Views of Iraq by Iraqis

Jeff Jarvis rounds up Iraqi blogs, including this from Alaa:

I hope you all realize that a major objective of the enemy is to produce defeatism in the U.S. and allied nations home front, counting on the democratic process to force the hand of policy makers. The War in fact never stopped from the first day of the fall of the Icon....

One thing is fundamental though: Once you start exercising firmness it will be disastrous if you falter and show weakness again. Diplomacy and politics are essential of course, but the arguments of the strong are always much more convincing.

I'll second that.

It's still disheartening to read posts this one from Raed Jarrar citing Al Jazeera. I suppose that it's shaming to Iraqis to see American infidels in charge of their country, as Zeyad commented after Saddam was captured. I can understand those feelings, but I also wish that Arabs would learn that there's a difference between Americans of today and the British and French colonialists of the 19th century. If you took a poll of Americans today, I'll bet it would show that Americans would like it better if we didn't have any troops anywhere overseas. I hate to read about any Marine, Sailor, Soldier or Airman dying at the hands of punks like the fedayeen or the Mahdi militia who have more ammunition than sense, but I believe that if there is any hope for a civil society there, it depends on our resolve in the face of losses.