You know, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if many of the Iraqi people we
watched pulling down Saddam's statues and celebrating in the streets weren't
asked to do so by the occupying forces. These were the same people who were
seen cheering Saddam as he walked among them weeks and months earlier. The
Iraqis are probably so used to being told what to do, when to celebrate and
what to say when journalists and cameras are around, I really don't trust
that these displays of welcome to the U.S. forces are genuine.
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that many of these people were probably
being paid to dance in the streets and denounce their former dictator to
provide good propaganda for the Western media, just as they were probably
threatened with death if they didn't praise the dictator for the media when
he was in power.
Pay attention to the children. While they, too, can be bribed and
manipulated by Hershey bars, toys and treats, they are not nearly as good at
masking their true feelings as adults.
Terry Floyd