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RE: [casi] Opinion polls



Dear List,

It is good that there is active participation in the
discussion, with more exchange of ideas. The problem
is that those who KNOW NOT insist on believing that
they KNOW.

Here are some examples:

> How come "occupation" allows you to visit Iraq, set
up shop, or is it political party headquarters<

So could they during Saddam’s rule. One such was
Voices in the Wilderness, which was openly critical of
the regime. The BBC and CNN had offices in Baghdad and
they reported live from Iraq. Another group is the
Iraqi National Coalition (comprising of many
opposition groups), which “set up shop” in Iraq while
still openly criticizing the regime.. Some of its
members NEVER left Iraq to the comfort (and salaries)
in the West..

> criticise it LEFT, right and centre in your
bulletins and leave it unscathed when you yearn for
your creature comforts back in the ivory tower of the
imperialist motherland?<

Paul Bremer, the “High Commissioner” in Iraq issued a
decree banning any criticism of the “occupation”...
Several newspapers were closed and its editors
detained for lengths of time for that reason..

>The Iraqi people, regardless of their political
views, their reservations about the means used and by
whom to achieve this, are very grateful for this basic
right to be able to visit their country and leave
whenever they want to.<

Tell that to the Iraqi engineer who came from Denmark
to practice “this basic right to be able to visit” his
country, only to be arrested by the US soldiers,
humiliated in front of cameras, taken to the Airport
prison, labelled “suspected murderer” and kept for
weeks before being released without an explanation...
Tell it to the women being kidnapped and raped.. Tell
it to the families of people being killed and robbed..

>Incidentally, from now on, those expatriates can keep
their dual nationalities without forfeiting their
Iraqi nationality.<

Not if they are citizens of the GREAT US of America,
whose laws DO NOT allow dual citizenship.. According
to US laws, none of those Iraqis holding its
citizenship can claim back their Iraqi citizenship
while still holding the American one.. It also means,
according to US laws, that none of those is an Iraqi
until he/she forfeits his/her US citizenship..

>Moreover, those still in Iraq can use mobile phones<

Something Iraq wanted, and signed a contract with
ALCATEL in the 1990s, but the US refused to allow it.
Iraq’s explanation was that the telephone networks
were old and damaged, and it would be more feasible to
build a new mobile network. The US thought Iraq didn’t
need such luxury and should instead repair its fixed
line network. So Iraq built on its own a network of
VHF transceivers to facilitate contacts.
After the “liberation”, some companies from Gulf
countries wanted to allow Iraqis to use their
networks, and actually set up transmission towers and
equipment and started operating. Mr. High Commissioner
issued another order prohibiting their activities.
Now Iraqis understand why. All of those use the GSM
system of mobile phones, which is NOT the system used
by the US, and which means that in case Iraqis get
used to GSM, American companies stand no chance of
building Iraq’s new mobile phone network or selling
equipment and units..

>satellite TV dishes<

Those don’t seem to be doing much in Iraq, especially
with the lack of electricity. Besides, I am certain
that had Saddam’s regime allowed satellite dishes to
be imported, the US and its Iraqis stooges would have
been the first to accuse it of wasting funds on
luxurious articles while failing to provide food and
medicine..
And to show how the new “democracy” in Iraq is
working, the puppets in the IGC yesterday ordered the
suspension of activities of two satellite stations, Al
Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, accusing them of inciting
violence against the “coalition forces”.. So what is
the use of having a satellite dish, if the stations
are restricted? Of course, stations which call for the
assassination of Yasser Arafat and Palestinian leaders
are allowed, because it is only the “coalition forces”
that should not be criticized..

>and criticise their rulers without fear of loosing
their ear, tongue or even head.<

Of course when those stations gave space to the same
stooges in the IGC and “opposition” parties in the
1990s, no one criticized them. Now if you criticize
the IGC or the CPA, you are put in prison.. I suppose
the next step would be to prohibit satellite dishes..

>Incidentally, even a personal manual typewriter was
banned under the rulers of "Pre- occupation".<

Not true, and I myself have sent a typewriter and fax
machine to Iraq AFTER the sanctions. Iraq was also
full of computers and peripherals, whose components
were bought from Dubai and assembled in Iraq.

> 34 years in the case of our ultra-left Iraqis.<

It seems Muhammad doesn’t know that the Iraqi
Communist Party (an ultra-left party) is represented
by its Secretary General in the IGC. It also has two
ministers in the new government.
In addition to that, we should not forget that Jalal
Talbani belonged before to the ultra-left. He was, at
one stage of his chameleon transformations, a Maoist..


But I suppose you don’t have such information in
Hackney, and I would suggest you search, read and
verify your information before shooting yourself in
the foot again. Your foot must certainly be getting
very sore..

HZ




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