Abbas responds

"The Iraqi official TV (al-Iraqiyya) displayed some carnage in a Shi'i mosque (husayniyyat al-Mustafa) where the men inside claim that US and Iraqi forces attacked the place during a service held for the anniversary of the Prophet's death. A man said that the attacking forces used excessive force and killed many people, including the custodian and some worshippers."
Abbas Kadhim

Abbas has also answered my comments on his last post

Hi Tom,
Glad that you continue to check in often.

I talk about oranges and you talk about apples. I do agree with your point on the repressive nature of the state in Saddam'e days. I lived through that and know it first hand. but let me remind you that Iraqis are losing up to 100 people a day as we speak. If this rate continues in the same random manner, Saddam's days will look like a piece of cake. I am sure you agree.

The point of this war -- according to the latest given rationale -- is to make things better for Iraqis. Iraq now has the same level of corruption, if not more than what was in Saddam's days; the same level of loss in Iraqi lives, if not more; and, yes, I stand by my statement: in the 24 years I lived in Iraq I never feared to be attacked on the street, kidnapped, or harmed in anyway in a day or a night at the hands of terrorists, foreign fighters or common criminals.

It seems that we told Saddam: We see your corrupt government and raise you complete chaos and lawlessness.

I don't understand, nor do I accept, the mindset that considers criticizing the current disgraceful conditions in Iraq as a tribute to Saddam's time. Far from it. The first step toward making a difference in Iraq is to rise above any comparison with Saddam, no matter what the outcome of such comparison might be.

p.s. I am interested to see that you focused on the quote from the minister of interior (a Shi'i) and ignored the similar quote from the minister of defense who is a Sunni and is not accused of abuses. He said the same thing."
Abbas Kadhim

My first comment is that I was not chastising him about the criticizing the current situation, nor was it my intent to accuse him of "tribute to Saddam's time.". After reading the comments and thinking about the current state of affairs here in the US, I think I understand why he took it that way, but that was never my intent. When I said "

"If I did not know better I would swear Abbas has been reading my blog. :) needless to say I agree with much of what he said, not all mind you"

I was agreeing with his criticisms of the current situation on the ground "complete chaos and lawlessness." does not seem strong enough to characterize what Iraq is going through now. My objections come from the fact that your essay was for a ME audience and was published in a ME paper were the readers are regularly treated to pieces like This brought to us through the work of another great Iraq blogger IraqiPundit and where you would seem to be adding to the dictator worship of the region. This was what I took from your piece and this mindset was what I was trying to oppose.

PS wouldn't it be easier if you just open you comments again