WHAT WE'VE LOST IN IRAQ
Monday, 20 March 2006
WHAT WE'VE LOST IN IRAQ
America has lost its image as a country of high morals and ethics. Bush and his cohorts, Rumsfeld included, attacked a sovereign nation on trumped up allegations-- weapons-of-mass destruction, ties to al Qaeda, involvement in 9/11.
Iraq, as proven by numerous CIA , congressional , and UN investigations, had no ties to al Qaeda, no connection to 9/11, and no weapons of mass destruction.
Now, three years later, nearly 2,500 American troops are dead, over 17000 are wounded, and 50,000 Iraqi women and children, including small babies have been killed by both American troops and violence. There has never been an apology or any remorse by the Bush administration, including Rumsfeld, for the thousands of dead Iraqis. The war, to date, has cost the American taxpayer nearly $250 billion, running $177 million per day.
Before the American invasion, no al Qaeda existed in Iraq. Now, there are thousands of terrorists.
Before the war, electricity and gas were plentiful in Iraq. Now three years later, electricity output has dipped to its lowest point in three years, and gasoline in this oil rich country is a cherished commodity.
The majority of Iraqis want all American troops out ASAP. Most Iraqis, including Iraqi's new government, blame recent violence as result of American occupying forces.
Plus, Afghanistan is suffering because of all the resources and attention placed on Iraq. Poppy production is reaching and all time high in Afghanistan and half the country is control ed by warring warlords. Bin Laden still runs free.
Rumsfeld, Bush, and the generals will continue to lie, utilizing weapons-of mass-deception, to paint a rosy picture in Iraq; but no one can dispute the true facts that paint a realistic picture of dispair and death in Iraq.
By CHRISTIAN GATSBY
MY ANSWER TO RUMSFELD'S EDITORIAL IN THE WAHSINGTON POST:
What We've Gained In 3 Years in Iraq
By Donald H. Rumsfeld
Sunday, March 19, 2006; B07
Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side"and that "morale is down." Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned."
Who are they that have expressed these concerns? In fact, these are the exact words of terrorists discussing Iraq -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates -- who are describing their own situation and must be watching with fear the progress that Iraq has made over the past three years.
The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that history will show that to be the case.
Fortunately, history is not made up of daily headlines, blogs on Web sites or the latest sensational attack. History is a bigger picture, and it takes some time and perspective to measure accurately.
Consider that in three years Iraq has gone from enduring a brutal dictatorship to electing a provisional government to ratifying a new constitution written by Iraqis to electing a permanent government last December. In each of these elections, the number of voters participating has increased significantly -- from 8.5 million in the January 2005 election to nearly 12 million in the December election -- in defiance of terrorists' threats and attacks.
One of the most important developments over the past year has been the increasing participation of Iraq's Sunni community in the political process. In the volatile Anbar province, where Sunnis are an overwhelming majority, voter turnout grew from 2 percent in January to 86 percent in December. Sunni sheiks and religious leaders who previously had been sympathetic to the insurgency are today meeting with coalition representatives, encouraging Iraqis to join the security forces and waging what violent extremists such as Abu al-Zarqawi and his al-Qaeda followers recognize as a "large-scale war" against them.
The terrorists are determined to stoke sectarian tension and are attempting to spark a civil war. But despite the many acts of violence and provocation, the vast majority of Iraqis have shown that they want their country to remain whole and free of ethnic conflict. We saw this last month after the attack on the Shiite shrine in Samarra, when leaders of Iraq's various political parties and religious groups condemned the violence and called for calm.
America has lost its image as a country of high morals and ethics. Bush and his cohorts, Rumsfeld included, attacked a sovereign nation on trumped up allegations-- weapons-of-mass destruction, ties to al Qaeda, involvement in 9/11.
Iraq, as proven by numerous CIA , congressional , and UN investigations, had no ties to al Qaeda, no connection to 9/11, and no weapons of mass destruction.
Now, three years later, nearly 2,500 American troops are dead, over 17000 are wounded, and 50,000 Iraqi women and children, including small babies have been killed by both American troops and violence. There has never been an apology or any remorse by the Bush administration, including Rumsfeld, for the thousands of dead Iraqis. The war, to date, has cost the American taxpayer nearly $250 billion, running $177 million per day.
Before the American invasion, no al Qaeda existed in Iraq. Now, there are thousands of terrorists.
Before the war, electricity and gas were plentiful in Iraq. Now three years later, electricity output has dipped to its lowest point in three years, and gasoline in this oil rich country is a cherished commodity.
The majority of Iraqis want all American troops out ASAP. Most Iraqis, including Iraqi's new government, blame recent violence as result of American occupying forces.
Plus, Afghanistan is suffering because of all the resources and attention placed on Iraq. Poppy production is reaching and all time high in Afghanistan and half the country is control ed by warring warlords. Bin Laden still runs free.
Rumsfeld, Bush, and the generals will continue to lie, utilizing weapons-of mass-deception, to paint a rosy picture in Iraq; but no one can dispute the true facts that paint a realistic picture of dispair and death in Iraq.
By CHRISTIAN GATSBY
MY ANSWER TO RUMSFELD'S EDITORIAL IN THE WAHSINGTON POST:
What We've Gained In 3 Years in Iraq
By Donald H. Rumsfeld
Sunday, March 19, 2006; B07
Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side"and that "morale is down." Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned."
Who are they that have expressed these concerns? In fact, these are the exact words of terrorists discussing Iraq -- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his associates -- who are describing their own situation and must be watching with fear the progress that Iraq has made over the past three years.
The terrorists seem to recognize that they are losing in Iraq. I believe that history will show that to be the case.
Fortunately, history is not made up of daily headlines, blogs on Web sites or the latest sensational attack. History is a bigger picture, and it takes some time and perspective to measure accurately.
Consider that in three years Iraq has gone from enduring a brutal dictatorship to electing a provisional government to ratifying a new constitution written by Iraqis to electing a permanent government last December. In each of these elections, the number of voters participating has increased significantly -- from 8.5 million in the January 2005 election to nearly 12 million in the December election -- in defiance of terrorists' threats and attacks.
One of the most important developments over the past year has been the increasing participation of Iraq's Sunni community in the political process. In the volatile Anbar province, where Sunnis are an overwhelming majority, voter turnout grew from 2 percent in January to 86 percent in December. Sunni sheiks and religious leaders who previously had been sympathetic to the insurgency are today meeting with coalition representatives, encouraging Iraqis to join the security forces and waging what violent extremists such as Abu al-Zarqawi and his al-Qaeda followers recognize as a "large-scale war" against them.
The terrorists are determined to stoke sectarian tension and are attempting to spark a civil war. But despite the many acts of violence and provocation, the vast majority of Iraqis have shown that they want their country to remain whole and free of ethnic conflict. We saw this last month after the attack on the Shiite shrine in Samarra, when leaders of Iraq's various political parties and religious groups condemned the violence and called for calm.
