Sean Penn - Iraqi Style

Sean Penn - Iraqi Style

COMMENTARY / 2nd act A year later, Sean Penn returns to Iraq and files a personal, candid report from the front

For Iraqis, there was no pro-war or anti-war movement last spring when the United States invaded their country. That, in their view, was a predominantly Western debate. They're used to war; they're used to gunshots. What's new is this tiny seed and taste of freedom. It is a compelling experience to have been in Baghdad just one year ago, where not a single Iraqi expressed to me opinions outside Baathist party lines, and just one year later, when so many express their opinions and so many opinions compete for attention. Where the debate is similar to that in the United States is over the way in which the business of war will administer the opportunity for peace and freedom, and the reasonable expectation of Iraqi self-rule.

Even Penn admits that what was seen and reported a year ago was false - Baathist imposed opinions, deviation from which would end in your death. This freedom he mentions, I wonder if he still thinks that freeing the Iraqi's from Saddam was a bad thing per se. We'll see as this report continues tomorrow.

This is an occupied country. A country at war. Many Iraqis I speak to tell me there is no freedom in occupation, nor trust in unilateral intervention. People from all sides of the debate acknowledge that the insurgency movement builds every day in manpower and organizational strength. The insurgents are made up of Saddam loyalists, displaced Sunni elite, resentful victims of U.S. raids, the Fedayeen, foreign terrorist cells and of course many of Hussein's soldiers, who, as participants in the Baathist regime, were sent home with their weapons and told, "You'll never work in this town again." The Iraqis I speak to say that the U.S. policy of de-Baathification is devoid of consideration of long-term goals, human nature and Arab culture and thus could ignite a powder keg.

Doesn't the first line here, the one about "no freedom in occupation", contradict what he said in the immediately preceeding paragraph? Also, "many Iraqis" implies that others he spoke to, yet did not mention, felt differently. Perhaps they felt relief and joy at liberation? As for the insurgency building in men and power everyday, well, seems that every day we also here about some terrorist guerillas being captured or killed, routed, blown up (by us or by themselves), etc. etc. etc.

All in all, this piece surprised me. Penn was much more thoughtful and well-spoken (did he have a ghost writer?) than I expected. The feel of the piece was negative in general (IMO) but maybe, just maybe he is beginning to understand the necessity of the US' actions.