Bill Sykes' Newsletter
from America.
(Mid-April 2003)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
Late breaking news.
-
Dateline: Saturday 5th of April 2003. The United
States in its eagerness to find "a smoking gun"
in order to justify their invasion of Iraq, has apparently
tested every drum of herbicide, pesticide, and associated
farming fertilisers found in the Iraqi countryside
in order to find a sign of chemical weapons. To be
quite honest, if I was in the same position I would
do exactly the same, but for obviously different reasons.
-
Dateline: Monday the 7th of April 2003. A report
currently circulating apparently suggests that an
ongoing internal battle in the United States is erupting
between the State Department and the Defence Department
as to who should have prime authority for the installation
of a legitimate American controlled government for
the new Iraq, (which apparently has no place for United
Nations involvement).
 Names
have been bandied about for the immediate placement,
(as early as next week), of General Jay Garner, Retired,
and ex-CIA director James Woolsey, (both of whom are
said have pro-Israeli ties), as likely choices for
the leadership of the administration of an Interim
Government.
Question: Will the new American Administration in
Iraq be named the "American Army of Occupation?"
Comment: The Middle Eastern Muslim population,
who have just seen the invasion of an Arab Sovereign State
by a Coalition of American and British forces, are certainly
not going to take too kindly to the proposal to institute
the people named as the heads of an American Administrative
Governing body and will certainly consider the move to
be a complete insult to all Muslims. What kind of diplomats
do we have who come up with this type of proposal.
-
Dateline: Monday the 7th of April 2003. A report
came in today stating that a convoy, (which was clearly
marked for identification), carrying Russian diplomats
out of Iraq came under fire several days ago and sustained
several casualties, after being been hit by American
armour. The Pentagon has denied to this day that American
forces were involved, and have stated that the American
forces did not have any armour in the area in question
and suggested that the fire probably came from Iraqi
forces. The Russian Ambassador stated that they have
established undisputed proof that their convoy was
deliberate fired upon by American armoured fighting
vehicles.
Comment: Correct me if I’m wrong,
but It would appear that the American and British forces
fighting in Iraq have sustained a higher number of casualties,
(percentage wise), from friendly fire than from any other
past conflict.
There are of course many conditions and situations which
are totally different to past conflicts that should be
taken into account, but as I am not situated on the ground
in the area of battle I am not able, or willing, to second
guess the troops and their commanders.
-
 Dateline:
Tuesday the 8th of April 2003. News reports state
that an emergency summit meeting between President
Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Jacques Chirac
of France, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany,
and the President of the United Nations Kofi Annan,
will be held in Moscow today, apparently to discuss
such subjects as the future of Iraq, humanitarian
aid to the Iraqi people, and the composition of an
interim government, (which President Bush is insisting
will not have any substantial United Nations participation),
plus many other things that obviously will not be
revealed.
-
Dateline: Tuesday 7th of April 2003. American troops,
stating that enemy fire was coming from the Palestine
Hotel in Baghdad, (which housed several foreign journalists),
returned fire killing several people including two
Spanish journalists. On the spot journalists apparently
denied that enemy fire was coming from the hotel.
-
Dateline: Wednesday 9th of April 2003. The fall
of a major section of Baghdad appears to herald the
collapse of Saddam Hussein’s despotic regime
and the last stages of the fighting war---unless of
course Saddam Hussein has something up his sleeve
and comes up with some last ditch stand which surprises
and shocks the world. There is disbelief, anger, and
a degree of embarrassment in the Arab world, that
the Iraqi’s showed so little resistance to the
American war machine. The Arab Nations are very much
concerned that the United States will continue its
war of aggression against other Arab States.
-
Dateline; Thursday 10th of April 2003. A prominent
pro-western Muslim Cleric, Abdul Majid Al-Khoei, who
recently returned to Iraq from a twelve year exile
in London, apparently in order to get a head start
in the race for the new government leadership and
was said to be under the protection of American forces,
was assassinated in a Mosque in Najaf this morning.
 Comment:
As I have said many times before, the Iraqi people will
not accept Iraqi dissidents, who have been in exile for
many years in foreign countries, as the heads and leaders
of their new government. Is this the first blow in the
upcoming civil war, and the blood bath which may follow?
As Yogi Berra was prone to say "It ain’t over
till it’s over".
We welcome feedback about any of the contents
of these newsletters. Please send all correspondence to
bill_sykes@huddersfield1.co.uk
|
