Iraq War Sets Off Growing Anger Toward U.S. in Arab World

Interview with Hussein Ibish, communications director with the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, conducted by Between the Lines' Scott Harris

In defiance of majority opinion in the United Nations and around the world, President Bush, along with Britain, America's sole military ally, launched their war to overthrow the Iraqi government by conducting one of the fiercest aerial missile attacks in military history. But the so-called "shock and awe" bombing campaign against Baghdad and other Iraqi cities has thus far failed to reduce Saddam Hussein's will to fight or force his regime's surrender. In fact U.S. and British forces have faced stiff resistance in southern Iraq, a section of the country they had expected to easily subdue on their way to attack the heavily fortified capital city of Baghdad.

U.S. television networks have broadcast images of Iraqi prisoners of war in U.S. custody. But, the Bush administration has claimed that similar broadcasts by Iraqi TV of interviews with American POWs constitutes a violation of the Geneva convention. Yet, there are many critics of this war who point out that the U.S. itself stands in naked violation of the United Nations charter and international law.

Opponents of the war have long warned that a U.S. attack on Iraq could trigger unintended consequences including new instability in the Middle East and an increase of support among Arabs and Muslims for anti- American terrorist groups. Between the Lines Scott Harris spoke with Hussein Ibish, communications director with the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, who assesses likely civilian casualities in the war and Arab reaction.

Contact the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee at (202) 244-2990 or visit the group's website at www.adc.org

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