Bill Sykes' Newsletter
from America.
(September 2003)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
Shock and Awe.
Whom-so-ever came up with this phrase to describe
America’s war against Iraq will obviously live to
regret it, as it turned out to be a bad choice of words
which have come back to haunt us. Unfortunately it's the
American public who have been "SHOCKED" by the
cost of the war in American Dollars and American lives,
and "AWED" by the Iraqi people’s resilience
and the retaliation by certain fanatical factions of the
Muslim people against the coalition forces.
 Obviously
there were many Iraqis who desired the removal of Saddam
Hussein and his brutal and oppressive regime, but the
post war hostilities by some factions of the Iraqi people
against the occupation by Coalition forces have shown
that planning by the American administration for a post
war Iraq was totally inadequate and unacceptable to many
of the Iraqi people.
Comment: During Gulf War One, my wife and I were vacationing
in Australia and I remember vividly when we visited the
capital city of Canberra standing upon the steps of the
Australian parliamentary building, which overlooks the
city, seeing a large crowd of demonstrators in front of
the building with banners stating "No blood for oil".
Were the minority right all along?
Different stokes for different folks.
Reports coming in from Iraq suggest that the
Iraqi people are divided in their acceptance of the Coalition
Forces.
There appears to be a somewhat tolerant respect for the
British Forces in Southern Iraq and an attitude of contempt
and hostility of American forces in Central Iraq. Is there
a noticeable difference in the way that things are being
handled in the two very different sectors that could indicate
why this is happening? Your opinions would be appreciated.
Changes have taken place in world opinion.
I’m sorry to report that the overwhelming
world sympathy that was predominant after the 11th September
2001 terrorist actions appears to have declined considerably
in many countries of this world in the last two years.
Not for the victims of the terrible disaster, but for
what is being considered to be the Imperialistic unilateral
actions of the current White House and its Administration,
who appear to be hell bent on riding rough shod over world
opinion in order to fulfil their own particular objectives
and ambitions.
We welcome feedback about any of the contents
of these newsletters. Please send all correspondence to
bill_sykes@huddersfield1.co.uk
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