Ten Years Later: Lest We Forget

[tenni]

This is a delicate,sensitive topic. It will offend those who want to cover up the consequences of the Invasion of Iraq.

So many died due to this illegal immoral invasion that it should not be ignored.

Democracy Now's website has a discussion and some horrific photos of children born with birth defects due to the use of depleted uranium.

"In part two of our interview, Al Jazeera reporter Dahr Jamail discusses how the U.S. invasion of Iraq has left behind a legacy of cancer and birth defects suspected of being caused by the U.S. military’s extensive use of depleted uranium and white phosphorus. Noting the birth defects in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, Jamail says: "They’re extremely hard to bear witness to. But it’s something that we all need to pay attention to ... What this has generated is, from 2004 up to this day, we are seeing a rate of congenital malformations in the city of Fallujah that has surpassed even that in the wake of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that nuclear bombs were dropped on at the end of World War II." Jamail has also reported on the refugee crisis of more than one million displaced Iraqis still inside the country, who are struggling to survive without government aid, a majority of them living in Baghdad "


http://www.democracynow.org/2013/3/20/ten_years_later_us_has_left

Mainstream Canadian media has not shown these graphic images and briefly discussed it on the tenth anniversary. If it discussed the depleted uranium issue it did so that it was not really noticed. Why? Maybe these are lies being perpetrated by those lefty commies. I am sure that statements are made to deny the use of depleted uranium and the other crimes against humanity by the US government and its allies of this invasion.

Least WE forget! Support our troops by making sure that the US government is stopped from invading any other country. God bless the US by keeping its government sane and peace seeking.

[12voltman59]

About the only "good thing" that did take place as a result of our war with Iraq---we did get rid of a really horrible dictator and the world doesn't miss Saddam Hussein, but surely--so much about this war was wrong.

Top officials of the Bush administration, from George W., Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Condolezza Rice, Colin Powell and the rest, to be charitable at best---did a lot of "dissembling" to set the rationale for the war and at worst--just flat out lied and "cooked the books" as to all the intelligence regarding Iraq's WMDs and such.

Surely--the war has been a disaster for most average Iraqis---and we have lost or permanently maimed so many young people from our "coalition" nations who went to fight this war.

What I think is the going to be the most negative thing to come from our wars in both Iraq, Afghanistan and our covert "drone wars" that are taking place as we speak in places like Pakistan and Lord knows where else----is going to be the future "blowback" and "unintended consequences" that are bound to come thanks to all of this.

Much of the current situation that we now experience are such "blowback" thanks to our past actions like the CIA helping to install a much hated and corrupt Shan in Iran---and from having armed the Muhajedeen in Afghanistan on a covert basis to help them boot the Soviet army from that nation back in the 70s and 80s.

With Iran---our support of the Shah of Iran initially lead of course to his eventual ouster and the establishment of the Islamic regime in that nation along with them taking our embassy personnel hostage.

With the Muhajedeen fighters----- we covertly provided them huge caches of weapons to fight the Soviets, and after the Soviets went home with their tails between their legs, those Afghan "freedom fighters" eventually morphed into the Taliban and elements of Al Qaeda.

We have probably set up a cycle of violence, retaliation, seeking revenge and "an eye for an eye" sort of thing and from this---we can only assume that at some point in the future---we will see a really horrific act that comes in the name of all the wrongs we have done in such places in the last decade---an act or series of actions that will make the 9/11 and other attacks seem small in scale, and that will just perpetuate the cycle of violence we seem destined to have between our two cultures----it is very Shakespearean--and also much like what is still my favorite Star Trek movie--"The Wrath of Khan"--with this all reminding me of the final scenes where Khan quotes Willie the Shake.

"From Hell's heart, I stab at thee," and "To the last, I grapple with thee!"

[darkeyes]

Is the world a better and safer place than before the Iraq war? Is Iraq? Are the people of Iraq? Are what are called terror groups under control? Is the world more tolerant and compassionate? Is there less conflict? Are we in the west more free than before the war? Are those of other non western nations? Is the world more or less democratic? Is there less fear? Less xenophobia and racism? Are our governments less paranoid and are we? Do nations co-operate more with each other? Was it worth the death and destruction? Was it all really worth it, this war begun and fought on lies and deceit???

[tenni]

I did look at that web page and the photos of the poor babies. Anyone who supported this invasion(let alone had anything to do with the use of depleted uranium bullets) should be forced to hold these poor babies and cuddle them(but that would not help the baby as the child would sense the tension). One baby is actually like a cyclops with both eyes together in the middle of the baby's face. I hope that some medical person can help this poor innocent child. Even US soldiers are suffering if they were in Falluja. I thank the other two posters.

I think that Voltie is correct. There is a good chance that more horror will follow. If I was from Iraq and saw these poor babies and the other tragic consequences, I would be angry. Apparently many Iraqi citizens would rather have Saddam than what has happened to them.