A sad and sorry end to the mud-slinging against the Iraqi bloggers over at Iraq The Model. One of the blogging brothers, Ali wrote this yesterday:
This is the last time I write in this blog and I just want to say, goodbye. It’s not an easy thing to do for me, but I know I should do it. I haven’t told my brothers with my decision, as they are not here yet, but it won’t change anything and I just can’t keep doing this anymore.
My stand regarding America has never changed. I still love America and feel grateful to all those who helped us get our freedom and are still helping us establishing democracy in our country. But it’s the act of some Americans that made me feel I’m on the wrong side here. I will expose these people in public very soon and I won’t lack the mean to do this, but I won’t do it here as this is not my blog.
I’m not sure whether Ali is annoyed more at the American anti-war mud-slingers and smearers who began the attacks on his blog or on those on the other side in Washington who took his brothers to see President Bush. At any rate, sounds like we will find out soon enough.
Having been forced to produce denials to the smears made against his brothers and repeated elsewhere, Ali also seems very uncomfortable with his brothers hosts in the US.
…..I agree with you that those who did set up this meeting had their own motives that we don’t share with them.
The thing that upset me the most is that if there are some powers that are trying to use us and our writings as propaganda tool, you and other bloggers as well as some of the media outlets are doing the same with anti-American Iraqi bloggers yet still have the nerve not only to criticize all those who support us (who are not exclusively conservatives) but also insult us and apply the worst description to our efforts and hopes in building our country, many times going as far as disfiguring facts and using stupid conspiracy theories.
When are both sides going to realize that it’s not only about them! That there are millions of Iraqis, Afghanis, Iranians..Etc who are suffering daily and who are trying to find a solution and a way to achieve their dreams (with the help they are getting from America) and who do not have the slightest interest in supporting any party in America. The world is bigger than you and your partisan conflicts and frankly I’m getting sick of it. Take this crap somewhere else and leave us alone! We have enough problems to deal with and we are not interested in supporting any party anywhere, as simply we cannot afford the time or the effort.
There is an awful lot of hype about blogging in the USA but they failed the Iraqi bloggers simply by not being able to listen. Was it really not possible to read Iraqi opinion without the need to force them into a pro-anti/war row in the US blogosphere?
Two dentists with a blog from Iraq can’t be blamed for accepting an invite to see the President of the USA. Think about it.
But I can understand why Ali feels uncomfortable at what could appear to be a two-way endorsement. It would probably have been wiser to make any practical support for the bloggers less partisan.
But those who responded to the very often optimistic message from the brothers by producing slimey innuendo should be ashamed of themselves.
A guy enjoying the early taste of freedom of speech, packs in blogging after questioning, not of the content of the site, but of his and his brother’s motives and the political background of their supporters.
Some people should be ashamed of themselves.