By Walt Zlotow
President George W. Bush criminally attacked Iraq on March 20, 2003, for no other reason than he could. He used the 911 attacks in New York, D.C. and Pennsylvania to remake the Middle East in America’s image, starting with Afghanistan 17 months earlier.
Like Afghanistan, Iraq was a colossal disaster. Seeing their leader deposed and their people slaughtered didn’t endear the Iraqi people to their Yankee invaders. They resisted violently, resulting in 6,000 US military and contractor deaths and over 100,000 injured. Trillions squandered with endless billions for decades of long-term vets’ health care to come.
Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden refused to end the madness of senseless war and occupation that killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.
The Iraqi government has spent all 23 plus years demanding the US leave Iraq. Two years ago President Biden agreed to end US troop presence but later reneged, stating he wouldn’t pull all US forces out but was only changing the mission from the anti-ISIS coalition to a “bilateral security partnership.” Militant Iraqi groups no like and repeatedly launched attacks on US positions, occasionally wounding, even killing Americans.
In term two even war fanatic Trump had enough and rescinded Biden’s ludicrous ‘hang around’ order, pulling out the last soldiers September 30.
Abu Mojtaba al-Yasiri, a leader in the Iraqi Shia militias known as the Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI), put it bluntly:
“On September 30, we will celebrate the turning of a black page in Iraq’s history and the failure of the occupation to impose its will on our country. Iraq has proven that its sovereignty cannot be secured by foreign forces, but by the resistance and the will of its people.”
When America invaded Iraq, war loving neocons gloated ‘real men go to Iran.’ That was always the ultimate goal in the deranged US makeover of the Middle East. Seven months before Iraq finally kicked out America, another idiotic president did just that. Unlike the 23 years, 6 months, 10 days it took Iraq to oust America, Iran will vanquish America from its neighborhood before this war’s first anniversary.
Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL
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from above: “..Like Afghanistan, Iraq was a colossal disaster…”
So were Korea, Viet Nam, Libya, Lebanon, Syria and Iran political and military disasters created by the CIA, Pentagon and the US Presidential Executives.
@ Mediocrates: The USA (Undemocratic Sewer of Apartheid) goes into to war for imperialist ambitions and exploitation of foreign natural resources for the benefit of American multinational corporations.
The major beneficiary of all the American ”defeats” has been the NE Military Industrial Complex that supplies military armaments to political policies and rakes in the huge financial profits.
The point is never ”winning”, rather extending the conflict regardless of cost in lives lost or damaged to maintain the profit stream to the NE MIC.
Politicians come & go but the NE MIC goes on forever, enriching those Congress persons having shares in those corporations.
@NEC: Exactly!! Until US voters wake up en mass the US national, military, economic, infrastructure and communal debacle that stares the US population in the face is a parody of democracy and will remain. What shits me most is that our sycophantic politicians, (of all colours), continue to pander to every Whitehouse whim and command rather than focussing on the existential problems that beset our Australian nation.
My immediate suggestion: forget ANZUS (make it AUSPACNZ), forget AUKUS altogether, take back control of Pine Gap, North West Cape, Tindall, Bandiana, Stirling and cease defence posture relationships with USA, UK and NATO nations. Seek membership with BRICS+. Increase Australia’s focus on ASEAN. Cease Aussie involvement with the 5-Eyes, send Israel’s Ambassador home with a “no thanks” message and force divestment with all Israeli controlled enterprises currently operative in Australia. Then tax all foreign and local corporations that currently escape the attention of the ATO at the same rate as for tax paying enterprises. This may bring immediate “hard yards” however the path we are currently on is the road to perdition – and the long term outcome of that is beyond consideration.
Despite all this I have no confidence that any Australian Parliament will tackle these issues.
@ Mediocrates: Wow!! A quick all inclusive dumping of the too long established ”cultural cringe”!! I love it!!
NEC, this what happenned to the Romans, the Brits and Germans in ww2..too much border to garrison effectivly.
@Mediocrates:
You should be appointed political advisor to D. Shoebridge Esq!
Well said, Mediocrites and NEC.
Don’t get herbert, surely the likes of Marles, Minns, Burke, Burns and the like are the ones who need “advisers”.
At least, Shoebridge can think for himself.