Ugandans discuss Iraq war
Mar 25, 2003
Last Saturday, President Museveni chaired a cabinet meeting in which he made an official statement declaring Uganda’s support for the war against Iraq. Here’s what Ugandans on the New Vision website say
Last Saturday, President Museveni chaired a cabinet meeting in which he made an official statement declaring Uganda’s support for the war against Iraq. Here’s what Ugandans on the New Vision website say
We should not support the war. It is a very bad experience for the soldiers, civilians and everybody. A number of lives are perishing right now, orphans left behind, civilians displaced, economic wealth destroyed. Stop the war! Many of those supporting the war have not experienced it themselves. It is an awful thing. It touches the most sacred of our possessions, “Life.â€
Kizito H. S.
********
The US has, in the past, used the “threat of communism†and “support of democracy†as excuses to remove governments it is opposed to.
Saddam was no angel when the US armed and supported him against Iran, and he is no worse now than he was then. Similarly, the Taliban / Osama bin Laden were no angels when the US supported and armed them against the USSR. Regime change in Iraq is not being undertaken by the US because George Bush Jr loves the Iraqi people.
I am opposed to Hussein without necessarily supporting the American Government or their motives.
Michael Emorioit
********
America has no friends. Today they are your friends; tomorrow your enemies. This is what they are exactly doing to Saddam. But Americans do not have a big deal helping Ugandans. All they do is to pretend to be doing so, use Uganda for their own purposes, and thereafter dump them. Should there be any conflict, I swear Uganda will suffer.
Only hypocrites pretend not to support the war, then again proclaim their support. What Minister Butime said not long ago contradicts the current situation of support. Support or not, Uganda will benefit nothing but increased political and economic troubles.
I wish Uganda prosperity but the country must tread carefully on this foreign policy. ‘Let the devils fight their war’ alone.
Arapu Kawuse
********
Here is Uganda’s stand on the Iraq war:
Uganda owes Iraq money and they took us to the International Court.
Uganda is in Ituri DRC - to justify its presence in a foreign land, Uganda has a duty to support any aggression for any country to protect itself.
After Iraq, Sudan is on a list of nations like Syria, North Korea, and Iran seen by the CIA to be producing weapons of mass destruction. Uganda would be strategic to launch an onslaught on Sudan.
Edkay
********
As an American citizen and resident, I am completely ashamed and disgraced by my country’s aggression towards the people of Iraq. Don’t believe the clips you see on CNN, this is not a war of liberation; this is a war of Imperialism.
Americans have seized Iraqi oil fields. Where is the liberation? Iraqi people will now be living under a US military occupation, just like Afghanistan.
American stooges from London will run Iraqi oil for US corporations. America has enough oil in Alaska and Texas. Iraqi oil is just for greed.
American imperialism has to be stopped. I am working in the “belly of the beastâ€. If the US continues, the next stop will be Somalia and East Africa.
Carl Jackson
********
The war is justified. Weapons of mass destruction should not be in the possession of leaders who would pass them on to terrorists. Saddam used them on his own citizens and won’t care using them on outsiders. This war will check the source of supplies and training of terrorists. Uganda should stand firm and support the invasion. Forget about “international lawâ€. However, it should end quickly to limit the suffering of Iraqi people. God bless Iraq
Grace Okeng
I would be shocked if Uganda did not support the Iraq invasion.
However, it is not justified to do so because Uganda and Iraq are but in the same boat. Besides, America has vested interests in attacking Iraq.
America is not justified in interfering into the affairs of a sovereign state.
Who says the Iraqi people cannot do their own fighting? And is Iraq the only country with weapons of mass destruction? What happens to a clear-cut case like that of North Korea?
Why is America bent on diplomacy in that region? America is no saint or angel.
It has a record of using weapons of mass destruction. They should stop deceiving the world and say what it is they want from Iraq beside the so-called regime change.
Mercy
********
It is unfortunate that the ‘wrong’ people champion a good and justifiable war. British naivety and American hypocrisy have combined to make Saddam appear the victim in the ensuing melee.
Dodgy, anarchical leaders should, and must be removed (annihilated), no two ways about that. So many reasons for Saddam to go. The brute has been killing at will. That alone condemns him. Appeasing the Saddams is ignoring the cries and suffering of many who live under such despotic regimes.
The irony in all this is that vile leaders like Papa/Baby Doc, Idi Amin, Jean Badel Bokassa, Mugabe and Mobutu lasted and massacred while the hawks in Britain and US conveniently looked away.
That is why Dubya’s ‘road map’ looks dubious at best. Scepticism rears its ugly head whenever presidential speech writers coin catchy phrases - remember Reagan’s “constructive engagement†with apartheid?
Peter Senoga
********
Oil is the driving force behind this war.
If Iraq were not sitting on the second largest oil reserves on earth, America would not be invading it. I do not support the war.
Frank
Join the discussion on www.newvision.co.ug
Compiled by Vincent Mugaba
We should not support the war. It is a very bad experience for the soldiers, civilians and everybody. A number of lives are perishing right now, orphans left behind, civilians displaced, economic wealth destroyed. Stop the war! Many of those supporting the war have not experienced it themselves. It is an awful thing. It touches the most sacred of our possessions, “Life.â€
Kizito H. S.
********
The US has, in the past, used the “threat of communism†and “support of democracy†as excuses to remove governments it is opposed to.
Saddam was no angel when the US armed and supported him against Iran, and he is no worse now than he was then. Similarly, the Taliban / Osama bin Laden were no angels when the US supported and armed them against the USSR. Regime change in Iraq is not being undertaken by the US because George Bush Jr loves the Iraqi people.
I am opposed to Hussein without necessarily supporting the American Government or their motives.
Michael Emorioit
********
America has no friends. Today they are your friends; tomorrow your enemies. This is what they are exactly doing to Saddam. But Americans do not have a big deal helping Ugandans. All they do is to pretend to be doing so, use Uganda for their own purposes, and thereafter dump them. Should there be any conflict, I swear Uganda will suffer.
Only hypocrites pretend not to support the war, then again proclaim their support. What Minister Butime said not long ago contradicts the current situation of support. Support or not, Uganda will benefit nothing but increased political and economic troubles.
I wish Uganda prosperity but the country must tread carefully on this foreign policy. ‘Let the devils fight their war’ alone.
Arapu Kawuse
********
Here is Uganda’s stand on the Iraq war:
Edkay
********
As an American citizen and resident, I am completely ashamed and disgraced by my country’s aggression towards the people of Iraq. Don’t believe the clips you see on CNN, this is not a war of liberation; this is a war of Imperialism.
Americans have seized Iraqi oil fields. Where is the liberation? Iraqi people will now be living under a US military occupation, just like Afghanistan.
American stooges from London will run Iraqi oil for US corporations. America has enough oil in Alaska and Texas. Iraqi oil is just for greed.
American imperialism has to be stopped. I am working in the “belly of the beastâ€. If the US continues, the next stop will be Somalia and East Africa.
Carl Jackson
********
The war is justified. Weapons of mass destruction should not be in the possession of leaders who would pass them on to terrorists. Saddam used them on his own citizens and won’t care using them on outsiders. This war will check the source of supplies and training of terrorists. Uganda should stand firm and support the invasion. Forget about “international lawâ€. However, it should end quickly to limit the suffering of Iraqi people. God bless Iraq
Grace Okeng
I would be shocked if Uganda did not support the Iraq invasion.
However, it is not justified to do so because Uganda and Iraq are but in the same boat. Besides, America has vested interests in attacking Iraq.
America is not justified in interfering into the affairs of a sovereign state.
Who says the Iraqi people cannot do their own fighting? And is Iraq the only country with weapons of mass destruction? What happens to a clear-cut case like that of North Korea?
Why is America bent on diplomacy in that region? America is no saint or angel.
It has a record of using weapons of mass destruction. They should stop deceiving the world and say what it is they want from Iraq beside the so-called regime change.
Mercy
********
It is unfortunate that the ‘wrong’ people champion a good and justifiable war. British naivety and American hypocrisy have combined to make Saddam appear the victim in the ensuing melee.
Dodgy, anarchical leaders should, and must be removed (annihilated), no two ways about that. So many reasons for Saddam to go. The brute has been killing at will. That alone condemns him. Appeasing the Saddams is ignoring the cries and suffering of many who live under such despotic regimes.
The irony in all this is that vile leaders like Papa/Baby Doc, Idi Amin, Jean Badel Bokassa, Mugabe and Mobutu lasted and massacred while the hawks in Britain and US conveniently looked away.
That is why Dubya’s ‘road map’ looks dubious at best. Scepticism rears its ugly head whenever presidential speech writers coin catchy phrases - remember Reagan’s “constructive engagement†with apartheid?
Peter Senoga
********
Oil is the driving force behind this war.
If Iraq were not sitting on the second largest oil reserves on earth, America would not be invading it. I do not support the war.
Frank
Join the discussion on www.newvision.co.ug
Compiled by Vincent Mugaba