Samarra Massacre Will Haunt U.S. in Iraq

The U.S. can do nothing to stem the tide of anti-American sentiment in Iraq until they withdraw. Case in point. Those killed in the attack are being hailed as heroes and martyrs.


news.pacificnews.org...

"Editor's Note: The firefight in Samarra, Iraq, will come to haunt U.S. troops in the country, the writer says. The attackers deliberately wore black to evoke symbolic battles from Iraqi history that resonate with Iraqi Sunni and Shi'a alike. Now, the fighters are being hailed as heroes.

U.S. commanders say their troops killed at least 54 Iraqis in the northern city of Samarra on Nov. 30. Townspeople say far fewer died, but that they were mostly civilians. Either way, it was a massacre, and the shocking surprise for Americans is that the organized Iraqi troops who provoked the attack are being hailed as heroes.

Of all the places to incur a military attack in the area that has quixotically become known as the "Sunni triangle," Samarra was the worst. It is not only a Sunni Arab stronghold, it is also a shrine city sacred to the Shi'a population of Iraq. In its action, the U.S. military has thus offended almost everyone in Iraq at one fell swoop.

The U.S. troops were provoked into attack, but in retaliation they not only fired on a kindergarten and a mosque, they also fired on those trying to evacuate the wounded.

Such actions make the hearts of Middle East specialists sink, because they create such long-lasting resentment -- the kind that breeds terrorists. Eventually such events lead to perpetual cycles of revenge. Already the residents of Samarra are vowing retribution...

...The black uniforms of the Fedayeen have additional symbolic value. They are reminiscent of the Black Flags of the Abbassid Empire, the great Persian-Arab empire founded in 750 C.E. in Baghdad that ushered in the Golden Age of Islamic civilization. No one in Iraq can see the solid black color without having this association. Because the founders of the Abbassid Empire usurped the weaker Umayyids, conquerors from outside, the symbolic message is clear to the residents of the region.

The U.S. Army clearly sent another message. For the Shi'a population of Iraq an event such as this calls up images of martyrdom, such as that suffered by the central religious figure of Shiism, Hussein, grandson of the prophet Mohammad. Hussein was killed by illegitimate external forces in 680 C.E. Two of Hussein's most important descendants -- the 10th and 11th Shi'a Imams -- were martyred and buried in Samarra. The mystical, messianic 12th Imam disappeared there in 878 C.E. He will reappear at the Day of Judgment according to Shia tradition. Thus the Fedayeen become representatives of perfect heroes and perfect martyrs in one fell swoop.

Events such as this highlight the degree to which the Bush administration fails to appreciate the impact of cultural symbolism on the Iraqi population. As hard as American troops try to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi population, a massacre like this wipes out huge swaths of good will, establishing the hometown fighters -- whatever crimes they may have committed in the past -- as the true heroes. An American "victory" is tough to eke out under these circumstances."

yepp theyre not stupid in iraq, and in my view they are the heros, compared to the usa that is..although i dont believe in heros...

This is also beginning to look like a fair amount of spin is involved in this story.

Journalists are supposed to independently verify stories, not just accept what the government says happened. It ALWAYS bites them in the ass (like the story of those two soldiers who had their throats apparently slit ended up being "over-reported" and "inaccurate").


www.editorandpublisher.com...

"DECEMBER 02, 2003
Coverage of Iraq Firefight Disputed

By Joe Strupp

NEW YORK -- One week after newspapers were forced to correct front-page reports that two U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq had been "mutilated," coverage of a weekend firefight between U.S. soldiers and guerrillas in Samarra is being questioned as Iraq officials and witnesses claim the U.S. military vastly overestimated the number of Iraqis killed by American troops.

Numerous newspapers on Monday played up as front page news the Sunday clash between rebel forces and U.S. soldiers in the city of Samarra, with most declaring that between 46 and 54 Iraqis had been killed and using only U.S. military officials as their sources. After a run of bad news for the U.S. in Iraq -- including a record monthly death toll of U.S. soldiers -- the military portrayed this as a major victory, and the press seemed to accept it.

Neither The New York Times, New York Post, The Boston Globe, USA Today, The Washington Post, or Knight Ridder included any civilian witnesses or Iraqi hospital accounts in their initial reports Monday. Many flatly reported the death tally and account of the battle without noting this was "according to military officials." The Times topped its front page with the declarative headline: "46 Iraqis Die in Fierce Fight Between Rebels and GIs," and this was common treatment. The Los Angeles Times account, however, noted that the 54 deaths had yet to be confirmed and included hospital officials' contentions that only nine people had died...

...The San Francisco Chronicle quoted an emergency room worker at Samarra General Hospital: "All the people in town today are asking for revenge. They want to kill the Americans like they killed our civilians. Give me a gun, and I will also fight.""

Still pounding on the same drum eh Jakomo?

I would rather believe Bush anyday before most Iraqi's.

Reason being I know many people from the middle east and they freely admit that they will do anything to beat the system.

TheNeo: "I would rather believe Bush anyday before most Iraqi's.

Reason being I know many people from the middle east and they freely admit that they will do anything to beat the system. "

Many people as in 3? 30? 300,000? Where in the Middle East? In Iraq? In Samarrah?

What system are they looking to beat? The Occupation? The news media? The Dewey Decimal System? Please be specific.

What I wanna know is this Jakomo,

if you and your brethern get into power,

how do you propose to make things 'right?'

TheNeo: I don't understand who you think my brethren are and I have no desire to be "in power", whatever that means. If by brethren you mean humanity, then I accept that.

But to fix the situation I would say there's an obvious solution.

Hand Iraq over to the IRAQIS, establish a international UN peacekeeping force (with a large proportion of Middle Eastern Arabs) and allow Iraq to do what it wants with it's own country. If they want to hate Americans, they are allowed. It's called freedom.

But you never answered my question. You said you know many people in the Middle East and they all want to "beat the system". How many do you know and what system do they want to beat or are you just talking out of your rectum?

Jak.........
"This is also beginning to look like a fair amount of spin is involved in this story."

That above comment pretty much summed it up for this whole topic and your two articles........and I certainly emphasize spin!..........



regards
seekerof

Jak,

tell me this...

why should Iraqi's hate the US when they ousted Saddam who clearly was not a friend to all if even most Iraqi's?

I do not trust the UN, period.

Lastly, the interference by the globalistic cabal of socialists is what is causing the majority of problems in Iraq right now.

How can you justify the brutality of Saddam, and the injustice and primitiveness of Islam?

You would rather have that then see the powers of democracy/capitalism achieve a victory?

Admit it, you have your own agenda and it has PARIS written all over it!

TheNeo:

"why should Iraqi's hate the US when they ousted Saddam who clearly was not a friend to all if even most Iraqi's?

I don't know, maybe because they are an Occupying Army? How would you welcome an Occupying Army? With flowers? "Oh, it seems you've killed my son with a clusterbomb. Tut-tut. What a shame."

Lastly, the interference by the globalistic cabal of socialists is what is causing the majority of problems in Iraq right now.

The majority of problems in Iraq are caused by having the US military there in a police action, which they are not trained to do. What "globalistic cabal of socialists" are you talking about?

How can you justify the brutality of Saddam, and the injustice and primitiveness of Islam?

How am I justifying the brutality of Saddam by saying that the US Occupation must end? And what gives you the right to call Islam unjust and primitive? Are you a theology major? Have you studied Islam extensively?

You would rather have that then see the powers of democracy/capitalism achieve a victory?

Define what would be a victory in Iraq. And is Democracy and Capitalism the same thing in your eyes, since you only use a slash to separate them? I thought the US wanted to bring Democracy to Iraq, I never heard them say they wanted it to be capitalist.

Admit it, you have your own agenda and it has PARIS written all over it!

As in Paris, France, or Paris Hilton? Because it's neither.

j