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Mar. 25, 2003 In Ramallah, Palestinians rejoice over Saddam's 'victories' By KHALED ABU TOAMEH There were many smiling faces in Ramallah on Monday as Palestinians celebrated the capture of American and British soldiers by the Iraqi army. "This is a big day for the Iraqi people and all the Arabs and Muslims," said a policeman at Yasser Arafat's battered headquarters. "Everyone here was happy to see pictures of American soldiers in Iraqi custody. This is a big blow for [George W.] Bush and [Tony] Blair. I don't believe they will be able to continue with the war now that many of their soldiers are being killed or taken prisoner." One of his colleagues in Force 17, Arafat's presidential guard, said he was so happy when he heard the news of the capture of the US soldiers that "I felt like kissing all the people around me." "Saddam has once again proven that he is a great leader, a defender of Arab rights. His men are brave. They have been able to teach the American and British dogs an unforgettable lesson. The Iraqis are much better at war because they have more experience. The American and British soldiers are cowards and spoiled kids," he said. At Manara Square in the center of town, the mood was one of euphoria. "They have just shot down two Apache helicopters," an excited merchant shouted hysterically as he ran out of his shop. "This is unbelievable. The Americans are losing the war. Iraq is going to be Bush's Vietnam." The square, which has become the scene of daily pro-Saddam demonstrations, is decorated with Iraqi flags and posters of Saddam. Policemen in plainclothes direct the traffic and are on the lookout for undercover IDF soldiers, who frequently infiltrate the city to arrest wanted activists. Most shops and cafes have televisions, and people gather to watch live reporting from the battlefield. The two most popular stations are al-Jazeera and its new rival, the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya. The streets were nearly deserted as people gathered around TV sets to watch Saddam's defiant speech in the morning. A few minutes later, a group of some 50 girls dressed in green-and-white school uniforms marched toward Manara Square carrying placards denouncing the US "aggression" on Iraq. "Oh beloved Saddam, bomb, bomb Tel Aviv," they chanted as passersby and shopkeepers greeted them with the traditional Islamic battle cry of Allahu akbar (God is great). As they marched through the streets, the girls, some younger than 10, urged Saddam to eliminate Israel: "Oh Saddam, we love you, why don't you annihilate all the Jews?" The girls also vented their anger at Bush and pro-Western Arab leaders. "Bush, soon Saddam will bury you," and "[King] Abdullah [of Jordan], your people don't want you, we hope you will follow your father," they shouted as they waved Iraqi and Palestinian flags. Many people said that for the first time since the war broke out, they are finally able to walk around with a sense of pride. "Until yesterday [Sunday], the feeling here was bad," said a journalist. "But when the pictures of the American prisoners and bodies of soldiers were shown on TV, there was a lot of excitement. It's very moving to watch Arab soldiers defeating American and British soldiers and killing them. Saddam is now more popular than ever. The people here adore him. The feeling here is that Saddam has restored Arab confidence and dignity." Zuhair Karajeh, 42, a laborer, was eating humous and felafel in a small restaurant when the TV hanging from the wall screened footage of Iraqi villagers and militiamen brandishing their rifles in victory and joy next to a US Apache helicopter. "The Iraqis are very brave and we are proud of them," he said as he took a sip from a hot cup of tea with spearmint. "An old man with a rifle was able to shoot down one of the world's most advanced helicopters. Did you see Bush's face when he was talking about his prisoners last night? It was great to see this big devil almost breaking into tears." Like many Palestinians, Karajeh does not share the view held in the West that Saddam Hussein is a dictator. "I would like to see Saddam as the leader of the Arab and Muslim world," he proudly declared as other diners nodded their heads in agreement. "The only dictator is Bush, who has waged a war against the Arabs and Muslims." Hassan Kamleh, 37, a hotel receptionist, said he expects the war to end soon because of the US and British casualties. "The Americans and the British can't put up with the losses," he said. "They will have to end the war ahead of time because they are losing too many soldiers. Honestly, I didn't believe that Saddam stood a chance, but when I saw the bodies of the American soldiers, I understood that this is a war which the Arabs could win." The sense of triumph and pride was also reflected in the Palestinian Authority media. "On the fourth day of the war, Iraq has presented to the Arabs and all the peoples of the world proof that it is possible to defeat the US," said Hasan al-Kashef, a respected columnist and senior PA official. "On this day, the Arabs and the rest of the world have come to learn that the US is not the almighty superpower that is capable of doing anything, any time. Iraq has proved that surrendering to the will of the US is the result of impotence, miscalculation, and a lack of will." Cartoons ridiculing American soldiers and depicting them as cowards appeared in Monday's Palestinian newspapers. Al-Quds, the largest daily, ran a cartoon showing an American pilot hiding in the bushes next to the wreckage of his plane. The panicking pilot radios President Bush to tell him that he sees a thousand Iraqis holding Kalashnikov rifles, but none of them have brought him roses and gifts. Another cartoon in the PA's official organ Al-Ayyam depicted a frightened American soldier reluctantly marching toward Baghdad carrying a coffin draped with the Stars and Stripes. The message is that the American soldiers will return from Baghdad only in coffins.

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