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Iraq resistance donkey to be lodged at Guantanamo, or turned into a spy?
By Abdul Hamid Ahmad
Gulf News Editor-in-Chief
26-11-2003
I see a donkey was arrested by US forces in Baghdad for its involvement in attacks on the Iraqi oil ministry and a hotel complex. The donkey, one of two involved in attacks by rockets mounted on donkey carts, appeared calm and composed although the guns of the occupation soldiers were trained on it.
The donkey reminded me of other donkeys involved in similar attacks in Lebanon and Palestine. It seems donkey attacks have become a popular form of Arab resistance. The strategy is some sort of legacy, handed down through the ages.
But it is amply evident that the Americans have no clue about this heritage, this legacy. Or they simply do not care. They came to Iraq and conquered its former regime with minimum effort. In time, however, they slid into a quagmire because they did not plan well and did not know how to deal with this complex scene. Hence, they committed mistakes. The resistance against them and terror acts against other Iraqis, therefore, can be justified.
Honour of being involved
As I looked at the picture of the arrested donkey it also reminded me of other donkeys, which had the honour of being involved in heroic resistance operations. Some of them weren't killed, others were captured. As for the Iraqi resistance donkey, its eyes seemed to reflect a child's innocence… Was it really innocent or an accomplice?
Of course, it was not innocent because it was caught red-handed as it pulled a cart laden with rockets, some of which were launched against targets.
But at least, the Americans now have a real suspect, seized red-handed, having failed to find other resistance fighters. As I looked at the picture, I wondered what the Americans would do to the donkey. Would they set it free because it is just a donkey, and knows nothing?
Perhaps, they would feed it first, as it looked pale and thin, ostensibly from the strain of dragging a heavy cart with missiles. Or, perhaps they would shoot the donkey as punishment for involvement in resistance operations – or terrorism, as Americans dub these acts.
But I believe the most likely option would be to subject the donkey to interrogation. It is unlikely they will release the animal or kill it before wresting precious information, so enabling them to tighten the noose around the Iraqi resistance.
The interrogators will face a real problem: communication. CIA and FBI investigators faced a language barrier when they interrogated Taliban and Al Qaida members in Afghanistan. That prompted the US to recruit a host of interpreters who could speak Arabic, Urdu, Pashtu…
Since we do not know who can communicate with a donkey to convey what it is thinking, most likely the Iraqi resistance donkey will be transported to Guantanamo.
There, it will wait until Americans can get interpreters or equipment to extract precious information. However, should the Americans think this way, it will be a waste of time… Even if they ship the donkey to Guantanamo, it will draw worldwide criticism, especially from those who defend animal rights, such as French actress Brigitte Bardot.
Do the Americans need to open new flanks and come under more criticism? I am confused about this donkey. But I would advise the Americans to learn the region's culture and secrets for better results.
It is known in our region that the donkey is a stupid animal, but it is also well known for its patience and perseverance. That means it can become clever if trained. It has the ability of knowing its way without being led and then remembering that route forever.
Definitely take the road
The Americans should exploit this talent. They should set it free and keep it under surveillance. The donkey will definitely take the road it came from and this will help the Americans trace the resistance, those who had recruited and trained the donkey.
US Intelligence, in collaboration with Iraqi agents, can do the surveillance. But it could be dangerous as they might be detected and hunted by Iraqi resistance fighters.
This means the Americans should resort to technology by using their satellites to spy on the donkey's movements to pinpoint the resistance's whereabouts. It could be a practical beginning to destroying the resistance.
Destruction of Iraqi resistance is now a priority for the Americans, even if it is done by donkey. After all, America's weapons failed to achieve their goal. The Americans could turn the donkey into an Intelligence agent who will help them to destroy the resistance.
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| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, like a Python. (Alquds,10/25/03). |
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