Iran Leader Says U.S. Behaves Like Saddam in Iraq

[jimnyc]

** Is there any wonder why the Muslim community in general is growing in opposition to the Iraqi occupation? It's rhetoric like this that leads to misconception and anger... Comparing the US military to Saddam is ridiculous. The US is fighting for the average joe while Saddam had the average joe suppressed or killed. ***

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Friday accused the United States of killing and oppressing the Iraqi people in the same way as former President Saddam Hussein.

Iran, though it fought an eight-year war with Saddam's Iraq in the 1980s, is deeply unhappy about U.S. forces in Iraq to its west and Afghanistan (news - web sites) to the east. U.S. officials, meanwhile, have stepped up their war of words against the Islamic Republic.

"Americans killed hundreds of innocent people in Afghanistan and they continue to attack and kill Iraqi civilians," Khamenei, Iran's most powerful figure, told thousands of worshipers at Friday prayers in Tehran."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031114/ts_nm/iraq_iran_usa_dc_1

And the last part is just plain bullshit. The military is not actively attacking any civilians. Civilians have died as a result of the military, not because the military sought them out - there's a big difference.

 

[SLClemens]

Originally posted by jimnyc
** Is there any wonder why the Muslim community in general is growing in opposition to the Iraqi occupation? It's rhetoric like this that leads to misconception and anger... Comparing the US military to Saddam is ridiculous. The US is fighting for the average joe while Saddam had the average joe suppressed or killed. ***

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Friday accused the United States of killing and oppressing the Iraqi people in the same way as former President Saddam Hussein.

Iran, though it fought an eight-year war with Saddam's Iraq in the 1980s, is deeply unhappy about U.S. forces in Iraq to its west and Afghanistan (news - web sites) to the east. U.S. officials, meanwhile, have stepped up their war of words against the Islamic Republic.

"Americans killed hundreds of innocent people in Afghanistan and they continue to attack and kill Iraqi civilians," Khamenei, Iran's most powerful figure, told thousands of worshipers at Friday prayers in Tehran."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031114/ts_nm/iraq_iran_usa_dc_1

And the last part is just plain bullshit. The military is not actively attacking any civilians. Civilians have died as a result of the military, not because the military sought them out - there's a big difference.

If I were an average Iraqi I think I would much rather live through 2002 than 2003. I can only hope that 2004 will bring them some improvement, but given our unending arrogance, I'm not hopeful. Perhaps the decade 2004-2014 will be better than the previous one on the whole. Given the attitudes I've seen displayed on this board toward Muslims and Arabs and the fact that citizens of this country will be dictating Iraq's future for years to come I can only wish Iraqis the best of luck.

 

[dijetlo]

Posted by jimnyc
And the last part is just plain bullshit. The military is not actively attacking any civilians. Civilians have died as a result of the military, not because the military sought them out - there's a big difference.

From the article"Americans killed hundreds of innocent people in Afghanistan and they continue to attack and kill Iraqi civilians," Khamenei, Iran's most powerful figure, told thousands of worshipers at Friday prayers in Tehran."

He is saying civilians are getting attacked and he can point to dead Iraqis as proof. We percieve of their deaths as accidental, though in fact we knew this was going to be part of the occupation. He's maping out the Iranian position on the occupation and he's begun where his argument is strongest. Unfortunately, he carrys a lot of weight in the south of Iraq.

 

[jimnyc]

Given the attitudes I've seen displayed on this board toward Muslims and Arabs

Do we have that much of an impact here? LOL

I believe the attitude you are referring to, which is probably hatred, is directed towards Muslim terrorists. The rest is just a difference in beliefs.

He is saying civilians are getting attacked and he can point to dead Iraqis as proof.

My point exactly. Don't you think a little is being left out in between?

No citizens are being attacked as part of our military operation. The comparison between a ruthless dictator and the USA is sensationalism at it's best.

He's twisting the facts to incite violence and unrest.

 

[dijetlo]

JimNYC
Don't you think a little is being left out in between?

Goodness yes but its' political manuevering. Even if you accept his argument at face value, the first question you'd have to ask is why he's waited a so long to start complaining about dead iraqi non-combatants. This could signal a shift in the position of Iran, who is dodging US pressure over nuke violations in the U.N. He may be telling us to lay off in the UN or, on the other end of the spectrum he might be laying the groundwork to raise 10,000 jihadists from the Shia slums of Basra. In any case, he is bolstering his theocracy with demagogary (what other crutch does he really have?).