Iraq War - crime summary - MUST READ
August 14, 12:18 PMLA County Nonpartisan ExaminerCarl Herman
"The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know." -- Harry Truman, as quoted in Plain Speaking : An Oral Biography of Harry S Truman (1974) by Merle Miller, p. 26.
Senator Lieberman, Secretary of State Clinton, and former UN Ambassador John Bolton have resumed rhetoric of a United States attack upon Iran. As my other articles have demonstrated, that rhetoric is false and intentional propaganda attempting to justify another US War of Aggression, and that the rhetoric for war with Iraq was also known to be false at the time it was told and we have been lied to continuously up to the present. The following is from my brief, "War with Iraq and Afghanistan, rhetoric for war with Iran." Please use this information in any way helpful to build a brighter future.
Disinformation during the War in Iraq: The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform reported in July, 2008 that because top military and White House "striking lack of recollection," responsibility could not be determined for official misinformation on the death of Pat Tillman in 2004 and the circumstances for the recovery of Jessica Lynch.[1] Pat Tillman was the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pro linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals, breaking their single-season record for tackles. When Pat turned down a $3.6 million contract to join the US Army Rangers, he became a poster-boy for supporting the war.
Kevin Tillman, Pat.s brother who served with him, wrote that they discovered that the "War on Terror" was an illegal invasion, subverted the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, included US torture of detainees, was all based on lies, and that American leadership had made a more dangerous world.[2] One of Pat.s fellow soldiers reported Pat stating, "You know, this war is so f---ing illegal."[3] Pat.s mother, Mary Tillman, also says that Pat concluded the war was illegal,[4] and that Pat arranged to meet with MIT Professor Noam Chomsky to discuss the illegality of the war.[5] Given that Chomsky is one of the US. strongest and most prolific spokespersons against the war, the probable result of such a meeting would be Chomsky and/or Tillman going public with their report. Mary Tillman would like to publicize Pat.s diary to confirm Pat.s exact impressions. However, the military informed her that his diary was "accidentally" completely burned, along with his uniform and body armor (perhaps these were destroyed to cover-up evidence that would have falsified the military.s report that Pat was killed by enemy fire to the chest). The official US story on Tillman.s death was that he died heroically engaging the enemy in a fierce firefight. After the public funeral and publicity, and five weeks after his death, the government acknowledged that Pat was killed by his own troops in "an accident." Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act showed the medical examiners of Pat.s body reported that he was killed by three shots to the forehead in a tight pattern, concluding the shots came from 10 yards or so away.[6] Military personnel familiar with firing the specific weapon report that to have such a tight pattern with three rounds would require being no more than ten feet away, or the result of three separate snipers firing simultaneously.[7] Because of this strong physical evidence, Army doctors requested an investigation for murder (fratricide). Both of their requests were denied. In addition, there was zero evidence of any enemy fire at the scene (no other person or equipment was shot and no shell casings were found), Special Forces snipers were among the unit that fired on Pat, Army attorneys sent each other congratulatory e-mails in keeping information away from the public and securing non-criminal reprimands, and the three-star general who managed the disinformation responded to over 70 specific questions from the official investigation with the answer, "I don.t remember."[8]
The US is using illegal WMD in Iraq that kills and damages US troops and Iraqi civilians: depleted uranium shells (DU).[9] The UN declared DU weapons in violation of several International Laws and UN conventions in August 2002. Independent medical research found increases in cancer and birth defects at 400% of previous rates in areas of DU use.
In 2004, the US military planned to spend $100 million to hire at least 100 people as covert counter-intelligence agents in Iraq to provoke terrorist groups to cause acts of terrorism against the Iraqi people. The stated purpose of this project was to expose terrorist groups for counterattack by US forces.[10] This means that the US planned to incite terrorism that would injure and kill Iraqi civilians, making the US an accomplice to terrorism.
Among the provisions of US occupation of Iraq is that it is now illegal for Iraqi farmers to use their own seeds; this in the Fertile Crescent where much of agriculture began. Iraqi farmers must buy their seeds from US companies, and only use genetically modified seeds where farmers pay a licensing fee for each use.[11] This act is done under US rhetoric for "freedom for the Iraqi people."
In December, 2004, the US announced a military siege of the Iraq city of Fallujah, home to 300,000 Iraqis (please figure out how that compares to where you live; it.s 15 of my 20,000 population cities). The US gave the city residents the ultimatum of abandoning their homes or being attacked as terrorists. 250,000 left the city, becoming refugees with no provisions for their care. The US military estimated that Fallujah contained a "few thousand" terrorists; but all remaining 50,000 residents were targeted as the enemy. When the US attacked Falujah, their structural targets included the four water purification plants, destroying three and severely damaging the fourth. Again, this is a War Crime.[12]
Beginning in November, 2005, US war strategy increased the use of air strikes against Iraqi urban areas to nearly 1,000 sorties a month, deploying 500 and 1,000 pound bombs. The most respected medical journal in the UK, The Lancet, reported that the US and coalition forces cause 85% of all violent deaths in Iraq, with 95% of those coming from aerial attacks.[13]
The Bush administration repeatedly assured the American public that our stay in Iraq is temporary, just until the Iraqi people can manage themselves. However, the US has built four military "super-bases," each housing tens of thousands of personnel that appear permanent.[14] The new US Embassy in prime-area Baghdad on the Tigris River is over 100 acres and will house over 8,000 people (in comparison, my large local high school is 18.5 acres), also appearing to manage greater responsibility than diplomacy in someone else.s country.[15]
Some people argue that the US should stay to repair the damage done in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the aid that is allocated seems to be subject to corrupt practices of over-priced items of poor quality. The mark-up is called "phantom aid" because the money transfers directly from aid agencies to the bank accountants of the "reconstruction" companies. Estimates of how much aid is phantom range from 20% to 86%.[16]
Seventy percent of Iraqis want the US out immediately, Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Maliki has called for the US to leave, and 60% of the American public want the US out within a year.[17] I also note significant similarities to both parties. policies toward the Vietnam War and the media.s support of the war. As with the Vietnam War, Democrats have become more vocal against the war, but their party leadership continues its funding.
[1] Common Dreams. AP Report. Probe of Tillman Misinformation Goes Nowhere: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/15/10364/ .
[2] After Pat.s Birthday. Oct. 19, 2006: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/200601019_after_pats_birthday/ .
[3] SFGate. Collier, R. Family Demands the Truth. Sept. 25, 2005: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/25/MNGD7ETMNM1.DTL .
[4] Crooks and Liars. Silent Patriot. Mary Tillman Demands Answers. March 28, 2007: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/03/28/mary-tillman-demands-answers .
[5] Common Dreams. Zirin, D. The meeting that never was: Pat Tillman and Noam Chomsky. Oct. 7, 2005: http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1007-22.htm .
[6] Was Tillman Murdered? AP Gets New Information. July 26, 2007: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003617692 and Kevin.s testimony to Congress. Hearing on Tillman, Lynch Incidents. Kevin Tillman.s Opening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUCyr3B3IlM .
[7] Mail Online. Laurence, C. Was the pin-up boy of Bush.s war on terror assassinated? Aug. 3, 2007: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-473037/Was-pin-boy-Bushs-War-Terror-assassinated.html .
[8] USA Today. Mendoza, M. New Details on Tillman.s Death. July 27, 2007: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-07-26-tillman-friendly-fire_N.htm .
[9] Project Censored. Williams, R., Jacks, S., Spencer, J. #8 in top 25 censored stories for 2004: US/British forces continue use of depleted uranium weapons despite negative health effects. http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/8-us-british-forces-continue-use-of-depleted-uranium-weapons-despite-negati/ .
[10] Project Censored. Nelson, C., Storino, M., Scanlan, J. #4 in top 25 censored stories for 2004: Rumsfeld.s plan to provoke terrorists. http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/4-rumsfelds-plan-to-provoke-terrorists/ .
[11] Project Censored. Wingard, J., Barker, C. #8 in top 25 censored stories for 2006: Iraqi farmers threatened by Bremer.s mandates. http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/8-iraqi-farmers-threatened-by-bremers-mandates/ .
[12] Project Censored. Crowley, B., Jaffe, S., Lanphear, B. #2 in top 25 censored stories for 2006: Media coverage fails on Iraq: Fallujah and the civilian deathtoll. http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/2-media-coverage-fails-on-iraq-fallujah-and-the-civilian-deathtoll/ .
[13] Project Censored. Manning, R., Fuchs, B. #10 in top 25 censored stories for 2007: Expanded air war in Iraq kills more civilians. http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/10-expanded-air-war-in-iraq-kills-more-civilians/
[14] See Information Clearing House. Lando, B. Total Withdrawal? Who Are You Kidding? March 12, 2007: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article17295.htm and Alternet. Von Hoffman, N. Finally, the US Mega-Bases in Iraq are Under Debate. June 15, 2008: http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/88225/?ses=fbfcb7bbac63ae4a7d8a3ea1b586faca .
[15] The Nation. Von Hoffman, N. Bush.s Baghdad Palace. June 20, 2006: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060703/howl and Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy_of_the_United_States_in_Baghdad , and Daniel Pipes Blog. "The Largest Embassy Ever Run by Any Country." March 9, 2004: http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/196 .
[16] Project Censored. Hall, M., Bickel, J., Dean, J. #11 in top 25 censored stories for 2008: The scam of "reconstruction" in Afghanistan. http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/11-the-scam-of-reconstruction-in-afghanistan/ .
[17] ABC News Commentary. Sam Donaldson. Sam Dissects "Myth" Behind American Troop Presence. July 8, 2008: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=5331769 .
Stumble It!
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home