Iraqi blogger 24 Steps to Liberty is unhappy with Jafari:
Saddam Hussein came into power in the early 1970s as a vice president and stayed in power until the Iraqis allowed the United States Army to enter Iraq and help them to topple Hussein and his regime. Along the years Hussein was in power, he and his Baath party arranged demonstrations and rallies that forces people to go to the streets calling Hussein’s name and supporting him. Over the years, I’ve witnessed Baath party members come into classroom in schools and universities to lead the students to busses parked not far from the schools to take them to one street of Baghdad, usually was 14th of Ramadhan street, to go and chant “yes yes Saddam Hussein.†“we sacrifice our souls and blood for you, Saddam.†And “all Iraq chants, Saddam is the glory of the country.†And other stupid chants that are famous only in the Arab countries and other dictatorships in the world.
Yesterday, the same thing was repeated. In Babil province, south of Baghdad, people were led to the streets to chant Saddam-style slogans, but in Jafari’s name and in the UIA’s name. People went to the streets to show that they support Jafari and they want him to be the prime minister of the next government. But Jafari and his group didn’t play it well. Saddam was more convincing to the misinformed public. He took Iraqis from all the provinces to the streets to call and chant his name and for his support, while Jafari could only get poor people from Babil. And today he says he does what his people want.
What’s different about Iraqis being unhappy with their leaders? Under Saddam, there were no free expressions of displeasure available to you – not if you lived in Baghdad. Assuming an Iraqi was able to blog to begin with, a sentiment as expressed above would have been an almost certain death sentence.
Of course, there are still death sentences being carried out in Iraq, but Rule of Law is at least on the table now. It’s an idea waiting to blossom, I hope. Iraqi bloggers have an audience, and as the mainstream media continues irresponsible and inaccurate reporting, that audience will continue to grow.