I read today in the free Metro newspaper we get in the Uk about a young Iraqi boy called Ali.
He was on the front cover, I could see half his picture and thought "s**t that kids lost an arm", then I unfolded it and the photograph showed he'd lost both his arms.
His story was, he was sleeping in his parents house a few days ago when it was hit by a US missile. Both his parents and brother were killed, he suffered burns and lost both arms, he's 12 years old.
He wanted to become a doctor but now he says when he's able to he's going to kill himself.
whichever way you look at it, if Bush hadn't have attacked Iraq, Ali would still have his family and his arms.
Strange definition of "Iraqi Freedom" for that Iraqi.
The photograph will haunt me for a long time.

<font color=orange>And the Iraqi people wouldn't have the chance for freedom and democracy!</font>

Pointing a gun at someone and saying now you will have Freedom and Democracy just doesn't add up for me.

EDIT> Will it be acceptable if the Iraqi people decide to go a different way, a fundamentalist govt based on Sharia?, or another totalitarian state?. as long as they are disarmed and Saddam is gone? Or do they HAVE to accept democracy?

[ 04-07-2003, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: Djinn Raffo ]

Individual tragedies of war are terrible, Djinn. But, it is the greater good that gets served. The US isn't there to get real estate or chase oil profits. Not primarily, anyway. It is there to free a country. The pictures of dead babies and mothers curled up quietly in the streets where Chemical Ali sent chemical bombs in 1988 is much worse than the totality of the war tragedy. And, that is just one instance of Iraqi terror. Now Chemical Ali is dead, and regardless of how this war comes out Iraq is a better place as a result of his death.

Who cares as long as the media can sell papers about it?

You can tell several MILLION similar stories about similar Iraqi's experiences over the last 12 years.

-1 child lost both arms (due to an accident IF it was a US bomb that hurt him... horrible tragedy.

-The population of Iraq goes from 25 million to 20 million in 12 years... and we should just let it continue.

Do you need to see the stories on TV or in the paper to believe them?

[ 04-07-2003, 04:34 PM: Message edited by: Thoran ]

It is, you are right and i never denied that.

I was just curious if they HAD to accept Democracy?

If the leaders being selected by Wolfowitz are not accepted by the majority of the Iraqi people (however that is to be determined i don't know but) if the 'interim govt.' is ousted in favour of another dictator or an Ayatollah or anything other than what we would call a Democratic govt, will that be acceptable to the US and the Coalition?

Or will their be another war until they finally do accept Democracy?

Ever seen Wag the Dog?

<font color=skyblue>What is the difference between a kid being a victim in a missle attack or a drunk-driving incident?

No difference.

Both kids suffer, and both ways are equally bad.

In fact, more kids will die this year by a drunk driver than will a missle from the U.S...so what is the point of whining about missles? </font>

You are right their is no difference. So should we whine about both equally or not whine about either?