[PEN-L:36017] Iraqi "extremists" and "fanatics"

[Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Last night there was a strategy meeting of the British military leadership
in Qatar. They were reported to be very worried. They had not anticipated
Baath party "fanatics" and "extremists".

This insulting terminology for the dominant social formation in Iraq,
whatever its failures, shows how disastrously wrong the strategic
intelligence of the hegemons may be. The Baath party will be the
intellectual cream of Iraqi society. Skilled not only in saying the right
things, but skilled in managing their relations with the rest of the
society, skilled at maintaining their influence and dominance.

If they have avoided excesses in the last ten years as well they might, to
keep the population loyal through the privations of sanctions, then they
could be a most determined guerrila resistance force, rivaling the maquis,
intimately knowing who to trust throughout their local community as well as
being able to threaten to punish traitors.

Really to call the dominant political force in Iraqi society extremists
shows they really do not understand Iraqi society. That is probably going
to be disastrous for them, unless they can get mass surrenders very quickly.

How little our media tell us about what actually happens at these Iraqi
meetings where the only object of western interest is the colour of
Saddam's moustache and which son is with him today, or was it yesterday.

The leadership of the hegemons are going into a war with a society they
understand as little as the US understood Somalia!!

Chris Burford
London