G. W. and Saddam Never Imagined This!

G. W. Bush and Saddam Hussein both made serious miscalculations concerning America's invasion of Iraq. No, it wasn't the number of boots on the ground, or the "shock and awe," but the Iraqi bloggers posting their Web logs day after day. The Karl Rove propaganda machine planned to control all the news from Iraq, but the bloggers messed up his plans, big time.

I came to know some of them even before I became a member of the Blog Sphere. I read their blogs almost daily and exchange e-mail with a few. I believe these guys and gals in Iraq -- well, some have had to leave for their own protection, yet they still blog -- are making heroic statements now, which will become historic statements for posterity. Links to most of their blogs are listed in the sidebar on the right.

Most use pseudonyms, again for their protection. They go by Zeyad (Healing Iraq), Riverbend (Baghdad Burning), Hammorabi (Hammorabi), The Mesopotamian (The Mesopotamian), and Salam Pax (latest: Shut Up You Fat Whiner). Salam's original blog (Where is Raed?) was the first one I found. He now writes mostly for The Guardian Unlimited, UK. There are many others, including the Family Jarrar (A Family in Baghdad) who were not mentioned in the article, "Iraqi Bloggers Weigh in on Changing Nation" published in The Redbluff Daily News.

Salam Pax's original blog and Riverbend's blog have been published as books, and there is a campaign to bring Zeyad to New York City, because he has been accepted at the CUNY New School of Journalism's graduate school. That's City University of New York. Read his blog and you will see what an excellent writer he is.

However, there is a problem. He must show financial ability, and his dental practice is all but destroyed. We bloggers, led by Jeff Jarvis (The Buzz Machine) are trying to raise $45,000 (tax deductible) for him. Here's how you can help Zeyad.