Website note:
The following
item is published on this website
without any guarantee as to its
veracity or accuracy, but in the
interests of free speech. Its
publication is not to be taken as
endorsing its content in any
way. Sunday, March 23, 2003 12:16 AM
Ibrahim
Alloush of the Free Arab Voice reports
on the battle news from Arab
sources. Dear Friends outside
the Arab World, IF YOU cannot receive
Arab satellite TV where you are, you are
probably feeling the pressures of American
psychological operations which have become
the most distinguishing feature of this
most recent aggression on Iraq.
Friends have asked me to report
regularly on what's going on because they
have no access to Arab satellite TV. The
following is a modest attempt to keep you
updated. I urge all those who have access
to Arab Satellite TV to also produce
English summaries of what they have been
seeing and hearing. 1) On Umm Al Qaser: Umm Al Qaser
is a port and a town. The port has been
designated as a demilitarized zone since
1991. While Al Jazeera has claimed that
Umm Al Qaser has fallen since Thursday,
American headquarters in Doha, Qatar have
only announced Saturday that Umm Al Qaser
has fallen 'completely'. This means the
port, not the town, according to these
sources, have fallen. On Al Jazeera, a few
dozen Iraqi troops have been shown with
very light armour in front of them.
Whether the video is true or not, what has
been presented shows only a few dozen with
only machine guns and RPG7's who seem to
have managed to fend off a whole battalion
of U.S. marines for at least 48 hours.
Still, there are reports about 'pockets of
resistance' in the town of Umm Al Qaser,
as opposed to the demilitarized port.
Otherwise, there has not been any footage
of marines in the town of Umm Al Qaser
itself so far. 2) On the alleged surrender of
the 51 infantry division of the Iraqi
army: no such thing happened according to
Iraqi sources. In fact, there are supposed
to be eight to nine thousand in that
division. Where are they? Where are their
photos surrendering? There is not even
fake footage of that alleged surrender.
Plus, if that division has surrendered,
and it was supposed to be protecting Al
Basra, why are coalition forces currently
bombarding Al Basra and killing dozens of
civilians there? In fact, Al Basra is
still holding steadfast so far, despite
the fact that electricity and water have
been shut off. Tommy Franks said he wanted
civilians in Al basra to revolt, and he
seems to believe that shutting off water
and electricity, in addition to killing
them with bombs and rockets, will get them
to do that! But he has not even mentioned
that Al Basra has already fallen. Indeed,
he was urging people in Al Basra to rise
up, which shows that it is still holding
steadfast. As for the Iraqi division that
supposedly surrendered, can we see some
footage of that please? I am sure
Hollywood can put a better version of such
mass surrender if you give them some time. 3) On American and British
losses: So far, there has been reports
about the Iraqis killing four or five
marines in an ambush, and capturing a
chopper pilot and his aide. Otherwise, all
reports of Iraqi losses are civilian in
nature. Obviously, throwing hundreds of
rockets on civilian targets is bound to
produce such a result, but what does that
prove?! Plus, is it possible that American
and British troops fought hard for two
days in Umm Al Qaser while suffering only
one casualty according to what they have
claimed?! 4) Don't worry if open Iraqi spaces
fall in American and British hands. The
Iraqis are not fighting a conventional war
here. Control of the desert or of isolated
towns doesn't prove anything about how
well the Anglo-American campaign is going.
What really matters in this campaign is
how well Anglo-American aggressors are
able to take over and keep inhabited
areas. So far, NONE
of that has happened. Plus, the real
battles are going to take place around
Baghdad and in the middle of Iraq, not in
the open desert near the Jordanian or
Saudi borders or in demilitarized ports. Keep the hope alive. This battle is
mostly about not believing enemy
propaganda and exposing its lies. The
Iraqis have not collapsed, and seem poised
to inflict heavy causalties on the
invaders. Iraq is holding steadfast still,
and the battle has just begun. The
invaders are in for big surprises here.
Iraq is not Afghanistan. Ibrahim
Alloush |