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All Blather All The Time
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BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY
by Dan DeLisio
Although the right wing talking bobble heads are crowing about their supposed vindication through the trampling of a depleted, emaciated army that had been decimated by years of UN MILITARY SANCTIONS and INSPECTIONS, the reality is that they are spinning fast and furious to change the topic as quickly as they can so no one will remember to ask them about the false distortive reasons that were put forth to justify this war.
Even though the moral and legal burden rested completely on this administration to justify this war with Iraq, instead of openness and evidentiary disclosure along the lines of what President Kennedy did to to justify the blockade of Cuba, the American people and the world were instead treated in this instance to fanciful stories of potential attacks by balsa wood drone planes, a report of a nuclear program that did not exist, a report which was plagiarized from a student's term paper, and forged nuclear documents. All of which were presented as compelling "reasons" for war. Is it any wonder then that such laughable evidence as that did not convince the Security Council, the Pope and the rest of the civilized world?
The rapid and overwhelming success that our forces enjoyed, coupled with the lack of Iraq's use of any chemical or biological weapons and their apparent lack of possession of any such weapons in significant quantities, stands as stark evidence of the military impotence of this regime and the utter lack of a "causus belli" which legally or morally justified an immediate invasion of that country.
No, since the right wingers would desperately like to see this litany of embarrassments disappear from public view, they have quickly changed the theme of this invasion from destroying weapons of mass destruction to their newly trumpeted goal of "liberation and bringing democracy." Such a stated goal rings quite hollow given this administration's track record of stated contempt for nation building and willingness to cozy up to undemocratic regimes such as those in Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan and Uzbekhistan.
Additionally, in preparing their careful litany of stagecrafted news photos to sell this new "product line," they have also seen to it that the scenes of civilian casualties caused by this war are carefully kept from public view. Hospitals in Baghdad are overflowing with the casualties numbering in the thousands, most of which involve violent amputations of body parts caused by the impact of bombs and missiles. Of course we here at home see none of that. Nevertheless these people are real, and no amount of oil money spent on rebuilding their shattered country will ever repair their shattered bodies and make them whole again.
Nor do we see things like the civilian casualties caused by the dropping of a massive bomb in a residential area in a deliberate attempt to assassinate Hussein. Even though at the time the bomb was dropped the war was clearly lost for the Iraqi military, and killing Hussein therefore made no difference tactically or strategically, they went ahead and dropped it anyway. It landed right in the heart of a civilian neighborhood onto a restaurant and apartment complex where god knows how many civilians perished in the horrific blast and rubble. The massive blast which created a 60 foot deep crater left few identifiable remains. (http://www.boston.com/dailynews/098/world/Death_fear_grief_at_Baghdad_bo:.shtml)
Though these of our fellow human beings may be out of our sight, they are not out of the mind of those who live in the rest of the Arab world. I fear that Mubarak was right when he said that we have spawned 100 new bin Laden's with this needless action. These new bin Laden's will be quite willing to engage in terrorism and asymmetrical warfare. Already you have seen fighters from other Arab countries die in suicide attacks inside of Iraq. I fear they will not be the last.
In addition, because we have spurned the rules of international law and wrecked the UN the result will not be greater safety or security for our nation. To the contrary we have spawned a new arms race in which countries such as Russia, China, North Korea and Iran will attempt to develop weaponry to counteract the perceived threat to them from the United States and no doubt they will attempt to rapidly acquire nuclear weapons to ensure that they are left alone. Indeed, North Korea succinctly stated the new perception which is now shared by many countries across the globe when it stated that "The Iraqi war shows that to allow disarmament through inspections does not help avert a war, but rather sparks it. Only a tremendous military deterrent force" can prevent attacks on states the US dislikes. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,933596,00.html)
So in light of these sobering realities I would suggest that the victory laps taken by right wingers are premature and their pompous pronouncements about the need for the war and the correctness of their position are as convincing and based in reality as those made by the now defunct Iraqi information minister.
Dan
PS If Bill O'Reilly thinks the Pope is discredited for being on the side of peace and wanting to avoid senseless slaughter then I suggest that he take it up with the Pope's boss who reminded: "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God."
A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY
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