http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/06/20/%e2%80%98we%e2%80%99re-isolated-our-grief-is-killing-us/ Award-winning University of York Student Newspaper Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:32:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/06/20/%e2%80%98we%e2%80%99re-isolated-our-grief-is-killing-us/#comment-43995 Alison Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:19:34 +0000 http://www.nouse.co.uk/2007/06/20/%e2%80%98we%e2%80%99re-isolated-our-grief-is-killing-us/#comment-43995 All those Iraqis who resorted to conspiring with the enemies of Iraq - the USA, the UK, Iran and Israel - to get rid of Saddam AT ANY PRICE share the responsibility for the utter devastation of their homeland, which has been wrought by these powers, not by Saddam Hussein (may God have mercy on his soul!) The latter dedicated his whole life to Iraq - it meant everything to him and he sacrificed his life for his nation. If he had been willing to surrender Iraq's oil to US companies, accept US military bases on Iraqi soil and abandon the Palestinian cause, he'd still be alive today. I acknowledge that his rule was sometimes too harsh, but he was motivated by the desire to preserve Iraq's unity and independence. All those forces bent on tearing Iraq apart have been unleashed by the criminal US invasion. Maybe one day the Iraqis quoted in this article will look beyond their personal suffering and appreciate that, for all his faults, Saddam Hussein was genuinely dedicated to his nation and people. Before the imposition of punitive sanctions at the behest of the USA, Iraq had the best education and healthcare system in the Middle East. Women had more rights than in any other Arab country. There was freedom of worship for Sunni & Shiite Muslims and Christians. Saddam also granted Kurds greater autonomy than in neighbouring Iran, Turkey or Syria. That should not be forgotten. All those Iraqis who resorted to conspiring with the enemies of Iraq - the USA, the UK, Iran and Israel - to get rid of Saddam AT ANY PRICE share the responsibility for the utter devastation of their homeland, which has been wrought by these powers, not by Saddam Hussein (may God have mercy on his soul!) The latter dedicated his whole life to Iraq - it meant everything to him and he sacrificed his life for his nation. If he had been willing to surrender Iraq’s oil to US companies, accept US military bases on Iraqi soil and abandon the Palestinian cause, he’d still be alive today. I acknowledge that his rule was sometimes too harsh, but he was motivated by the desire to preserve Iraq’s unity and independence. All those forces bent on tearing Iraq apart have been unleashed by the criminal US invasion. Maybe one day the Iraqis quoted in this article will look beyond their personal suffering and appreciate that, for all his faults, Saddam Hussein was genuinely dedicated to his nation and people. Before the imposition of punitive sanctions at the behest of the USA, Iraq had the best education and healthcare system in the Middle East. Women had more rights than in any other Arab country. There was freedom of worship for Sunni & Shiite Muslims and Christians. Saddam also granted Kurds greater autonomy than in neighbouring Iran, Turkey or Syria. That should not be forgotten.

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