|
|
|
|
NEWS & LETTERS, September-October 2010
World in View
Obama's wars continue
Iraq--Despite the "withdrawal of combat troops" at the end of August, almost 50,000 supposedly "non-combat" U.S. troops remain. The State Department also proposes adding several thousand private security forces, the Blackwater type, augmented by armored vehicles, Black Hawk helicopters and the like. How long such forces will stay in Iraq is unknown.
The deeper tragedy is the state of Iraq after years of U.S. occupation, especially the people's lives. The recent "democratic election" led to a no-government stalemate for over five months. The number of war-related deaths each month remains a propaganda football, with the true number unknown. It is well into the hundreds, with continuing suicide bombings and attacks on Iraqi government troops and civilians. Despite billions of dollars, the infrastructure of the country is in shambles. Electricity, potable water, healthcare, etc., are all sporadic. The number of people internally displaced and forced into exile runs into the millions. A report, "Cancer, Infant Mortality and Birth Sex-Ratio in Fallujah, Iraq, 2005-2009," found a substantial increase in birth defects and rates of cancer following the massive firepower used there by U.S. Marines in 2004. What other "legacies" will the U.S. leave the Iraqi people?
Afghanistan--General Petraeus wasted no time in his new post as commander of the "Afghan surge" before he announced that he is not there to preside over a "graceful exit." This was no general speaking out of turn, but the view of the Commander-in-Chief. After all, the U.S. occupation is reaching new heights in the number of troops in place and of U.S. deaths.
The tragedy is in the lives of the Afghan people. Civilian casualties at the hands of the U.S. occupiers and their NATO allies soared, despite supposed precautions. The barbarism of the Taliban continues unabated as they brutally attack any, particularly women, who defy their strictures. A couple who sought to live in an independent manner was recently publicly stoned to death. Far from the Obama-directed occupation being a way to protect the Afghan population, it strengthens the Taliban's false appearance as defenders. Only authentic Afghan self-determination can bring down the Taliban.
--Eugene Walker
|
Subscription for one year
$5
|
