Tell me again, who are the terrorists?

(10 am – promoted by ek hornbeck)

I’ve been struggling a bit. With role assignments. Because I’m confused. Are the Iraqis themselves the terrorists? Or do Iraqis harbor terrorists? No. Wait. Terrorists infiltrate Iraq. And we are there to get rid of terrorists, right? Wait, or was it to get rid of the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WsMD)? Or was it the threat of terrorism? Who are the insurgents btw? Are they related to the terrorists? Wait. Iran is involved in this, right? It’s terrorists [being paid by Iran to infiltrate Iraq] who are killing Iraqis, right? Or are the Iranian people themselves terrorists? Or do they just harbor terrorists? I know… maybe they outsource their terrorism. Anybody? Do they also have WsMD? Wait.

Tell me again, who are the terrorists?

      The Historic Basis of … Prosperity

The main expansionist strategy of the European business classes during the 19th century was colonialism; that is, each country would try to carve out areas of control in the third world, using its technological superiority translated into military terms. The raw materials and labor and markets of these colonies were for the exclusive exploitation of businesses centered in the home country. The inherent weakness of this colonialist strategy, from a capitalist point of view, is that the bulk of the populace remained in poverty and therefore provided not much of a market for the goods of the home country.

• Fast forward a few hundred years to the 20th century…

     Why the U.S set out to destroy Iraq (during the Gulf War) :

This was one event in multinational capital’s ongoing struggle with third world nationalism, a powerful 1esson to nation-states that do not obey the rules of the game laid down by the major capitalist power centers.

• to justifying another assault on Iraq in the 21st century

     October 2007

President George W. Bush:Tonight I want to take a few minutes to discuss a grave threat to peace, and America’s determination to lead the world in confronting that threat. The threat comes from Iraq. It arises directly from the Iraqi regime’s own actions — its history of aggression, and its drive toward an arsenal of terror…

• Arsenal of terror? Does that mean WsMD?

      FactCheck addresses the question of Iraq WsMD…

No. The Iraq Survey Group determined that Iraq had abandoned its quest to develop chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and that it had already destroyed all of its existing stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons.

Center for Nonproliferation Studies breaks down Iraq’s WsMD and programs for WsMD.

• “We have no ambition in Iraq, except to remove a threat and restore control

    of that country to its own people.”

    ^{President George W. Bush, March 19,  2003}

      Bush said in the same speech that coalition forces would help Iraqis achieve a

      united, stable and free country [that] will require our sustained commitment.

Bush and his architects will endeavor to build a new Iraq, a McDonaldized Iraq ruled by westernized overlords and serviced by US corporations. This can only happen if the methodical process of destruction is allowed to unravel centuries of Iraqi culture and decades of Saddam’s iron-fisted rule.

“The water is not clean enough there is no petrol for our cars, and the occupation forces intend this,” said Usama Asa’ad. “They want to make all of Iraq’s services for private companies, so that United States companies will take as much money from Iraq as they can”.

• Coalition forces would “make every effort to spare innocent civilians from harm.”

   ^{President George W. Bush, March 19,  2003}

      Bush said, in the same speech, that coalition forces came to Iraq with respect for its citizens,

      for their great civilization and for the religious faiths they practice.

Iraq’s death rate has risen sharply. With stepped up Coalition bombing and ground attacks as well as rise in sectarian violence, a growing number of Iraqis are being forced to leave their homes and minority groups are now seriously at risk. According to UNHCR, there are 1.9 million internally displaced people in the country and 2 million refugees escaped to neighboring countries, especially Syria and Jordan. Unemployment and poverty rose sharply, too. According to the United Nations Development Programme, one-third of the population now lives in poverty. Education has broken down. Further, Iraqis basic needs in drinking water, food, sanitation and electricity are not met. Hospitals lack basic medical supplies and are understaffed.

The international relief system has not been able to respond to the growing humanitarian challenges. International agencies have themselves faced serious problems in reaching Iraqis at risk. Iraq’s humanitarian emergency has reached a crisis level that compares with some of the world’s most urgent calamities.

In the long term, Destruction of Cultural Heritage or the “British and American Collusion in the Pillaging of Iraq’s Heritage Is A Scandal That Will Outlive Any Passing Conflict”

• Tell me again, who are the terrorists?

   Documented Iraqi civilian deaths… 82,693 – 90,219

   ^{Exxon Mobil Corp. posted the largest annual profit in U.S. history}

   Estimated Iraqi civilian deaths… 1,196,514

   ^{Tax Benefits, New Contracts Send Halliburton Profits Soaring}

   Collateral damage: 84% of Iraq’s universities destroyed in the war

   ^{Blackwater in Iraq, Killing for Profit}

        Baghdad…

        A park turned into a cemetry…

        Orphans rely on charity of militias…

        and blame parents’ death on America

<sup>note: all figures, except combat deaths & wounded, were reported

on the fifth anniversary of the war, March 19, 2008). i pulled this off the internet

and forgot to get the link… so thanks to whoever made this list</sup>

• Total U.S. combat deaths: 4023
• Total U.S. combat casualties- 29,628, but estimated as high as 100,000
• Number of days since President Bush said he’d get Osama Bin Laden “dead or alive”: 2368
• Number of Al Qaeda camps in Iraq before the U.S. invasion–0
• Number of days since the invitation of Iraq began: 1829
• Number of days since Bush put the flight suit and said “Mission Accomplished”: 1774
• Number of days between Pearl Harbor and the end of WWII: Only 1347
• Number of days that the former CEO of defense contractor Halliburton has NOT shot a man in the face: 757
• Number of weeks since the Pentagon decided NOT to release a recent Defense Dept. report showing Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda had no working relationship (might spoil the anniversary!)–2
• Estimate of war costs by the Bush Administration during congressional hearings before the war-$50-$70 billion (when they were not saying that it would “pay for itself.”)
• Estimate of overall costs of five years of war including long-term care for battlefield casualties (see above) and replacement military hardware–$3 trillion
• Number of years Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain says the U.S. will stay in Iraq-100