The downfall of Baghdad not only stunned Egyptians but also painted a bleak future for them. Shaden Shehab talks to the people "It is very depressing, I have been crying continuously, unable to find peace of mind. I am shocked and believe that the worst is yet to come. The invasion of Iraq is just the beginning; ultimately other Arab countries will be victims of the US intention of bringing democracy and freedom to the region," said Manal El-Sokary, a housewife, whose opinions also reflect those of many other average Egyptians interviewed by Al-Ahram Weekly. Egyptians had expected the fall of Baghdad, even before the war. But as 20 days of war passed, with heroic stories of resistance and Anglo-American difficulties broadcast from all sides, hopes for Iraqi supremacy ran high. Even Saddam Hussein became a heroic figure, and the Iraqis were praised for their steadfastness -- after all, they stood up to the mighty United States with all its modern weaponry and intelligent bombs. Up until that point, American and British soldiers had been captured as Prisoners of War (POW), troops had failed to seize any Iraqi city and a farmer had even managed to shoot down an Apache helicopter with an old weapon. All of this was backed up by Iraqi assurance that when the "troops of evil" reached Baghdad they would be quashed. These events gave a sense of pride and strength to the Egyptians. They also indicated that the war would be long, and that the US-led coalition would have to pay a high price. Thousands of Egyptians had protested against the war, both before and after it started. People also turned to religion in solidarity with the Iraqi people, with Muslims forwarding messages to each other requesting special night prayers (qiyam leil), fasting and group readings of the Qur'an. More significantly, hundreds of young men volunteered to fight the US and British invaders, with the Bar Association saying it would take care of the travel arrangements for those who wanted to volunteer. But on the morning of 9 April all that furor died down with the stunning news that Baghdad had fallen. "Shock and awe" replaced Egyptians' anxious hopes for an Iraqi victory. Along with the rest of the world, Egyptians watched live images of Anglo-American troops moving through Baghdad without experiencing resistance, and the statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled without an ounce of protest. "Now I understand why the campaign was dubbed 'shock and awe'," said Sherif Anwar, a doctor. "What happened to the Republican Guard divisions, Saddam's Fedayeens (martyrs) and the Al-Quds army; and where is Saddam?" were the questions on everybody's lips, which were followed by statements of denial such as, "it is an ambush for the Americans, the Republican Guards will surprise them." As the hours passed and Saddam's statue was covered briefly with the American flag before collapsing, hearts ached for what that symbolised. "Baghdad is now occupied like Palestine," said Mohamed Abdel-Shafi a taxi-driver. Some still refused to believe the scenario. "Saddam and his troops are hiding until the right moment; this is not the end," said Abdel- Moneim Ibrahim, a housekeeper. "Saddam is hiding, he will appear again and will fight back," agreed Raouf Mohie, a carpenter, while his colleagues concurred. "No matter what kind of evil nature he has, he would never sell himself and his people because he has dignity and pride," he added. The theories did not stop there. "No, Saddam died before the invaders set foot in Iraq," argued Seddik Abdel-Moneim, a bus driver. "We should not be doing him an injustice. If he wanted to escape he would have done that at the start." He added that, "the Americans want us to believe he is a traitor while they know he is dead, so as not to turn Arab public opinion against them or make a hero out of Saddam." Yet, still others believe that Saddam is a traitor. "There was a deal between Saddam and the US. In return for his life and freedom, Saddam ordered his troops not to fight in Baghdad so he would be safe with the rest of his family and officials," Abdel-Shafi said. "He is a traitor, he sold his people. But he didn't need to shed the blood of the Iraqi children in the process, he could have made the dirty deal before Iraq was turned into a morgue, and before it was destroyed," was the opinion of Maged Morcos, an accountant. Others agreed that Saddam was indeed a traitor, but some believed news reports that his escape had been orchestrated with the help of the Russians. The reports suggested that the bombing of a Russian diplomatic convoy heading out of Iraq was an attempt to kill Saddam. The convoy carrying Russia's ambassador to Iraq, Vladimir Titorenko, and other diplomats came under fire from US troops as they were evacuating to Syria. Mohamed Noureddin, an engineer, was not interested in Saddam's whereabouts. "This is not the issue. Baghdad has fallen and we [Arabs] should act fast before our turn comes." What action should the Arab countries take? "I don't know, it is the job of the leaders to find out. They should be worried about their people's future rather than their own positions," Noureddin said angrily. Many Egyptians criticised the government for not doing things like prohibiting warships from using the Suez Canal or expelling the American ambassador. People were also angry about the fact that the only demonstrations which were tolerated were those that had been given permission by the Ministry of Interior. Some were even angry about the fact that the government did not send Egyptian troops to fight. But after the occupation of Iraq became a reality, some said that, "president [Hosni Mubarak] was right; he thought about it rationally. We would have involved ourselves unnecessarily. After all, the Iraqis did not fight their own war, so why should we continue fighting other people's wars while they watch? But if the invaders try to come to us, we will show them real action," Morcos said. Many miss the euphoria generated by the several weeks when it looked as though Iraqi resistance was truly embarrassing the US. According to Noureddin, people will also miss Mohamed Said Al-Sahhaf, who, "with his unique mannerisms and expressions as he attacked the coalition and promised victory, said what Egyptians might have wanted to hear. He will be missed, and so will the Iraq that we all knew."
