Monday, November 08, 2004

Fallujah

Alaa's got some tough words for everyone as the battle for Fallujah begins. He wants al Jazeera shut down or at least off the air. He wants martial law. (He has that now.)

Mostly he wants no more pussy-footing around:
Friends and allies: this is War and a very serious and dangerous one too. Do not underestimate the enemy. In Iraq you have at least 80% of the population on your side and desirous of change and success in creating the new society. Anybody who tells you otherwise is simply a liar. Wars are terrible and cruel but what must be done must be done. Remember what it took to defeat Nazism, Fascism and Japanese Militarism - the flattening of most of Europe and Hiroshima and Nagasaki, horrible as that may have been. Yet both Europe and Japan recovered and eventually enjoyed tremendous prosperity and peace, and the outcome of the horrors of war was entirely in the interest of all the “conquered” peoples. Why was that? Very simple! The right side won the war. The right side must win this war too, for the sake of our future generations and world peace.
We've all been so distracted by the election, but the future of Iraq will likely be decied over the coming days and weeks. I was glad yesterday when at Mass we were asked to pray for the people of Iraq. They need it now as much as they've needed at anytime over the past 18 months.

What they've had to endure is bad enough. It would be infinitely worse if it was all in vain.