount they have become widely shunned and feared.

Rather than hailing occupying troops as liberators, many of Baghdad's five million residents sullenly cross streets with their heads down at the sight of a U.S. soldier or tank.

"We are full of fear, bad fear. They were in my area for one month and I did not have any contact with them. They see us, we see them, nothing more," businessman Ammar Abbas said.

"We cannot live here together, us and the American forces. They should go now."

more

[leftchick]

1. "Going Sour?.. talk about an understated headline

I should think "Iraqis Wish For Freedom From US Occupation" might be more appropriate....

[Twenty3]

2. 'Iraqis embraced them' ???

*snort*
:eyes:

[0007]

7. Now don't make fun of the situation

I saw some hugging , I think, LOL!!

[alcuno]

3. You mean that staged welcome on GMA, The Today Show, et al?

What a bunch of fakers.

[TacticalPeek]

4. from Salam Pax:

As you go into Baghdad from the west there is graffiti on the walls that says "Welcome to the Republic of Darkness and Unemployment".
snip

link http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1017329,00.html

[samsingh]

5. this headline must be 2 months old.

isn't it getting worse than sour?

[htuttle]

6. Way worse than sour, now

In fact, it's so sour, it's CHEESE.

[Mari333]

8. bring the troops home now////

PERIOD


http://www.bringthemhomenow.com/

[beanball]

9. Bring the troops home

not until every drop of oil has been relocated.(stolen)

[TacticalPeek]

10. If that point got through the fog, they'd come home ASAP.

Boycott oil.

That idea about 1 mpg increase on US fleet avg = anwr?

Seems like one oil free (nearly*) day would be some measurable message.
If message not copied, replicate, for nearly certain receipt.

No internal combustion, blackout drill, stay home or at a park. What if we turned out our lights OURSELVES and parked until the rein is felt?

Sure, emergency exceptions per usual; and yes, uneven distribution of sacrifice is inherent.

Sissies who can't sleep w/o ac are authorized transport to the Baghdad nights, in tents, awaiting dawn's call to service.

[diamond14]

11. WP: Bremer is just handing out OUR money everywhere in Iraq

WP: Bremer provides jobs, food, money to fix electricity, a short
term job program to fix Iraq infrastructure, money to several hundred thousand FORMER soldiers..but for OUR Veterans, homeless, jobless....and powerless cities...NO MONEY...what is shrub doing over there...BRING OUR SOLDIERS HOME now!!!!! the shrub wouldn't support a $350 million bill to fix OUR power grids...yet for Iraq, shrub is more than happy to pay Bechtel $680 Million to fix the electricity...

--------------------------------

-snips-

American officials have paid salaries to a quarter-million government workers. And Bremer also has decided to compensate several hundred thousand former soldiers.

To address the problem, Bremer said he is spending $300 million on short-term jobs and other plans intended to stimulate the economy, such as offering micro-loans to small-business owners. In southern Iraq, he said, almost 90,000 people have been hired by the authority to clean out irrigation canals.

The authority also has been continuing the monthly food rations that were handed out by Hussein's government.....

Restoring the power system is expected to take more than two years and cost more than $2 billion, U.S. officials said. The U.S. Agency for International Development already has earmarked more than $200 million of a $680 million contract it awarded to engineering giant Bechtel for electricity repairs.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7161-2003Aug17.html

[0rganism]

12. Going Sour? Don't they mean Sourer? What a crock.

Who comes up with these headlines, anyway?

[Raenelle]

13. Hot damn, Vietnam. Unless our soldiers are way wise beyond

their years, they are going to come to hate the Iraqis--unable to tell friend from foe, resentment from them, fear of them. And once they begin to hate the Iraqis, they become incapable of winning their hearts and minds.