Know the facts before you formulate opinions ... Websites about Saddam's Sons: "You cannot believe how much he loves money. Odai is just one big mafia for the business, for the killing, for everything," Jabouri said. "He goes into the street, he sees a nice girl, he sends his bodyguard and just takes her. This is Odai." http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0319iraq-sons19.html http://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/iraq/articles/primer-saddamfamily.html http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/2003/03/20/news/nation/5435175.htm The History of Saddam's Regime The Iraqi Government routinely tortures and kills female dissidents and the female relatives of Iraqi oppositionists and defectors. Victims include Safiyah Hassan, the mother of two Iraqi defectors, who was killed after publicly criticizing the Iraqi Government for killing her sons after their return to Iraq. Women in Saddam's jails are subjected to the following forms of torture: brutal beatings, systematic rape, electrical shocks, and branding. (U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2001, March 2002; U.S. Department of State, Iraq: A Population Silenced, December 2002) http://www.state.gov/g/wi/rls/18877.htm http://www.answerpoint.org/columns2.asp?column_id=722&column_type=feature http://www.netanyahu.org/casfortopsad.html http://www.iraqfoundation.org/news/2002/haug/29_history.html History of the Middle-East: In ancient times the land area now known as modern Iraq was almost equivalent to Mesopotamia, the land between the two rivers Tigris and Euphrates (in Arabic, the Dijla and Furat, respectively), the Mesopotamian plain was called the Fertile Crescent. This region is known as the Cradle of Civilization; was the birthplace of the varied civilizations that moved us from prehistory to history. An advanced civilization flourished in this region long before that of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, for it was here in about 4000BC that the Sumerian culture flourished . The civilized life that emerged at Sumer was shaped by two conflicting factors: the unpredictability of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which at any time could unleash devastating floods that wiped out entire peoples, and the extreme richness of the river valleys, caused by centuries-old deposits of soil. Thus, while the river valleys of southern Mesopotamia attracted migrations of neighboring peoples and made possible, for the first time in history, the growing of surplus food, the volatility of the rivers necessitated a form of collective management to protect the marshy, low-lying land from flooding.... http://home.achilles.net/~sal/iraq_history.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2801487.stm http://www.time.com/time/europe/me/ American Policies concerning the Middle-East: Oil made the country rich, few today remember that British Petroleum was once called "The Iraq Petroleum Company". Iraq developed a highly westernised and educated middle class and became one of the most prosperous countries in the Middle East. When Saddam Hussein seized power in 1979 petroleum made up 95% of its foreign exchange earnings. But time after time, Saddam Hussein has led his country to disaster from his underground bunkers. The war with Iran from 1980 to 1988 and the Gulf War in 1991 following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, together with the subsequent imposition of international sanctions, have had a devastating effect on Iraq's economy and society. http://www.eurolegal.org/usmideast4page2.htm Information about Islam 1. Islam is a world religion which has approximately 1.2 billion followers. That means that one in every five people on the planet is a Muslim. In short, Islam is not a minority phenomenon. 2. The word Islam is best translated into English as 'commitment'. Followers of Islam, called Muslims, commit their lives to peace, harmony, truthfulness, good works, charity, neighborliness, almsgiving, acceptance of religious pluralism, and diversity. 3. The religion of Islam does not support, preach, or advocate violence, discrimination, or terrorism in any way, shape, or form... http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/j/a/jab63/islam.facts.html http://www.redeemerucc.net/faithfacts.htm http://www.uga.edu/islam/ http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/j/a/jab63/islam.facts.html http://www.eurolegal.org/usmideast4page2.htm
gee thanks aphie... it's not like iraq's been the topic of discussion of choice here for months or anything...
excellent post and thread aphex, this is worthwhile. People that would object to this or ridicule you for making this thread are worthless and don't belong here.
Yes, I gotta agree with you Brother MondoTrader... this is an excellent thread, established by my Brother amongst Brethren: the uniquely wonderful Brother Aphie...
I wouldn't rely too much on that PC summary of Islam. Then again ,maybe it's just coincidence that virtually every major conflict in the world involves Islamic aggression. And I wouldn't count on too much religious tolerance in Muslim countries. In Saudi Arabia, you will be jailed for possessing a Bible. The penalty for criticizing Islam is death.
facts huh? yeah. riiggghhht mondo, if you were actually so clueless about the topic not to be aware of such fundamental informatioin, yet so eager to tell everyone how right you are, then.. well... have a think about it..
On a local talk radio show here in San Diego, they have on a former colonel in the Iraqi army on twice a day. He escaped from Iraq with his family in 1996. The stories he tells are truly hard to stomach. The level of brutality he has seen is staggering. When someone called in suggesting that we impeach Bush and bring him to trial for war crimes, he responded: Who would you rather have as your President? Saddam Hussein, or George Bush?
I'm sure you didn't take him at face value now did you, Optional? No doubt you asked him for verifiable data, i.e. photographs, recordings of screaming tortured prisoners, and video of Saddam and his sons taking part. After all, being a colonel and all, couldn't he be guilty of numerous crimes himself? As you have said, there are liars and scammers everywhere, and not only on the Internet. So I'm sure you questioned his motives, or at least insinuated that he was lying. After all, anything less would be.....un-Optional.
LOL! Man, take remedial spelling and grammar lessons or something. Most of your posts are riddled with mistakes that would piss off an elementary school teacher. It makes your inane posts even harder to bear.