We have all read or heard about the opinion polls that tell us Iraqis want US troops out of Iraq now and condone attacks on Americans. The MSM is always telling us what Iraqis think and want. Some on the left tell us Iraq was better off before the invasion and Iraqi’s would prefer it never happened. Some have tried to deny the fact that Saddam murdered 300,000 Iraqis.

Well as many of you know I recently named 24 Steps to Liberty and Treasure of Baghdad as the March Blogs of the Month. These brave men are both journalists and patriots who love their country. They risk their lives every day to tell the world what is really going on in Iraq. I found the information on their blogs to be very different from what I was hearing in the MSM. So I decided to ask them both a few questions. They have both replied. Here are the questions and their respective answers:

1. Were you in favor of the US invading Iraq and removing Saddam before the war started?

24: Yes.

BT: Before the war started I was counting the days for Saddam to be removed. We did not have another choice but to believe the Americans. All the attempts to get rid of him had failed in the past. So we said, only the Americans will do it.

2. Do you still think it was a good idea?

24: I don’t regret it, yet!

BT: Well, it was a good idea. Getting rid of Saddam is something huge. No one was able to do so. But I think I more disappointed that the Americans have failed in achieving the aftermath of Saddam’s fall. We were promised with a lot of things and nothing was achieved.

3. Who do you blame for the Violence in Iraq now?

24: Well, that might sound crazy, but I blame us, the Iraqis I mean. It all is in our hands. If we love each other and care about each other, this violence wouldn’t happen. If we just put aside our ambition to be better than our neighbors, our relatives, our friends, and our brothers we will win!

BT: On the first step, I blame the Americans first. I think insurgency started in Iraq after the CPA disbanded the army and police. Many officers and soldiers were left jobless. They thought of taking revenge which foreign fighters like Zarqawi supported.

I also blame the government for failing in providing jobs to the people. Many young men are being tempted by armed groups. Thousands are being paid for blowing up a mosque or a bus.

Finally, I blame the Iraqi people for supporting these insurgents instead of fighting them. These armed men are like cancer spread in allover the Iraqi body.

4. We have just heard that the Sunni parties have agreed to re-enter negotiations. Do you believe a unity government will be formed?

24: It is not a big deal to form a “national unity government”. The one we have now is a “national unity government” if we dig deep inside it. it has ministers and officials of all factions of Iraqis. The big deal is to act and serve the people as a “national unity government”

BT: Yes, I do. If not, it would be a huge problem.

5. I noticed one of the regular commenter on your blog ( “Nadia” I think is her name) was suggesting that perhaps the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks were not committed by Al Qaeda and even possibly were committed with the knowledge before hand or cooperation of the USA. Do you believe that Al Qaeda was responsible for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11 2001? If not what do you believe?

24: No matter what I believe. The issue is that thousands of innocent people were killed in a horrible, barbaric, and cruel attack that day. And that is something a stable human being wouldn’t plan for or do. And that applies to all innocent people who are

BT: Yes, I do believe that Al-Qaeda was behind the attacks. Well, they have said it to allover the world.

6. Do you believe that there were terrorists like Abu Nidal, Abu Abbas, and Zarqawi living in Iraq before the US invaded?

24: Whether they lived in Iraq or not, the fact is that I heard the first car bomb explodes in Iraq after the war in 2003!

BT: Well, I speak for the parts of Iraq that were under Saddam’s control. I think there were no foreign insurgent inside Iraqi territories. They can’t, simply. Saddam was so powerful and he would have not given any chance to anyone to be more popular or powerful. But for the northern areas, the Kurdish ones, I believe there were some insurgents of “Ansar Al-Islam” hiding in the mountains because they were not under control of the Saddam regime.

7. Do you believe the stories about Saddam Hussien torturing people and killing over 300,000 Iraqis?

24: If not, where are the 300,000 Iraqis now?

BT: Well, I have relatives who experienced this!

8. Do you see any progress being made by the Iraqi police force and Army?

24: No.

BT: No, definitely not. I believe they are doing their best but so far, no.

9. Do you see any progress being made in the reconstruction projects?

24: Not that I, my neighborhood, my relatives, and my friends could benefit from!

BT: Not, at all. If you compare Baghdad to its shape before the invasion, you will find out how pretty it was.

10. We all know there are good and bad in every group of people but how do you feel about the American soldiers currently in Iraq generally?

24: They are people who have families back in the U.S. and they were forced to leave their families to come and face death everyday in Iraq, although many of them came with a decision in their minds to help me and my people and my country. That is something I will always appreciate and thank them for.

BT: I feel the American soldiers are here to do their job. They were ordered and they have to fulfill the order. I do feel sad when I hear they are attacked but at the same time, I believe that it was their government that failed in protecting Iraqi people and US soldiers at the same time.

11. Do you have now or have you had any friendships with any American soldiers? Are you still in contact with them if they have come back to the USA?

24: Yes, I do. And I will always do.

BT: don’t have a personal friendship with US forces. I just behave normally with them when I see them. I feel they are human beings who are risking their lives away from their wives, children, friends, relatives and beloved ones.

12. What do you think Iraq will be like a year from now? 5 years from now? 10 years from now?

24: The same. 10 years from now? Like how many? You know what… bottom line is that in 100 years from now, Iraq will be still my country!

BT: Umm, a year from now?! nothing will be changed I believe. Blood shed will increase or stays as it is. But five years from now, I believe it depends on the political situation and on the people’s awareness that they need to be united and stop all kinds of violence or support to armed groups.

Why Do you Blog?

24: a blog doesnt have an editor to cut the main part of a story just because it doesnt go with the organization’s policy. a blog is the writer’s policy only. plus, to blog is a big respinsibility, and i like to take it.

I did not get an answer from BT to the last question.

I hope you find their answers as informative as I have. It seems safe to say they both still think the invasion was a good idea. They both place blame on the current violence at least partly on their fellow Iraqis. It definitely concerns me that neither is seeing progress with the Iraqi security forces or the reconstruction projects. Both men however are very hopeful for the future of Iraq.

I am planning to ask them a few more questions that I left out and some new ones that their answers raised for me. Do you have any questions you would like to ask? Please post them in the comments section. I will be happy to pass them along.