wfn.org | Episcopalians: Iraq conflict heightens suspicions of US intentions

[dmack@episcopalchurch.org]

April 9, 2003

2003-075

Episcopalians: Iraq conflict heightens suspicions of US 
intentions

by Chris Herlinger

(ENI) While American-led coalition forces continue their 
progress in the Iraq war, the reaction in parts of the Arab 
world point to a continuing problem of perceptions over the 
underlying purposes of the war.

An unflattering cartoon of US President George W. Bush, for 
example, appeared on Sunday on the front page of one of Jordan's 
Arabic-language newspapers. It depicted him attired in Texas 
cowboy garb, trying to corral Iraqi President Saddam Hussein 
with a lasso. Other newspapers featured graphic photographs of 
Iraqi troops and civilians maimed or killed by US military 
forces.

The Jordan Times, an English-language newspaper, gave prominence 
to a report saying southern Iraqis had lost faith in US 
"invaders" and were "deeply disillusioned with the war." The 
same paper printed a photograph of Iraqis in Jordan greeting the 
appearance of the Iraqi leader on television with victory signs.

Such reactions, in a region where there is long-standing 
distrust of US foreign policy, reveal, according to some church 
representatives on the ground, a depth of sustained anger that 
may prove difficult for the United States to overcome.

"The war is destabilizing the region," said Edmond Adam, who 
heads the Amman, Jordan, office of the Middle East Council of 
Churches (MECC). "We don't know where we are headed," he told 
ENI in an interview as the war neared its third week.

The television war

In stark contrast to earlier wars in the Middle East which were 
not as extensively reported on the ground, the conflict in Iraq 
is marked by constant and detailed televised coverage.

People do not like what they see, said Adam, particularly the 
civilian deaths that have been widely reported in the Arab 
media. "This is what is angering people in the region," he said. 
"Some of these so-called 'smart bombs' are dumb because they 
have hit the civilian population."

The issue of weaponry being used in the war is carefully 
watched. In a statement on Sunday, UNICEF, the United Nations 
Children's Fund, said it was concerned about reports that 
cluster bombs--bombs that maim with projectiles--were being used 
in densely populated urban areas.

A group of US, Canadian and British peace activists who recently 
arrived in Amman from Baghdad told ENI in a 5 April interview 
they had seen civilians who appeared to be wounded by such 
weapons.

The visibly shaken members of a group called Christian 
Peacemaker Teams (CPT) were dismayed by the US bombardment of 
Baghdad. The Iraqis kept asking them: "Why are Americans killing 
kids?" said activist Scott Kerr of Chicago.

Symbol of resistance?

Calling the US led-action against Iraq a "huge mistake," David 
Havard, an Anglican deacon from Sheffield, England, said many 
Iraqis saw Hussein as a kind of "symbol of resistance".

Noting that even moderate leaders like Jordan's King Abdullah 
have condemned the US-led war against Iraq, Adam said Bush's 
claims that the war is an act of liberation were falling on deaf 
ears, given widespread cynicism about US support for Israel and 
stalled efforts to promote a Palestinian state.

On Friday, the traditional Muslim day of prayer, thousands 
filled the streets of Amman for a third successive week 
protesting against what some called a US-led "crusade" against 
Arabic-speaking peoples and Islam.

Arabs see Iraq and the issue of Israel and Palestinian 
independence as intertwined, noted Adam, and think the United 
States is "sacrificing Iraq and its people" for long-term 
strategic goals.

------

--Chris Herlinger, ENI's US correspondent, has been on 
assignment in Jordan as a communications officer for Church 
World Service, the US-based relief and development agency of the 
National Council of Churches.