American casualties, March, 2003 to April
26, 2013
Iraq war = 4,422 deaths, 31,927 wounded
Afghanistan war = 2,193 deaths and 18,429
wounded
For What?
Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. George H W Bush was president;
Dick Cheney was Secretary of Defense. The USA along with a coalition of several
allies, with UN Security Council approval, went to the aid of Kuwait to push
Iraq back across the border and reclaim Kuwait. Dick Cheney and several high
ranking Military officers wanted to continue the push all the way to Baghdad,
but were held in check by President H W Bush and the UN Security Council.
When Iraq was pushed back and Kuwait was secured, President
Bush, his wife and two of their sons, with several cabinet members made a visit
to Kuwait to offer support for the damages inflicted by Iraq. During the visit,
an assassination attempt was made on President Bush by Iraqi forces, but was
interdicted by Kuwait Security Police. 17 Iraqis were captured in the
attempt. This further contributed to Cheney’s desire to invade Iraq and nail Saddam
Hussein, not only for snubbing his nose at the US, the UN, and the rest of the
world, but for trying to assassinate President George H W Bush.
After completing his service as Secretary of Defense with
President George H W Bush, Dick Cheney spent the next 8 years as CEO of Halliburton,
a large government contractor.
When George W Bush became President under questionable conditions, Dick Cheney became Vice
President. Both men harbored a deep seated hatred for Saddam Hussein, and would
use any excuse for an opportunity to invade Iraq for the sole purpose of revenge.
After the Twin Towers attack by 15 Saudi Arabian citizens
who were members of the al Qaida terrorist organization, intelligence reports were
manipulated to indicate Saddam Hussein and Iraq as the source of the attack. Erroneous
intelligence reports were manufactured indicating Iraq was making and hiding
Weapons of Mass Destruction which were a threat to the USA. Both of which were later
to be proven false.
Against world opinion and without the approval of the UN
Security Council, several allies were bullied into joining a US led invasion of
Iraq in March, 2003. Halliburton was arbitrarily awarded a No Bid
contract for all military requirements, construction and supply for the war(s).
After Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled and his palaces
and estates were captured, W Bush appeared on the deck of an aircraft carrier
displaying a banner reading, “Mission Accomplished.” As far as “W” and Cheney
were concerned, they had had their revenge on Saddam Hussein, for his arrogance
toward the US and for attempting to assassinate “W’s” father, and their mission
was completed. They weren't interested in identifying or pursuing the real
perpetrators of the attack on the Twin Towers, and the US. Yet the war has continued
and expanded into Afghanistan. Hussein was later captured and hanged by an
Iraqi court on December 30, 2006.
“W” and Cheney’s personal revenge has cost the US
unimaginable debt, and more than twice the number of casualties caused by the terrorist
attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. Not to mention the untold number
of civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The cost for these wars during “W’s” administration has
depleted the US treasury and was charged on a “credit card” to be paid by following
administrations plunging the US into trillions of dollars in debt.
During “W’s” administration we witnessed some of the worst greed ever by
banks and Wall Street CEOs, Kenneth Lay of Enron, Bernard Madoff, Mitt Romney
& Bain Capital, etc., all paying themselves million dollar salaries and bonuses
and stripping pension funds, savings funds, mortgage funds, company assets, and
putting thousands of people out of work while the American economy was going
down the toilet.
In the end, what has been accomplished by this act of reckless
revenge? What have we settled by waging war in and on 2 Middle Eastern
countries? What has been changed? So far the most we have accomplished is the uniting
of all Arabic and Islamic peoples in a hatred of jihad proportions against
America.
Middle Eastern countries have been in conflict with each
other for thousands of years. When American forces leave Iraq and Afghanistan,
deep rooted cultural traditions will prevail and conditions will continue as
they have been for centuries.
o
