'Bush, Saddam should be mobbed to death'

'Bush, Saddam should be mobbed to death'

The U.S.-led war, which coincidentally started on the third week of the third month of the third year of the third millennium, has met with mounting protests from all over the world. Unfortunately, unconfirmed reports out of Iraq have said innocent civilians have been killed or injured as a result of the war. The Jakarta Post talked to some city residents for their comments on the war.

Fajar, 26, is unemployed and resides in Ciledug, Tangerang, with his family:

I am watching the war unfold on television. I can see how war destroys human civilization.

There are a lot of innocent civilians who are becoming war casualties.

I think Bush and Saddam should have a duel to the death. They should formally fight it out the old-fashioned way by choosing their guns, standing back to back and then walking several steps away from each other before turning and firing.

They are really stubborn, but they should not involve their citizens in their personal war. I'm sure that Bush is only taking over where his father left off, and exercising his father's revenge as he could not beat Saddam during his term in office.

I think gaining control of Iraq's energy resources has also motivated Bush to attack Iraq. That's his ultimate mission in this war.

In this respect, I don't think religion is the reason. It is rather a show of power to oust the Saddam regime.

Personally, I think the citizens of those countries should mob their presidents to death, because the leaders' pride and misdeeds have led them to suffer.

This would be the best alternative as the United Nations has failed to stop these powerful leaders. If their citizens banded together to punish or mob their presidents, then the war would stop and people could live peacefully.

Staging rallies all over the world is also to no avail. The United Nations, let alone the disputed countries, are not listening to the public outcry.

Of course, we will have to bear the consequences of this war, too. Sooner or later there will be a gradual increase in the price of commodities, including oil, which will worsen the economy.

Amin, 27, is a worker at a ceramics manufacturer in Tangerang, Banten. He resides in Pasar Kemis, Tangerang, with his colleagues:

The war is a silly idea because it is not the way to solve international problems. It's just crazy.

I don't think political reasons are the ultimate consideration here, but rather the personal hatred that exists between the U.S. and Iraq presidents.

There are, however, other reasons behind it. Bush probably wants to finish the work of a former U.S. president, who just happens to be his father. So it's a very personal reason. Perhaps George Bush, Sr. instilled his ambition in his son to defeat Saddam.

I also see that Saddam is wrong in many ways, too. I think Saddam is producing weapons of mass destruction as suspected by the U.S.

He has never complied with the United Nations to destroy his country's weaponry.

Personally, I agree that Saddam should be toppled to rid the world of his ambition to bring all Arabic countries under his control. In the future, that unity might threaten world peace as Saddam is a real tyrant.

However, the world would be far better off without these two ambitious leaders, Saddam and Bush. They are just the same: ambitious and arrogant.

Their citizens should have been more aware about them and gotten rid of them in an attempt to create peace, I guess.

I don't agree with the street rallies here voicing narrow- minded concern, especially in the name of religion, to protest the coalition's aggression. It's not appropriate at all.

Chandra, 25, is a pharmacist in Joglo, West Jakarta. He lives in Petukangan, South Jakarta with his family:

I disagree completely with the war because there will be many casualties from it. Most of them will be innocent civilians in Iraq.

The U.S. and its allied forces will have killed those innocent people in their war, although they might claim that their targets were the military forces.

But in fact the Iraqi troops are well-trained to avoid the attacks or missiles targeted at their defenses. The military can anticipate the war by hiding in the safest places, but civilians cannot do the same.

I think Bush is only after the oil in Iraq and this is why he wants to defeat Saddam's government.

Besides, I also think that there is reason, based on religion, for the U.S. and its allies to attack Iraq, which is deemed a Muslim-dominant country.

In the end, I regret that we are also going to feel the impact of the war as oil prices will surely increase. Consequently, it will affect other prices too, which will worsen the economy.

-- Leo Wahyudi S