Monday, September 6, 2010

From Infomation Clearing House

They're Leaving as Heroes?


Things which don't go away. Things the American government and media don't let go of. And neither do I.

By William BlumSeptember 01, 2010 "Information Clearing House"

"They're leaving as heroes. I want them to walk home with pride in their hearts," declared Col. John Norris, the head of a US Army brigade in Iraq. 1

It's enough to bring tears to the eyes of an American, enough to make him choke up.
Enough to make him forget.

But no American should be allowed to forget that the nation of Iraq, the society of Iraq, have been destroyed, ruined, a failed state. The Americans, beginning 1991, bombed for 12 years, with one excuse or another; then invaded, then occupied, overthrew the government, killed wantonly, tortured ... the people of that unhappy land have lost everything — their homes, their schools, their electricity, their clean water, their environment, their neighborhoods, their mosques, their archaeology, their jobs, their careers, their professionals, their state-run enterprises, their physical health, their mental health, their health care, their welfare state, their women's rights, their religious tolerance, their safety, their security, their children, their parents, their past, their present, their future, their lives ... More than half the population either dead, wounded, traumatized, in prison, internally displaced, or in foreign exile ... The air, soil, water, blood and genes drenched with depleted uranium ... the most awful birth defects ... unexploded cluster bombs lie in wait for children to pick them up ... an army of young Islamic men went to Iraq to fight the American invaders; they left the country more militant, hardened by war, to spread across the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia ... a river of blood runs alongside the Euphrates and Tigris ... through a country that may never be put back together again.

"It is a common refrain among war-weary Iraqis that things were better before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003," reported the Washington Post on May 5, 2007.

No matter ... drum roll, please ... Stand tall American GI hero! And don't even think of ever apologizing. Iraq is forced by the United States to continue paying reparations for its own invasion of Kuwait in 1990. How much will the American heroes pay the people of Iraq?

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Iraq - 7 Years On - Shame, Shame, USA

I came accross a heap of anti war slogans the other day. Something grabbed me inside, gut wrenching.

Iraq is English for Vietnam.
Bomb a child, make a terrorist.
How many lives per gallon
How did our oil get under their soil
God does not bless only America
Born to drill, born to kill

I saved the best for last. If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention.

All of these were tagged "Iraq". I didn't see much on the Gulf War, nor the deliberate use of Depleted Uranium to poisen Iraq's water supply. Not much about the horrific birth defects and cancers caused by DU and it's ever lasting effects.

The combat soldiers have now left, so we're told. Look at the bloody mess they have made, it's like Vietnam. A complete and total cockup. We promised never again to treat our soldiers like we did after that war, and as far as I know we haven't. In the West we tend to believe out Governments. Who to blame? The US Administration, and not just Bush, this goes back a long way before him.

Say what you like about Saddam, but Iraq was better off with him there. There were no suicide bombers, people were going about their daily lives, they had jobs, homes, and their children, Mothers, Fathers, brothers, sisters were alive. They lived side by side the majority of the time with no problems. Sunni, Shia, Christian inter married.

My Mum told me this while Bush was chest beating, prior to Shock and Awe, "if they remove Saddam they take the lid off Pandora's Box, and while Saddam is not perfect he knows what would happen to the country without a strong ruler". She was so right, it happened.

The US has torn her apart limb from limb, sliced and diced, destroyed her people. anarchy now rules.

Will they ever be able to put themselves together again? Will they be able to find a man to put that lid back on Pandora's Box? My heart says yes, and my head says no.

SHAME SHAME USA

One last quote from Madeleine Albright on the loss of 500,000 Iraqi children: It was worth it.
Being touched by an Angel is not always a good thing

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