This morning, the Iraqi government announced a curfew. The curfew lasted only a few hours and, to be specific, I found out about it around 7:30 am, and it ended about 9:30 a.m. During the first 10 minutes of the curfew, one of my neighbors came over with a bunch of rumor starting with "I heard people saying..."
Here are some of the rumors that spread as sson as news about the curfew was announced:
1- A group of high-ranking officers was about to implement a coup against the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouril Al-Maliki. Adhemiyah, the main Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad is already under the control of insurgents.
2- An Insurgents group tried to assassinate Maliki with a new technology; the assassin had a poisonous sticker on his hand and shook hands with Maliki. (I wondered how the man could live until he reached Maliki and what were he and his people doing at Maliki office early morning but I am sure they did not go there for breakfast.)
3- Salih al Mutlaq, the Sunni lawmaker whose party was banned from participation in the coming election was killed. The rumor went that Mulaq's house was raided by security forces and they found car bombs. Clashes broke out and he was killed during the clashes.
The rumors today reminded me with those during Saddam regime when Saddam's followers used to spread rumors to control Iraqis and they strongly succeeded . Rumors are the most powerful weapons in Iraq an unfortunately, my people are very easy victims for this weapon
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Posted by: Generic Viagra | July 01, 2010 at 01:54 AM
"we can't find the truth about the people who are taking our money and our lives while pretending to rule over us. Being a peasant sucks."
I know what you mean. This country is about to be broadsided by a public option and cap and trade bills that will amount to nothing more than a huge cash infusion into Wall Street and D.C., just to feed the sharks with people's savings, college funds, family vacations and most of our discretionary spending.
Posted by: JOHN | January 18, 2010 at 08:04 PM
Rumors are powerful weapons here in America as well. People on Fox tell all kinds of rumors to keep the ignorant masses all excited and worried. It's the opposite way to calm a herd of cattle, but the reason for it is the same. While we waste time learning the rumors, worrying about them and then finding other rumors to worry about we can't find the truth about the people who are taking our money and our lives while pretending to rule over us. Being a peasant sucks.
Posted by: Will Shirley | January 16, 2010 at 07:23 AM