Press Room

AAI in the News

Davidson 2

By Scott Jagow
WFAE News
Posted on Friday May 9, 2003

SCOTT JAGOW: YESTERDAY, STUDENTS AT DAVIDSON COLLEGE NEAR CHARLOTTE WATCHED THE FIRST TELEVISED DEBATE BETWEEN CITIZENS OF POST-WAR IRAQ. IT WAS THE 2ND TIME SINCE MARCH STUDENTS AT DAVIDSON HEARD DIRECTLY FROM THE PEOPLE OF BAGHDAD. WFAE’S SCOTT JAGOW REPORTS.

A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE WAR… DAVIDSON STUDENTS HOOKED UP VIA SATELLITE WITH A GROUP THE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF BAGHDAD.

THE IRAQI STUDENTS SPOKE ENGLISH AND VIGOROUSLY DEFENDED SADAAM HUSSEIN. AS IT TURNS OUT – MANY WERE THE CHILDREN OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. THIS TIME, THE BAGHDAD PARTICIPANTS WERE DIFFERENT – A RANDOM MIX OF CITIZENS RECRUITED DOOR-TO-DOOR. THROUGH AN INTERPRETER, MANY OPENLY CRITICIZED THE FORMER REGIME, BUT ALSO CALLED AMERICANS OCCUPIERS, NOT LIBERATORS. ONE WOMAN SAID THE PEOPLE OF BAGHDAD DIDN’T ASK TO BE FREED.

“Of course, we did not like the regime of Sadaam Hussein but we did not ask the Americans to come. What is the freedom you are speaking about? Now we are speaking uselessly. Now we are speaking but no one is listening to us.”

LISTENING TO THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEMS PLAGUING THEIR CITY. NO ELECTRICITY. NO WATER. AND RAMPANT LOOTING. THE PARTICIPANTS DIDN’T IDENTIFY THEMSELVES, BUT MANY CRITICIZED THE U.S. FOR WHAT THEY CALLED A LACK OF A POST-WAR PLAN. ONE WOMAN, WHO STILL HAD NO POWER, SAID HER LIFE WAS BETTER BEFORE THE WAR.

“The Americans came and invaded Iraq in three days and Destroyed Baghdad. They came with their planes, tanks, most developed Weapons, but now they cannot bring generators from the United States. To restore electricity to Baghdad? Is this too difficult to do?”

WHILE THE IRAQIS VENTED, THE DAVIDSON STUDENTS WATCHED AND LISTENED INTENTLY. SOME WERE SURPRISED AT THE ANTI-AMERICAN SENTIMENT. JUNIOR JOHN PITTS URGED IRAQIS TO BE PATIENT.

“It may be a little unrealistic to expect a military to complete its military work and provide humanitarian aid and do it all within a three week period.”

EVEN THE STUDENTS WHO CRITICIZED AMERICA’S POST-WAR OVERSIGHT SAID THE U.S. SHOULD STAY IN IRAQ FOR THE TIME BEING. SENIOR MATT HASTE SAID AMERICA OWES IRAQ SOMETHING.

“We have brought this country to knees. We have the responsibility to stay there until the Iraqi people are able to form their own government.”

BUT SOME OF THE BAGHDAD CITIZENS SAID THE U.S. SHOULD LEAVE NOW… OTHERS SAID THEY WERE WILLING TO WAIT. THROUGH A TRANSLATOR, ONE MAN URGED HIS FELLOW IRAQIS NOT TO RUSH TO JUDGEMENT.

“What did Sadaam Hussein do for three decades to the people of Iraq? He destroyed Iraq, he looted Iraq. He occupied Iraq. I would to ask the Iraqis to give Americans some time. They helped get rid of this cancer in the Iraqi body. I think with the help of God the situation will be restored.”

THERE WAS LITTLE OF THAT KIND OF OPTIMISM EXPRESSED BY THE IRAQI PEOPLE IN EITHER EXCHANGE WITH THE STUDENTS OF DAVIDSON COLLEGE. JAMES ZOGBY, THE HEAD OF ARAB-AMERICAN INSTITUTE, WHO MODERATED BOTH EVENTS, SAYS FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN AMERICANS AND IRAQIS IS STILL A WAYS OFF.

“Our perceptions haven’t changed, even though the war changed the government in Iraq. Our perceptions of each other are still somewhat the same. We’re still looking warily at each other as warily as we did before the war.”

ONE OF THE BAGHDAD PARTICIPANTS SAID HE WANTED TO SEE IRAQ AND THE U.S. FORGE A FRIENDSHIP… BUT FIRST, HE SAID, AMERICANS NEED TO REALIZE THEY CAN’T IMPOSE FREEDOM. THE VIDEOCONFERENCE WILL AIR ON ABU DHABI TELEVISION THIS SUNDAY.

FOR WFAE NEWS, I’M SCOTT JAGOW.