Birgitta Garvik: Occupation fprceswill never succeed

I must say I feel horrified about the invasion of Iraq. Everyday on our TV-screens this unlawful war is unfolding its crimes. Why was it necessary to put the world into this mess? When will we be on the right track again? God knows.

I guess the guilty ones will go free. War crimes in Iraq will never be investigated by the tribunal, like they did to Milosevic. I am not saying that Saddam Hussein was an angel, but is it better now? I think to develop a society you need time and patience, to let progress happen. And you have to gain people’s " hearts and minds".

I wonder if the "heart and minds"' of the Iraqi people will support the new Iraq…

I also think that the occupation forces are very insensitive towards the Iraqi people. I am not thinking only about the scandal at the Abu Ghraib jail, I also mean the fact that the new Iraqi flag is drawn and created by the occupants, and is imposed upon the Iraqi people.

I am thinking about my country - Norway, how we love our flag, and what great power the flag symbolizes. If someone comes here and occupies our land, turns our flag down, forces a new flag upon us, we would be furious.

Maybe the international community had to do something with Saddam Hussein, but what the "allied forces" are doing now, is so insensitive they will never succeed.

Birgitta Garvik,
Norway