RIYADH, 10 April 2003 — The images on all major satellite channels were crystal clear. Millions of viewers were watching live as American troops entered the center of Baghdad and saw Iraqis cheering the American forces as they went in. They watched as the statue of Saddam Hussein, a symbol of his iron control of the city, fell to the cheers of onlookers.
Since the war in Iraq broke out 20 days ago, Saudis have been watching images on Arab satellite channels that many viewers in the West have not seen. Footage of innocent Iraqis being killed; corpses being removed from the rubble of homes destroyed by US bombs; the humiliation of starving Iraqi crowds who came for water and food; citizens being prevented from returning to the cities where their families were.
All of this led to a strong anti-American sentiment and anger among the public. Many Saudis believe that Saddam was a dictator and will not be missed. Others say that despite all his flaws he was keeping all the different ethnic groups in Iraq together.
Despite those differences in opinion, all Saudis are concerned about the Iraqi people and their welfare. One of the signs of that were the Qunoot prayers for the Iraqi people performed daily by imams in mosques all over the Kingdom.
However, the fall of Baghdad to the American forces was met with a mixture of feelings in the streets of the Kingdom.
Hakeem Al-Sagri, project manager at a banking and investment corporation, has been following the war through both Western and Arab media. He says that since the war broke out he has been feeling uncomfortable with events. “I still do not think they have the capital. I think the Iraqis are using the Taleban strategy of striking and then pulling out.”
As for the people cheering the fall of the statue, Al-Sagri said: “I think they were brought in from the north to cheer. I know they are not real Iraqis. I think it’s all made up. That is how Americans wanted it from day one, but they did not get it.”
Al-Sagri believes that the Anglo-American forces would in “no way” be better than Saddam Hussein. “At least Saddam was giving them water to drink. These people are humiliating the Iraqis.”
Dr. Monira Al-Nahedh, sociologist at King Saud University, said the well-being of Saddam Hussein was none of her concern. “But I never thought I would see the day when the American flag is raised in an Arab and Islamic country,” the professor said.
“Americans are invading Iraq in the name of liberating the Iraqis, but they’re completely blind when it comes to the horrific acts carried out by (Ariel) Sharon in Palestine,” she added. “The Iraqi people are misled by the American propaganda. They foolishly believe that Americans are there for their salvation and have come to liberate them. Time will prove that they were wrong.”
Usama Al-Kurdi, a member of the Shoura Council, said he was delighted to see that the departure of Saddam Hussein was imminent. “Iraqis have suffered more than enough for their government,” he said.
The Shoura Council member said that though people had earlier been suspicious of the US’ intentions, he was relieved and reassured by the press conference in which US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair reiterated that the Iraqi people, not a foreign body, would govern the country after Saddam Hussein. “Management of Iraq will go to the best of Iraqi people,” Al-Kurdi said. He said people should not compare Iraq to Afghanistan. “Afghanistan is not Iraq. The parameters of the two countries are completely different.”
He said it was a mistake to think that America was in it for the oil, as low oil prices would not serve the purpose of the United States. “The US will have to pay for the war and also for the building of Iraq,” Al-Kurdi pointed out.
Tariq Al-Zuhair, who works for a leading bank, said he thinks that the people cheering the statue’s fall in the center of Baghdad did not represent the entire Iraqi nation. “It does not mean anything. It was just a clip.”
He said that his perspective of the war was quite different from others because he believes the ouster of Saddam’s regime will cause problems for the country.
“Saddam Hussein had to be the way he was. He had to have an iron grip on the country. We’re talking about a country that has so many different ethnic groups.
“Despite all his faults, his rule of the country for some 30 years was a cornerstone in a very complicated equation.”
Al-Zuhair said that once Americans had fed the Iraqis and given them their basic needs, there would be a blood bath in Iraq due to the different ethnic groups wanting to settle old scores. “It is impossible that the Iraqis will settle down to elect one person to represent them.”
He believes that America’s purpose for invading Iraq was part of the creation of a greater Israel that extends from the banks of the Euphrates to the River Nile.
Dr. Hind Al-Khutheila, former dean of King Saud University’s Ladies Section, told Arab News: “It is too early to judge the situation. It is difficult to understand the feelings of the whole nation of Iraq. Their reaction to the war switched within seconds to supporting and welcoming American troops. In my opinion that is a natural reaction due to the circumstances the Iraqis have been living under. They have been through many wars and for the time being their feelings are unstable. It is true that the Americans have distorted the image of democracy in front of the whole world with the beginning of this war.”
Dr. Al-Khutheila believes, however, that Americans have a vital opportunity to improve that image. “It lies in their strategy to rebuild Iraq, including giving the Iraqis the freedom to choose their own leadership after years of suffering under the Saddam regime and helping them benefit from their own resources after the long economic crisis arising from the sanctions imposed on them,” she added.
