Iraq Occupation: Like Ireland?

[K8-EEE]

I heard a guy on the radio who was an investigative journalist who had written many books on "the troubles" in Ireland.

He said in his opinion, the US invasion & occupation of Iraq is running an eerily similar course. Like most invasions, it was called a liberation and was hailed by some people in No. Ireland who felt the Brit troops would bring freedom from terrorists.

Of course, the Brits had a much easier time of it. First of all there were only like 600,000 of "them" to deal with, rather than 40 million. They spoke the same language and had more similar cultures and more familiarity. They thought it would be easy but didn't count on the guerilla thing, and guerilla activities seemed to become more frequent and more organized as time went buy, even as they arrested more and more top Irish "terrorists."

Basically he said that no foreign occupation force has ever been successful against guerilla warfare. Is that true? He sited several examples (the Russians in Afghanistan, Franch in Algiers, the US in Vietnam, the Brits in Ireland.)

I will try to dig up the link on this guy...trying to remember his name, he was really interesting!

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. Tim Pat Coogan?

{And is K8EEE a callsign?}

[K8-EEE]

3. No....I don't think that was it!! Still looking!

K8EEE is just my cutesy way of being Katie on DU, ha!

[K8-EEE]

5. Here It Is!

Ed Moloney! That's it...here's the link...I think it's interesting...just sort of his take on the whole thing given his experience with No Ireland.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/12/19/1728242&mode=thread&tid=25

[xray s]

2. Right invader, wrong invaded country

Our situation in Iraq is most like this piece of history...

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article1988.htm

The West has been Liberating the Middle East for Centuries
Will we never learn?

by Robert Fisk; UK Independent; March 07, 2003


ON 8 MARCH 1917, Lieutenant- general Stanley Maude issued a "Proclamation to the People of the Wilayat of Baghdad". Maude's Anglo-Indian Army of the Tigres had just invaded and occupied Iraq - after storming up the country from Basra - to "free" its people from their dictators. "Our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators," the British announced.

"People of Baghdad, remember for 26 generations you have suffered under strange tyrants who have ever endeavoured to set one Arab house against another in order that they might profit by your dissensions. This policy is abhorrent to Great Britain and her Allies for there can be neither peace nor prosperity where there is enmity or misgovernment."

General Maude, of course, was the General Tommy Franks of his day, and his proclamation - so rich in irony now that President George Bush is uttering equally mendacious sentiments - was intended to persuade Iraqis that they should accept foreign occupation while Britain secured the country's oil. General Maude's chief political officer, Sir Percy Cox, called on Iraq's Arab leaders, who were not identified, to participate in the government in collaboration with the British authorities and spoke of liberation, freedom, past glories, future greatness and - here the ironies come in spades - it expressed the hope that the people of Iraq would find unity.

[K8-EEE]

4. Oh def...

Oh yeah, I think that's why the UK are more suspicious they have BEEN THERE DONE THAT!! Remember Larry of Arabia saying -- the CONQUERING is easy -- the OCCUPYING is like eating pea soup with a knife. Or something to that effect.

I don't think he meant to imply it was MOST similar but rather that he is experiencing deja vus covering the Iraq war...oh grr, let me look at the Pacifica archives I think that's what station it was.

[pfitz59]

6. More like BOER War

Brit invasion of Transvaal and Orange Free State. Instead of oil they were after diamonds and gold.

[rman]

7. similar only in so far

that both are examples of colonialist behaviour.
Looking at the details, it's more like Israel/Palestine.