FYI: Iraq Is Not Our Country
http://www.antiwar.com/reese/?articleid=10917
by Charley Reese May 8, 2007
excerpt from article:
A few reminders: Iraq is not our country. Our
invasion and occupation are illegal, being in
violation of both international law and our own
traditions. We were lied into war. We are still
being lied to. Both the Bush administration and the
Democrats intend to maintain American troops in Iraq
indefinitely.
The catchy little phrase "If you break it, you own
it" might apply to unpurchased merchandise, but it
definitely does not apply to nation-states. You don't
gain title to your neighbor's house just because you
blow it up. We definitely broke Iraq, but that only
gives us the burden of sin. It does not entitle us
to the country.
It's easy to forget that when you listen to American
politicians in both parties talk about what Iraq has
to do or ought to do or should do. The Iraqi
government does not have to do anything we tell it,
and so far it hasn't, despite promises to the
contrary.
(skip several paragraphs)
The reason I say both Democrats and Republicans
intend a long-term military presence is because
that's what they say if you listen closely. The
so-called withdrawal deadline of the Democrats
stipulates some troops left in country. To quell an
insurgency, if you can do it at all, usually requires
about 10 years.
You can see by the casualty figures - overwhelmingly
Iraqi - that we are not doing the main fighting. We
lose people daily, but so far in the single digits.
And we will go on losing people no matter what
tactics we employ as long as we stay there while the
Iraqis fight a civil war. We can, with our sick
devotion to legalese, say it is not an occupation,
but the Iraqis call it an occupation, and they don't
like it worth a toot.
When American politicians say if we leave, there
will be chaos, that's a joke. There is chaos there
now. Another joke is that we can democratize the
Middle East. Still another joke is the belief that
we can deal with terrorism without solving the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
rest of article at:
http://www.antiwar.com/reese/?articleid=10917
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