Democracy, Whiskey & Sexy.

[Gonz]

Gonzo Propaganda

Are they glad we came? HELL YES. Now, to keep our word (after taking Baghdad, that is)

Najaf, which has a population of about 560,000, is the biggest Iraqi city U.S. troops have entered and taken some measure of control. For the world's nearly 120 million Shiite Muslims, Najaf is also the third holiest city, behind Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, and a place that coalition forces approached with care. But the environment turned friendly as the Americans took charge of some neighborhoods.

USAToday

The Iraqis wanted "to see what the soldiers were trying to do," Danilenko said. "Most were polite, saying hello or yelling, 'Good, good' or 'Saddam bad. Saddam bad.' "

A crowd of Iraqis surrounded the troops when the convoy stalled.

The gathering swelled to about 100 civilians, many jumping up and down and cheering in a scene of friendly chaos, Danilenko said.

CNN

What, the man was asked, did he hope to see now that the Baath Party had been driven from power in his town? What would the Americans bring?

"Democracy," the man said, his voice rising to lift each word to greater prominence. "Whiskey. And sexy!"

Around him, the crowd roared its approval. Yet when the first round of welcomes to American soldiers and journalists were exuberantly, even affectionately completed, the people in the crowd had a more urgent request than liquor. They wanted water.

NYTimes

 

[Gonz]

smartest thing rupert murdoch ever said

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch said Wednesday Americans have an inferiority complex about the world's opinion and that Iraqis eventually will welcome U.S. troops as liberators.

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