IRAQ: Residents of Baghdad reflect on the 9/11 attacks that led to the invasion of their country

Record ID: 789185

  • Title: IRAQ: Residents of Baghdad reflect on the 9/11 attacks that led to the invasion of their country
  • Date: 12th September 2006
  • Summary: (BN11) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (FILE, 2006) (REUTERS) U.S. STRYKER IN STREET OF BAGHDAD'S AL-DOURA DISTRICT/ HELICOPTERS FLYING OVER U.S. SOLDIERS ON FOOT PATROL OF STREETS OF AL-DOURA DISTRICT U.S. STRYKER VEHICLES AND SOLDIERS PATROLLING AREA (BN11) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (SEPTEMBER 9, 2006) (REUTERS) PEOPLE IN AL-SHAHBANDER CAFE IN BAGHDAD (SOUNDBITE)(Arabic), UNIDENTIFIED BAGHDAD CITIZEN, SAYING: "The main objective of the September 11 attacks was the control of fuel and other resources, the creation of new markets in which to sell the goods of the capitalist countries, as well as the exploitation of our riches. That was the main reason for this operation." (BN11) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (FILE, 2006) (REUTERS) AMBULANCE SPEEDING DOWN STREET CAR ON FIRE AND SMOKE BILLOWING CAR ON FIRE, SMOKE AND BODIES ON SCENE (BN11) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (SEPTEMBER 9, 2006) (REUTERS) MAN SMOKING WATER-PIPE INAL-SHAHBANDER CAFE IN BAGHDAD/ PEOPLE IN CAFE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BAGHDAD RESIDENT, SAYING: "America has benefited from this case (September 11 events) at the expense of the American people. It is true that 3600 or 4000 people died and its (U.S.) economy was hurt, but it has benefited from the event at the expense of the American people and the Islamic world because they (U.S. administration) took it as a pretext to hit Afghanistan and target Iraq. It was the start of a major project in the region, especially in the Middle East region, where most countries are Muslim." (BN11) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (FILE, 2006) (REUTERS) HOSPITAL WARD AND MEDICS TREATING WOUNDED WOUNDED MAN WITH BANDAGED HEAD AND BLOODY FACE AND CHEST (BN11) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (SEPTEMBER 9, 2006) (REUTERS) STREET SCENE IN BAGHDAD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MUSA MOHAMMED, RESEARCHER, SAYING: "Civilised nations can not accept attacks on any country. The events of September 11 were used as a pretext to attack and invade secure countries without any evidence. I don't the international community finds that acceptable." (BN11) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (FILE, 2006) (REUTERS) PEOPLE GATHERING ROUND BODIES CRYING COVERED BODIES ON STREET (BN11) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (SEPTEMBER 9, 2006) (REUTERS) SALEH AL-MUTLAQ, IRAQI SUNNI POLITICIAN AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, READING PAPERS IN HIS OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SALEH AL-MUTLAQ, SAYING: "September 11 provided justification, for those who were already planning to invade Iraq, to go ahead with their plans and implement invasion in the set period. Anyone who believes that weapons of mass destruction were the reason for Iraq's invasion is mistaken because the U.S. administration has discovered that there are no weapons of mass destruction. Anyone who believes that the reason was a link between the regime and al-Qaeda is also mistaken because the absence of a connection has been proven by the U.S. administration itself. Anyone who thinks that the reason was to topple Saddam Hussein and introduce democracy is mistaken because the evidence has shown that we did not achieve true democracy." STREET SCENE IN BAGHDAD
  • Embargoed: 27th September 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA75P8I3NEFN9VXX696J105G8B0
  • Story Text: Five years after al-Qaeda's attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001, many Iraqis view the 9/11 attacks as having had a negative impact on their lives.
    In 2003, the Bush administration spearheaded an invasion of Iraq claiming that Saddam Hussein's regime was developing weapons of mass destruction and that it had possible links with al-Qaeda .
    Five years on, no WMDs have been found, U.S. troops are still battling an insurgency and Iraq is on the brink of a bloody sectarian civil war.
    Most Iraqis consider that the 9/11 attacks were used as a pretext for the invasion of their oil-rich country, some even believe that the attacks were engineered by the U.S. administration itself in order to sway public opinion in favour of reshaping the balance of power in the Middle East.
    "The main objective of the September 11 attacks was the control of fuel and other resources, the creation of new markets in which to sell the goods of the capitalist countries, as well as the exploitation of our riches. That was the main reason for this operation," said one customer in the popular al-Shahbander cafe in Baghdad.
    "America has benefited from this case (September 11 events) at the expense of the American people. It is true that 3600 or 4000 people died and its (U.S.) economy was hurt, but it has benefited from the event at the expense of the American people and the Islamic world because they (U.S. administration) took it as a pretext to hit Afghanistan and target Iraq. It was the start of a major project in the region, especially in the Middle East region, where most countries are Muslim," said Ali, another Baghdad.
    Some of the views of the people on the street are also shared by some top government officials.
    Iraqi Sunni politician Saleh al-Mutleq of the Iraqi National Dialogue Front said that the U.S. government used flawed information to bolster its case for war.
    "September 11 provided justification, for those who were already planning to invade Iraq, to go ahead with their plans and implement invasion in the set period. Anyone who believes that weapons of mass destruction were the reason for Iraq's invasion is mistaken because the U.S. administration has discovered that there are no weapons of mass destruction. Anyone who believes that the reason was a link between the regime and al-Qaeda is also mistaken because the absence of a connection has been proven by the U.S. administration itself. Anyone who thinks that the reason was to topple Saddam Hussein and introduce democracy is mistaken because the evidence has shown that we did not achieve true democracy," said Mutleq, who is also a member of parliament.
    On Friday (September 9) U.S. President George Bush was accused by Democrats of deliberately misleading the public in the run-up to "Operation Iraqi Freedom", after the Senate's Intelligence Committee released a 2005 CIA report indicating that the U.S. government had no evidence of formal links between former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda leaders.
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