Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
From what I can see on the videos, they were living a good life and looked like the typical life in the US and Europe. Sad how backwards they have become. I wonder if it could ever be like they once were?
The US is largely responsible for their regression; supporting the Afghan mujaheddin, suborning Iraq's invasion of Iran and the ensuing catastrophic war, attacking Iraq twice and deposing their secular government...if they ever return to modernity it will most likely not be with our help.
The US is largely responsible for their regression; supporting the Afghan mujaheddin, suborning Iraq's invasion of Iran and the ensuing catastrophic war, attacking Iraq twice and deposing their secular government...if they ever return to modernity it will most likely not be with our help.
I think the Communist dictatorship and the Soviet Invasion played at least as much of a role as the US funding the Mujaheddin. That's like saying the Soviets were responsible for America in Vietnam.
Saddam is to blame for Iraq's sorry state. He took it upon himself to try and invade Iran. It should also be noted he was backed the US, the USSR, France, the UK, South Africa, and China at the time. Seeing as how he had the backing of both NATO and the Eastern Bloc, it's not something you can lay entirely on the US. Also, why did the US invade Iraq the first time around? Because innocent little Saddam decided to invade Kuwait and he ended up having a good portion of the world come over and kick his ass.
I'm sure your next thread will be titled saint sadaam never gets a break or something along those lines. You folks are so twisted out of your minds at some propoganda flicks it's hilarious. Oh I guess a guy like old sadaam taking power and killing all his enemies and their families to boot so there would be no revenge killing years later is the "good life" to you? Oh then gassing the Kurds.
It goes to say that the secular liberalism of the 1960's in the Moddle East was replaced by a conservative, fanatically religious element oft propped up by US interests only concerned with the PR of beating back the soviets than a long term strategy in the Middle East that would assure these radical elements would not be given the time of day.
It goes to say that the secular liberalism of the 1960's in the Moddle East was replaced by a conservative, fanatically religious element oft propped up by US interests only concerned with the PR of beating back the soviets than a long term strategy in the Middle East that would assure these radical elements would not be given the time of day.
That doesn't explain what happened in Iran. The US in that case supported the Shah which was opposed to Islamic Fundamentalism which of course lead to a backlash which the US will be blamed for as well. It's damned if it does and damned if it doesn't...
A good portion of what's going in the Muslim world can be explained by the Muslim Brotherhood, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iran (at least since the 1980s). Almost all terrorism and Fundamentalism can be traced those four.
While the US did support the Mujahedin in Afghanistan, the US mostly support Tajik groups which were lead by Ahmad Shah Massoud who remained an ally of the US until he was killed by Al Qaeda on September 9th 2001. Notice the date he was killed and who killed him. Massoud group was also known as the Northern Alliance which is the Coalition's main Afghan allies in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani intelligence service (ISI) supported the Pashtun groups (which made up the majority of the Taliban) and supported framing the fight against the Soviets as a jihad as to merely fighting a foreign invader. The Saudis also contributed to the radicalization of the Pashtun by funding Islamic "charities" and supplying extremist Imams for the madrassas in the Afghan refugee camps. Both the Saudis and the ISI recruited, funded, trained, and armed various foreign fighters from across the Islamic world to go and fight in Afghanistan. These were known as the "Afghanis" and included such people as Osama bin Laden, the Algerians who founded the GIA, and other radical Islamists.
From what I can see on the videos, they were living a good life and looked like the typical life in the US and Europe. Sad how backwards they have become. I wonder if it could ever be like they once were?
Baghdad
Iraq
Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Pretty sad, really.
I watched the entire videos on Iraq - the first one is a Jewish Wedding, the second is probably also a Jewish private home swimming party. I found the original posting of the Wedding - all but one of the comments are in Arabic, but the English comment explains what is going on. Title is Baghdad Twist by Joe Balas
ghassan hami4 years ago
Twist again like we did last summer. How beautiful were those times back then. The good jews of Baghdad at a wedding. How classy and fashionable 50 years ago and look where we are today. When the Jews left and when Cristans started immigrating in masses things went to hell. Until Iraqis learn tolerance again it will continue its downward spiral. So bad.
This was before the 1967 War against Israel when there was still a Christian and Jewish community in Iraq. You will note that none of the men are bearded, there is only one wedding guest who is obviously a Muslim (he is wearing a turban) and they are dancing the Twist - the music in the video would not have been the music playing at the wedding.
These pictures are not even close to how the majority of people in Iraq were living at the time. The 1960's were very turbulent with the overthrow of the Hashemite King in Iraq and the rise of Ba'athism and Communist supported political groups. This time period was not so much about Religion as it was about Politics and the rise of Political parties in the Mid-East. And YES, they have moved backwards - but it really had nothing to do with US Policy at that particular time.
Iraq is a country that was drawn on a map by people who never lived there and had no real understanding of the dynamics. Mid East countries are more about Tribe & Clan than they are about un-natural boundaries and even religion. The same is true today - the area that ISIS/ISIL/IS has claimed match an area that was a Tribal holding called the Syrian Desert that pre-dates Saladin (who was the one that finally controlled the area now held by ISIS/ISIL/IS.
They have been in a constant state of war (Afghanistan) since the Cold War thanks to Warmongers in Russia and the US.
If we had been in a constant state of war with just our guns and close members to defend ourselves and no Big Government with bombs to help like they did, you would see a big cultural shift here as well.
It would redefine us and we would have to in order to survive.
I think the Communist dictatorship and the Soviet Invasion played at least as much of a role as the US funding the Mujaheddin. That's like saying the Soviets were responsible for America in Vietnam.
Saddam is to blame for Iraq's sorry state. He took it upon himself to try and invade Iran. It should also be noted he was backed the US, the USSR, France, the UK, South Africa, and China at the time. Seeing as how he had the backing of both NATO and the Eastern Bloc, it's not something you can lay entirely on the US. Also, why did the US invade Iraq the first time around? Because innocent little Saddam decided to invade Kuwait and he ended up having a good portion of the world come over and kick his ass.
The US was finding the opposition group that led to the revolt that drew the Soviet in. It was a typical proxy war and the guilt that both the Soviets and the US had is substantial all over the world.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
