World Demonstrations Strengthen Iraqis

excerpt: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=32681

"Your demonstrations are a great help for Iraq and for justice, and thank you so much for this help," Zainab Rahman said, as if addressing the demonstrators.

The Muslim Scholars Association, a group representing Sunni Muslims in Iraq, issued a statement contesting Bush's claims of ongoing progress in Iraq.

"Three years ago the U.S. and UK forces came from across the world to occupy Iraq without reason and without respecting UN and the Security Council decisions," the Association said. "Now, after three years you can see how the Iraq situation is very bad, and we don't know what kind of help we can get from occupation."

With the third anniversary come and past, Iraqis are still looking for basic services such as electricity and clean water.

In January and February, Baghdadis could only count on three to five hours of electricity a day. This has improved to an average of perhaps seven hours of electricity on a given day.

Asa'ad is one of many Baghdadis increasingly frustrated by the services situation in the capital. He is heartened, however, by the understanding of demonstrators around the world.

"I can't thank them enough because they feel for Iraq and Iraqi peoples' suffering. We will do the same if anything bad happens to any of these countries, to share their feelings as they do now and because we are human and we must all feel for each other."

I found another article once about them discussing Sheehan's plea.

I recall, about 3 years ago. The worldwide demonstrations. People standing up everywhere, from Antarctica to Guatemala, to protest this war.

Al Franken said that it was the "biggest demonstrations in history". I've been so upset these past 3 years, that I forgot that the Iraqis must have seen these demonstrations, too.

I guess it wasn't a waste, after all. They know most of us we didn't want this.