From: Karen Rand Smigrodzki (karen@smigrodzki.org)
Date: Sun Apr 13 2003 - 00:32:45 MDT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee Corbin" <lcorbin@tsoft.com>
> Karen writes
>
> > I want also to point out that the Shiite cleric Khoei who was
murdered
> > by Iraqi's, and whom the USA backed (according to the news), was not a
> > friend to the USA. The USA has a history of supporting and empowering
new
> > leadership (e.g. Qadhdhafi of Libya) over their predecessors and having
> > these new leaders turn out to be very poor choices. I am afraid that the
USA
> > is going to make such a mistake again in Iraq. The USA support of Khoei
is
> > fueling my fears.
>
> What would be the attributes of a "good" choice, and why
> do you think that it's possible for any choice to create
> a situation in Iraq that would meet with our hopes?
>
^^^^Attributes of a "good" choice. Hm. Very hard question. Very hard. It is
hard for me to imagine. Let me ask first what you mean by a good choice. For
example, what I would consider a good choice for Iraq would most definitely
not be what most Iraqi's would consider a good choice for Iraq. So I am not
sure if you were asking me what I thought was a good choice from an Iraqi
standpoint or from my standpoint. Since I believe my standpoint to be
irrelevant to the Iraqi people, I will assume you find my standpoint
irrelevant too. ;) Now to answer the question. I don't know. I can't think
of a leadership/government in Iraq which I believe could bridge all the
conflicting religious and cultural attitudes currently troubling the region.
Perhaps someone else can think of one; can you? I am not an Iraq hobby-ist,
and I am a bit of a pessimist when it comes to the middle east.
The second part of your question implies that I implied that I think it
is possible for a choice in Iraq to meet "our" hopes. Sorry, I didn't mean
to imply that kind of optimism! I am a pessimist of the oldest order. I
don't think we can have an Iraq that would meet with western hopes -- not
with current western hopes.
> > place of Hussein, then we would find that he was as anywhere from as
open
> > and loving as Ayatollah Khamenei to as sweet and charitable as Bin
Laden.
>
> Is there anyone you know of, or any group, that you hope
> gains power there?
>
^^^^^^^I wish there were. Again, I am not a student especially of Iraq. My
area of special interest (in my earlier life) was mostly North Africa,
specifically Libya. All I can really say is who I hope does not gain power
there (as they surface). Sorry to be so uninformative. What about you? Do
you favor any groups there?
---Karen
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