State Dept.:"We do believe that they are fundamentally better off than they were with Saddam"

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04200024.htm

<snip>

Annan also said in a BBC interview he agreed with Iraqis who believe life is worse now than it was under Saddam, an assessment rejected by the State Department.

Asked about Annan's comments, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters on Monday: "I think that fundamentally they and the world are better off ... despite the fact that you do see this terrible violence."

"We do believe that they are fundamentally better off than they were with Saddam Hussein in power," he said.

[drdtroit]

1. Sean, are you fuckin' nuts? n/t

:patriot:

[BeliQueen]

2. He said from his office in Foggy Bottom. n/t

[Amonester]

3. Still in the "State Of Denial"

(Our) Billions R still coming their way...

January 2007 only starts next month (sadly...).

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. Right on!

The people living there don't know what the hell they're talking about. They should listen to the US and not they're lying eyes.

[Subdivisions]

5. Continuing state of denial...n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

6. You mean like we're "fundamentally better off now" economically

than when Bill Clinton was president?

[Lerkfish]

7. "despite the fact that you do see this terrible violence"

well, yeah, except for that.

[Deep13]

8. Does that include the 600,000 dead civilians?

That's an estimate of deaths caused by the war. According to a survey at Johns Hopkins. The Lancet had estimated 130,000, but that was awhile ago.

[Deja Q]

9. Only if the Iraqi people take a stand in this as well.

Their hatred of the US isn't exactly unifying them... they just want to kill for the sake of it.


(meaning they were happy when Saddam was ousted. But they want the US to be their nanny as well. There comes a point when a person has to pull himself back up. And there are Democrats who say the same thing to their friends who end up falling down... )

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. he's right. REread what he said CAREFULLY.

the fundementalists are much better off.

[Prophet 451]

11. Really, really questionable

Under Hussein, brutal tyrant as he was, the violence was relatively limited. Now, it's freeform and expanding exponentially.

[stellanoir]

12. I dare him to say that to

this lady. . .

http://afamilyinbaghdad.blogspot.com

or river

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com

Faiza moved to Amman, Jordan but went back to Baghdad recently. She's a Shia married to a Sunni and had no clue that so many of her closest friends were Sunni until now.

Her middle child funnily calls himself a "Sushi."

Our ignorance of their long term secular culture only flamed the violance. It's tragically pathetic and sad really.

[whistle]

13. Assoholism is rampant throughout the Bush administration and all

...of their appointments

[seemslikeadream]

14. 2.3 million have fled the violence in Iraq

yea right, better off

[Fleshdancer]

15. riiight....because the State Dept cares sooo much about the Iraqi people

I have an idea...it's crazy, I know, but why don't we ask the actual Iraqi's if they are better off? Instead of talking for them or at them, perhaps the State Dept can start thinking of them as people with their own thoughts and ideas. I know I know...silly liberal talk. As for the world being better off, what does that even mean? When did starting wars suddenly become a global benefit? I guess I must have missed that memo. :eyes:

[Jacobin]

16. I think what matters is what the Iraqi people think, not KindaSleazy

Of course, they think things are much worse, so what the state department thinks, is, as usual meaningless

[Crunchy Frog]

17. If that's what they think, they should move there themselves.

Put their money where their mouths are, or shut the fuck up.

[indepat]

18. Disingenuous mendacious dishonest prevaricating lying sob imnsho