According to an article on Malcomlagauche.com, political analyst Jeff Archer argues that the conditions of the Iraqis are much worse now than under SADDAM. A research conducted after the INVASION found that more than 120,000 Iraqi children under the age of five died during the first five years after the war began. Also the country’s infrastructure was completely destroyed, sewage system was non-existent, farm lands and irrigation systems were damaged by American bombs.
On the other hand, the entire country was electrified during SADDAM’s rule. Health care and education were free and women held a much higher status in Iraqi society than women in other Arab countries. Also food was inexpensive and available, the Iraqi government supplied either low-interest or no-interest home loans. It even offered land for free for those who promised to work in the land and produce outcome within five years.
Before the INVASION, an average salary in Iraq was about $50 a month. At first, this may not sound good, but when factored into prices for consumers, as well as services supplied at no or low cost by the government, it was a comfortable salary. Also an Iraqi’s salary was kept as is because there were no taxes. But after the war, many people lost their jobs, inflation was rampant and a black market prevailed in the country to exploit the citizens’ basic needs. Before the war, one Iraqi dinar was worth three U.S. dollars, but after it, one U.S. dollar amounted to the value of about 1,500 dinars. Over the years, this figure has gone as high as 2,000 dinars to the dollar, or as low as 1,200 dinars to the dollar. Prices of goods, when they were available, jumped over 1,000%. Other items, such as gasoline, that were available in abundance, were given away free by the government to help the ordinary citizen cope with the post-war devastation.
IRAQ under SADDAM also gave women more powers than in other Arab states. In fact, the former regime made the emancipation of women one of their primary goals. There was almost no unemployment and technology was moving to the forefront. IRAQ also had a secular government, consisting of Muslims of all sects, Jews and Christians. This collection of religious beliefs does not exist in many Middle Eastern countries. Pre-war IRAQ was also on its way to become the most modern and technically advanced nation in the Middle East. This progress was something that the U.S. did not want any Arab country to achieve, and it eventually became the reason for Iraq’s annihilation.
We have been hearing so many allegations against SADDAM’s brutal regime, sometimes we here his forces murdered 100,000 here, or 400,000 there… etc. If one adds up the numbers, it would appear that SADDAM killed more people than the entire population of IRAQ. Here we must answer this question, why isn’t the toppled leader tried for genocide? Jeff Archer argues that there is no proof of genocide charges against SADDAM, and both Washington and the Iraqi tribunal have decided not to bring these charges because of the embarrassment and international condemnation that would follow.
On the other hand, documented figures show that at least 30,000 IRAQI CIVILIANS have died since the war began. Moreover, it was recently revealed that the U.S. used chemical weapons against Iraqis during the 2004 offensive on Fallujah. The discovery makes the U.S. responsible for a massacre using banned weapons, the same charge for which the toppled Iraqi president is accused of. The U.S.’s image was also hit by a prisoner abuse scandal in 2004 with the release of appalling pictures showing U.S. soldiers physically and sexually abusing Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad.
Although President BUSH claimed before the invasion that the U.S. isn’t targeting SADDAM, it is really obvious that the main thrust of propaganda against IRAQ was thrown at the former leader. The Bush administration tried to hurt SADDAM’s image in the eyes of its citizens. The plan worked brilliantly. If we analyze the facts, we would find it difficult to believe that a leader who had been in power for as long as SADDAM HUSSEIN could have turned into a devil over night. Of course, SADDAM was no angel, but he and his government were well-respected by most Arab nations. Also Western countries maintained mutual and profitable relations with IRAQ. Iraq’s presence in the United Nations was held in esteem and it was involved with many international dealings, both financially and diplomatically.
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