Cartoonist Who Visited Iraq Backs U.S. Efforts There

By: Dave Astor Chip Beck recently spent several months in Iraq and, unlike many other cartoonists, he still supports what the United States is trying to do in that country.

"I think the majority of Iraqis want us there, and most are glad Saddam Hussein is gone," Beck told Association of American Editorial Cartoonists convention attendees here. He said there are positive things happening in Iraq in addition to the violence.

Beck did acknowledge that the U.S. could be "more culturally sensitive" as well as better in creating jobs for Iraqis. He added that President Bush made a mistake in focusing on the not-found weapons of mass destruction as a reason for invading Iraq.

The Navy veteran traveled to Iraq as a Defense Department appointee. While there, Beck worked in the U.S. press office, worked with Iraqi artists, and worked on re-starting the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. And, of course, he did cartoons and other drawings -- including sketches of people in the street. "It's a way to break the ice and talk," he said. "Art is a great bridge to other cultures."

Beck, 58, also drew a homeless Saddam holding a sign reading: "Will tyrannize for food." He noted that the Iraqi dictator was not only responsible for many deaths, but spent inordinate amounts. "He had 89 palaces spread around the country," Beck said. "It's astounding how much this man spent on himself and his family and close friends at the expense of society."

During his career, Beck has drawn cartoons for the military and government, worked as an editorial cartoonist for newspapers in the Washington area, and more.