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Wall Street Journal – September 10, 2002
By Zainab Al-Suwaij
On Thursday, President Bush will take his case for international action against Iraq to the United Nations. But while he has declared his desire for
a regime change in the country, he has been vague about any specific plans
for overthrowing Saddam Hussein. His ambiguous position has sparked a
national debate on the threat of Iraq's weapons arsenal, the potential
casualties of an armed conflict, and the impact of a new war in the Arab
world.
But, while overdue, the discussion ignores one key fact: In 1991, the U.S.
made a promise to the people of Iraq about Saddam Hussein. Over a decade
later, America has yet to make good on its word.
After driving Saddam's army from Kuwait, President George H. W. Bush,
encouraged by his national security advisers, called on the Iraqi people to
rise up and liberate their country. I, along with millions of other Iraqis,
heeded his call. We had been suffering under a police state for years, and
were desperate to breathe free. The promise of U.S. support was all the encouragement we needed. Within days, a popular uprising had liberated 15 of
Iraq's 18 provinces.
But as Saddam Hussein's remaining forces regrouped outside Iraq's newly free
cities, President Bush broke his promise. No Black Hawk helicopters or F-16s
swooped in to protect us from Republican Guard tanks. Thousands upon
thousands of Iraqis who had just taken up arms for freedom suddenly found
themselves executed in the street, tortured in actual human meat grinders,
or, for the lucky few, driven into hiding.
Then, there was no national discussion. President Bush feared the
instability of an Iraq without Saddam Hussein, and the American public was
content with a job well done in Kuwait. Better to focus on U.N. weapons
inspections than to consider the terrible impact of promising freedom in the
Arab world without delivering.
Americans may forget President Bush's pledge, but Iraqis do not. The crushed
intifada -- the word Iraqis use today for the 1991 uprising -- has come to
represent the U.S.'s unpaid debt to the people of Iraq. Iraqis who took
America seriously remain scarred and skeptical, even as the son of President
Bush talks again about toppling Saddam.
Still, the Iraqi uprising did reveal how American leadership can release a
repressed impulse for freedom in the Middle East. For years, Saddam Hussein
tried to reinforce his rule with propaganda in schools, the media, and even
the religious establishment. But when urged to rise up, the Iraqi people
responded with remarkable enthusiasm, shattering the fascade Saddam had
created.
Americans do not understand how badly Iraqis have suffered, and how eager
they are to be rid of the tyrant who rules them. I recently spoke with a
peace activist who opposes U.S. action on Iraq. "Is Saddam really that bad?"
she asked. "On TV, I always see Iraqis marching in the streets against the
U.S."
I explained how we were forced to attend pro-Saddam marches as part of
school. Those who tried to run away were beaten by the police. I also told
her the story of how one of my classmates in third grade made the mistake of
saying that Iran was not so bad. The girl disappeared one week later and
never returned. From an early age, we learned that we were prisoners in our
own country.
Recalling the terror of growing up under Saddam Hussein also reminded me of
how wonderful the first days of the uprising felt. Responding to the call of
President Bush, Iraqis filled the streets and began to demonstrate. I was
only 20 and a woman, but I rushed to join the crowd.
I saw in people's eyes that day a joy I had never seen before. Bullets from
the army whizzed by, but it was like a wedding celebration. Everyone wanted
to play a part in this first step toward freedom. We were risking death but
enjoying every second.
It was the only time I saw Iraqis act with happiness and pride. Our lives at
that moment meant being able to live as free human beings. Little did we
know that this was only a bloody dress rehearsal, that real liberation would
have to wait. Little did I know that I would have to flee and live in
hiding for months.
The scars of betrayal have not healed. Last time, the Iraqis started the
uprising and America promised to help finish it. Today, America will have to
take the first step. But the good news is that I guarantee the Iraqis will
make sure the job gets finished this time.
As an American citizen and a survivor of the Iraqi uprising, I call upon the
American people to remember the promise our president once made. As we
continue our national debate about Iraq, the real question is not whether to
liberate Iraq, but why we have not done so already.
Ms. Al-Suwaij is executive director of the American Islamic Congress.
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