1000's of Iraqi's march to demand US withdrawal

national | miscellaneous | news report

Friday April 18, 2003 20:37

by Kev - Kawg

Less than 10 days after the 'liberation' of Iraq, thousands of Iraqis marched in downtown Baghdad on Friday to demand a rapid U.S. troop withdrawal and a prominent opposition leader said he expects Americans to relinquish most government functions within weeks.

Thousands marched through the city's downtown, urged on by an imam at Holy Day prayers.

"No to America, no to Saddam," they shouted, and called for unity among Iraq's Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims and Kurds. Some carried banners in Arabic and English. "Leave our country. We want peace," read one.

Inside the mosque, Sheik Ahmed al-Kubeisy addressed his remarks to Americans. "You are masters today. But I warn you against thinking of staying. Get out before we force you out," he said.

Well, well, well. Now we see what way this is gonna go. "Get out before we force you out". Now here's a question I already know the answer to. Why were we constantly bombarded with the same images of the statue coming down, the auld fella sayin "Thank you Mr Bush" and all the rest. Yet I have hardly seen a peep about 1000's of Iraqis demanding the US withdrawal?

Obviously this development is not that newsworthy, whereas 500 people in a square for a US military staged event is.

(source AP)

for a pic see

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030418/capt.1050678159.iraq_war_baghdad_protest_xhm106.jpg

Comments (3 of 3)

The Media

by Intransigent

Sat Apr 19, 2003 00:24

TV news coverage has become useless. Completely biased and in no way can be understood as news. You can still go through newspapers though you have to do it carefully and read between the lines. The whole square thing is a joke. Symbolic but where were the Iraqis? FOX News has got to be the worst. They are showing scenes from the war on Iraq while in the background some pro war song about 'our boys getting them for what they done on 9-11' plays. they've made the whole thing look like a video game or movie and the scenes they have been showing appear more to represent a firworks display than the reality of the brutality of war. It's a disgrace!

This has been well covered in the UK press

by Bernard

Sun Apr 20, 2003 21:40

and on CNN. It's common knowledge that the US is not welcome in Iraq for a long term, but it would be a disaster for them to pull out too soon.

At least the Iraqis have the right to protest now, something which the antiwar people did their best to prevent.

the post says 'hardly a peep' - not 'wasn't covered at all'

by hunter

Sun Apr 20, 2003 23:07

i think the point being made is that we were assulted for a whole day and half with the same images of the statue coming down, and the old man saying "thank you mr bush". The same images over and over again. But a much larger protest has recieved very little coverage in comparison.

"at least the Iraqi's have the right to protest now" - is that why 14 protestors were shot dead in Mosul the other day?

oh yeah sorry the US troops "came under fire" and were "forced to retaliate".

The US won't be leaving, in fact i read they have plans to set up 4 military bases - no doubt to look after the oil, ooops, i mean free Iraqi citizens.