Lynching Saddam – Part 11: Juan Cole and the Vulture’s Song

Lynching Saddam – Part 11: Juan Cole and the Vulture’s Song

Christmas is over and the carols have now been replaced by the vulture’s song.

Juan Cole, Middle East “expert” and one of the great heroes of the Imperial anti-war movement, wrote on his Informed Comment:

Saddam Hussein, condemned to death and with all appeals exhausted, is trying to turn his death into a "sacrifice" for the Iraqi nation. In April 2003 Saddam was universally reviled but the country is now in such a horrible state that some Sunni Arabs do see Saddam as a symbol of the united Iraqi nation. Saddam, however, spoke in his typical racist way of the need to fight the “raiders and the Persians”, according to al-Hayat in Arabic (i.e. the Americans and the Shiites). Sadr Movement spokesmen demanded that he be executed on the eve of the Day of Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha)--i.e. this weekend. [emphasis added]

After indoctrinating his readers [“Saddam, however, spoke in his typical racist way…”] Juan Cole “translates” Saddam Hussein’s words’ “raiders and the Persians” with “the Americans and the Shiites”.

According to Juan Cole, Saddam Hussein would have made “racist” remarks against the Iraq’s Shiites and - since the situation on the ground in Iraq - called for sectarian violence.

In spite of his propagandistic tool [“Saddam, however, spoke in his typical racist way…”] Juan Cole of course knows perfectly well that Saddam Hussein has always called all Iraqis to unity and against sectarian violence. [Just to mention some of the most recent: read here and here ] This is how the British newspaper the Guardian reported the same Saddam Hussein’s letter:

"The enemies of your country, the invaders and the Persians, have found your unity a barrier between you and those who are now ruling you. Therefore, they drove their hated wedge among you (…) You have known your brother and leader as you have known your own family. He has not bowed down to the tyrants and remained a sword against them (…) Oh great people, I call on you preserve the values that enabled you to be worthy of carrying out shouldering the faith and to be the light of civilisation. Your unity stands against falling into servitude. (…) Oh brave, pious Iraqis in the heroic resistance. Oh sons of the one nation, direct your enmity towards the invaders. Do not let them divide you ... Long live jihad [holy war] and the mujahideen against the invaders."

There are no doubts on the meaning of Saddam Hussein’s words, so much so that the Guardian titled its piece: Saddam's 'final message' urges Iraqis to unite against US.

The “Persians” in Saddam Hussein’s letter is obviously not referred to the Shiites, but to the Iranians who have helped from the beginning the US in their destruction of Iraq.

Once again Juan Cole twists and manipulates facts and words to support his own political agenda. And the Imperial anti-war movement keeps applauding…