Concorde, Lexington, Fallujah and Najaf: Why folks fight

by Rami G. Khouri

Ever since the Anglo-American armada overthrew the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein a year ago, and resistance attacks against US forces proved particularly persistent in the area of the town of Fallujah, the American media for the most part have tended to refer to the "restive" town of Fallujah. Well, it seems that Fallujah and other parts of Iraq are more than "restive" - they're downright rebellious. And so are many other cities in Iraq where young men, for the past week, have fought street battles with the United States' armed forces, eventually forcing the US to cease fire and allow Iraqi politicians to negotiate a resolution of the confrontations.

I am intrigued by several fascinating aspects of events in Iraq. The first is the clumsy attitude of the United States, which is proving why it has never been a serious colonial power. Its heavy-handed reliance on military power, combined with its na