"DISTINCTLY POSITIVE"?
InstaPundit says this long report from Iraq "offers a distinctly positive view of the situation there." I beg to differ. The report is certainly pro-American, a striking fact since the author started as an anti-war activist. But he doesn't paint a happy picture of conditions in Iraq.
The greatest fear of the man on the street is that the Americans will tire and leave. "We pray that they stay and stay forever" is the feeling of the vast majority, but they look both ways before they say it.
Why? The answer is quite simple. The following is the translation of a letter being given out throughout Iraq in various forms.
"'In the name of God the most merciful and compassionate'
"Do not adorn yourselves as illiterate women before Islam (From the Koran)
to this noble family,
We hope that the family will stand with brothers of Islam and follow the basic Islamic rules of wearing the veil and possessing honorable teachings of Islam that the Muslims have continued to follow from old times.
We are the Iraqi people, the Muslim people and do not accept any mistakes.
If not, and this message will be final, we will take the following actions:
1. Doing what one cannot endure (believed to be rape)
2. Killing
3. Kidnapping
4. Burning the house with its dwellers in it or exploding it.
This message is directed to the women of this family.
Signed."
This message from a Shiite Islamic organization says it all and explains in a nutshell why, though finally liberated, the Iraqi people still live in fear.
That's "distinct," but I wouldn't call it "positive." I'd call it bone-chillingly scary. But what do I know? I'm just a dumb blonde New York Times writer. Moral of the story: Read the whole thing.