What do people here think about Iraq during the 1980s when it was allied with the United States?

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

Over the years I have spoke with quite a few Iraqis here in the United States who lived in Iraq before 2003… they recall of a country that had honor and dignity. But one today that they refuse to go back and visit to because they say it is controlled by Iran and it would be dangerous for them to go there.

I had a very close friend a Iraqi refugee who I gave $500 to while I was in the hospital. This is a working class Man I gave him this money three years ago when the coronavirus government shut downs came out he was greatly affected so I felt for him. I worked with this man for about two years back in 2018 or so. He is A sunni Arab he said that all of his great friends in high school were Christians and from various backgrounds he also knew Jewish Iraqis very well.


Iraq was supplied lethal weapon by the United States , France and other countries during the 1980s to fight against Iran. There was also the Iran contra affair for which the United States was briefly for a few months secretly funding weapons to Iran for various purposes of which by the way Ronald Reagan apologize to Iraq for that.. not everyone knows that last part. It was Iraq’s decision to invade Kuwait in the early 1990s that broke apart the Iraq western relations.

But during the 1980s Iraq was home to one of the best economies in the Middle East. It was said that Iraqi healthcare was on par with European standards during this time. Women were involved in the Iraqi workforce. During this time Iraq won an award from the United Nations for contributing to education. In the 1980s Iraq was home to the Arab nation. Many proud Arab people who looked up to the likes of Gamel Nasser of Egypt…. The Iraqi Christians, Kurds and Muslims whether Sunni or Shia we’re all behind the Iraqi nation as one. The founder of the Ba’ath ideology which governed Iraq for decades was founded by a Christian his name was Michael Aflaq.

Among the Iraqis there was an appreciation for ancient Babylon. This is just another thing to admire.

The one thing that I really admire above everything else about Iraq before 2003 was that so much of the Iraqi population bought into the idea of the Arab nation and of the Iraqi identity…. of being proud to be Arab , being proud of Arab history of Arab Christians and Arab Muslims being together as one that is something that is so inspiring. And yes before 2003 the second in command of Iraq was a Christian it was Tariq Aziz .

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

Here in the 1980s in Baltimore of all places right in the United States of America we welcomed an Iraqi diplomat…Nizar Hamdoon Who was talking about Iraq’s fight against Iran… back then the American people appreciated Iraq for fighting Iran.

 

[pknopp]

Iraq was never actually aligned with the U.S. We were aligned with Iraq and their goals.

When that became unworkable we decided to destroy the country.

 

[Grumblenuts]

Iraq was never actually aligned with the U.S. We were aligned with Iraq and their goals.

When that became unworkable we decided to destroy the country.

"We" meaning Exxon, BP, the MIC, and their lackeys like GWB. No one asked me. How about you?

Nayirah testimony - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Likkmee]

Iraq was never actually aligned with the U.S. We were aligned with Iraq and their goals.

When that became unworkable we decided to destroy the country.

Them thar 'raqz either with us'n's er 'gainst us. Give the motherfuckers some shock and awesome !
A guy knew a guy who tolds a guy I knew, Sodomer dunn wanted to kill my daddy ! They needz summa that thar "compassionate konservastionism" proto !

 

[pknopp]

"We" meaning Exxon, BP, the MIC, the their lackeys like GWB. No one asked me. How about you?

Nayirah testimony - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

No, I was not asked my opinion. GWB was re-elected.

 

[Grumblenuts]

No, I was not asked my opinion. GWB was re-elected.

Again, not by me

 

[1srelluc]

I never gave them a thought. Nobody that's honest gave them a thought either.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

If a peaceful modern Arab state is the goal. If a government that protects Christians and Jews as well as Arabs is what you want. If a leader who stands for the rights of LBGTQWERTY, is
your man, then Bashar al Assad is your desired leader. How's that working out for you?

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

I would say, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"...for right now.

 

[AMart]

I would say, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"...for right now.

View attachment 759706

Indeed.

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

Iraq was never actually aligned with the U.S. We were aligned with Iraq and their goals.

When that became unworkable we decided to destroy the country.

This type of line of thinking could be said toward every so-called US alliance. But there are those within America and whatever countries we are working with that feel a genuine connection. Is often a connection between the people of the countries involved. And then there are those in the governments who only care about money and power to your point.


Testimonials from Arab speaks volumes and some of them say Iraq was a much much better country in the 1980s. I just go by the facts. Iraq was a country where women could dress as they want where they could rise up into the workforce let’s compare that to Iran, the Islamic Republic of Iran… a hell hole where women have to cover their hair there they can’t leave their homes without their hair covered.

The other point is I deeply admire the idea of the Arab nation, of Arab nationalism which goes back to life of Gamal Nasser of Egypt. And what we saw in Iraq in the 1980s and 1990s was unity between Arab Christians and Arab Muslims and that is something to admire. I mean anybody with a heart and a soul would admire that. Those who have the love of romance and of history would admire that.

Iraq used to have honor and dignity and now the country is influenced by Iran. But there are a lot of Iraqis to this day who are protesting that… they want to say hands off Iran we want our country back …I admire those people.

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

basquebromance

Sunni Man


Iraq is mumtaaz

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

If a peaceful modern Arab state is the goal. If a government that protects Christians and Jews as well as Arabs is what you want. If a leader who stands for the rights of LBGTQWERTY, is
your man, then Bashar al Assad is your desired leader. How's that working out for you?

I’m not entirely sure of the direction of your post but Syria is led by a bath government as well but it’s different from Iraq before 2003. The massive difference is that Syria has influence from not only Russia but also the Islamic Republic of Iran. Whereas Iraq was a huge opponent of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iraq was a secular country that of course was influenced by the honorable religions of Islam and Christianity

Arab Muslims and Arab Christians from Iraq are very honorable people. They are family oriented they are really the best of the best. I have met these people.

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

And now for a big one what do the folks here think about Saddam Hussain. ?

We hear a lot of this talk about Zelenskyy being a tough guy has Zelensky actually visited the front lines(I know he has visited his troops but not in the same manner as Saddam did) the most dangerous part of the front lines? Because when the strongest military in world history invaded Iraq in 2003 Saddam Hussein visited the front lines at risk to his own life. And the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 the United States won a quick victory over Iraq and part of the reason for that was that Iraq was all by itself. If Iraq got $100 billion from China or Russia it would’ve been a different story we would’ve lost many more troops…. we would’ve won the war I believe it would’ve taken longer though. Also Iraq lost much of its weaponry from the Iran Iraq war and they couldn’t really regain themselves due to the sanctions on them that were put on them after Iraq invaded and shortly occupied Kuwait in 1991.





some have said it was his last chance to see is people for the last time and they were celebrating him. So much for the narrative that he was hated by his people …which of course is clearly not true all you have to do is talk with people from Iraq some of them might not like Saddam but many preferred him.

As for the Kurdish and Shia Iraqis well it’s a situation where a good number of them supported the Iraqi state throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

I don’t have enough of an informed opinion on saddam . I will leave it up God to judge. If the guy actually committed terrible crimes then he has an answer for it. But look at the world militarism shapes our world. The United States has expanded from 13 colonies to 50 states through militaristic methods. We use drones wherever we want whenever we want. And yes we were allies with Iraq in the 1980s.

In the 1980s Iraq was trying to make a name for itself and it came pretty close. It had one of the best economies in the Middle East , one of the best healthcare systems, again it won an award from the United Nations for raising the education rates for women.

Saddam Hussein was the real deal in the sense that how he acted in public is also how he acted in private and up until the very day of his execution. He wanted to show the world what it meant to be a strong Arab to be proud to be a strong man. Really what it meant to be a man. till his death he showed no fear and that is actually something echoed by a US government official I forget her name…. but it was an official who said that sometime in the early 1990s.



compare how Saddam Hussein acted during his execution compared to say Laventari Beria of the Soviet union. If people know their history they will know what I’m talking about.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

I’m not entirely sure of the direction of your post but Syria is led by a bath government as well but it’s different from Iraq before 2003. The massive difference is that Syria has influence from not only Russia but also the Islamic Republic of Iran. Whereas Iraq was a huge opponent of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iraq was a secular country that of course was influenced by the honorable religions of Islam and Christianity

Arab Muslims and Arab Christians from Iraq are very honorable people. They are family oriented they are really the best of the best. I have met these people.

Oh please. Arab Christians are Chaldeans that the Arab Muslims were slaughtering. Muslims are a vicious, vicious people.

 

[pknopp]

This type of line of thinking could be said toward every so-called US alliance. But there are those within America and whatever countries we are working with that feel a genuine connection. Is often a connection between the people of the countries involved. And then there are those in the governments who only care about money and power to your point.


Testimonials from Arab speaks volumes and some of them say Iraq was a much much better country in the 1980s. I just go by the facts. Iraq was a country where women could dress as they want where they could rise up into the workforce let’s compare that to Iran, the Islamic Republic of Iran… a hell hole where women have to cover their hair there they can’t leave their homes without their hair covered.

The other point is I deeply admire the idea of the Arab nation, of Arab nationalism which goes back to life of Gamal Nasser of Egypt. And what we saw in Iraq in the 1980s and 1990s was unity between Arab Christians and Arab Muslims and that is something to admire. I mean anybody with a heart and a soul would admire that. Those who have the love of romance and of history would admire that.

Iraq used to have honor and dignity and now the country is influenced by Iran. But there are a lot of Iraqis to this day who are protesting that… they want to say hands off Iran we want our country back …I admire those people.

Change can only come from within. I wish those seeking positive change well.

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

Oh please. Arab Christians are Chaldeans that the Arab Muslims were slaughtering. Muslims are a vicious, vicious people.

Take it from the people of Iraq. Tarik Aziz was a Christian and it’s in Iraq they had Christians in the army in the highest positions before 2003.





I stand by what I say because it’s filled with dignity and honor. It’s the Arab nation Arab Christians and Arab Muslims together is one. All you have to do is talk with the people of Iraq.

Brother you are unaware that the founder of Ba’ath thought was a Christian his name was Michael Aflac…

Those who oppose the Iraqi nationalism were many but not all Israeli Zionist, and Iranian Muslim TheoCrats . Iran and The Jewish state of Israel worked together as allies in the 1980s against Iraq. Actually there’s also people in Israel who have a deep and profound respect for Saddam Hussein… I talked with an Iraqi man at turning stone casino in Syracuse he has a Jewish wife from Israel and he says there’s tons of people in Israel who respected Saddam.


Are you Israeli ? Are you American? What is your religion. All of these things matter in this conversation. Please understand that I am a Catholic in the first place and an American that’s how I identify.

basquebromance
Sunni Man


Are you folks Jewish?

 

[basquebromance]

proud Lebanese

Israel is the enemy

 

[FranklinRoosevelt_FTW]

proud Lebanese

Israel is the enemy

I appreciate that brother. Marahaban , Kafa Halek

مرحبًا كيف حالك


Are you a Shia or Sunni perhaps a marionite Catholic?

What do the people of Lebanon think about the Iraqi state before 2003? In the 1980s didn’t a portion of the Lebanese ally with Israel?

I don’t know too much about Lebanon but I always knew that it was known as the France of the Middle East or that Beirut was known as the Paris of the Middle East until the Lebanese Civil War