Fascinating:

I was a naive fool to be a human shield for Saddam

We just sat, listening, our mouths open wide. Jake, one of the others, just kept saying, "Oh my God" as the driver described the horrors of the regime. Jake was so shocked at how naive he had been. We all were. It hadn't occurred to anyone that the Iraqis might actually be pro-war.

The driver's most emphatic statement was: "All Iraqi people want this war." He seemed convinced that civilian casualties would be small; he had such enormous faith in the American war machine to follow through on its promises. Certainly more faith than any of us had.

Perhaps the most crushing thing we learned was that most ordinary Iraqis thought Saddam Hussein had paid us to come to protest in Iraq. Although we explained that this was categorically not the case, I don't think he believed us. Later he asked me: "Really, how much did Saddam pay you to come?"

And you have to love this epiphany:

Anyone with half a brain must see that Saddam has to be taken out. It is extraordinarily ironic that the anti-war protesters are marching to defend a government which stops its people exercising that freedom.

It is remarkable that the guy practically had to be hit over the head to see the obvious. And he is a journalist. It is utterly remarkable, the degree to which one can be blind to the facts plainly in front of one's face. (Hat Tip to PoliticaObscura via The Command Post.

Posted by Steven Taylor at March 23, 2026 07:54 AM | TrackBack