Newspaper Article

ANCIENT HISTORY: Alexander's road in Iraq parallels U.S

Shecter, Vicky A

2005

Overview

After all, this isn't the first time a Western country waged a pre-emptive strike against Iraq. In 322 B.C., Iraq and its surrounding areas were invaded by [Alexander] of Macedon (known as Alexander the Great to the West and Alexander the Accursed to the East). We feared more attacks from terrorists after Sept. 11. The Greeks feared the same after a homeland attack years earlier. We feared that Saddam Hussein would hijack the word's supply of oil, cripple our economy and threaten our lives. The Greeks feared the Persian tyrant King Darius would hijack trade routes, stop the flow of gold and cripple Greece's future as a newly unified kingdom. Alexander's soldiers toppled the former dictator's statues upon victory just like our soldiers toppled the statue of Saddam. And just like Americans, the Greeks too placed a local leader in charge; only his name was Mazaeus, not Allawi. And just like today, the Greeks faced countless insurgencies from militant rebel leaders.

• Publisher: Atlanta Journal Constitution, LLC