The Warmaker's Third Attack On Iraq
From a Gulf War veteran
To whomever will listen...
I am an honorably discharged veteran of the US army, and I served in
Saudi Arabia with the 724th Support Battalion, 24th Infantry Division
during Operation Desert Shame in 1990-1991. I offer a minority view
of the bombing of Iraq. I propose we think about our actions and the
consequences associated with them.
Have you considered how many people live in Iraq? You'd think
there was only Saddam Hussein and his cabinet, and some "million man
army" - including the 'elite' Republican Guard. No one stops to
consider the 20 million men, women and children who (attempt to) live
there.
Have you considered what a tremendous military threat Iraq is
(was)? Prior to 1991 - the country had a GNP roughly equivalent to
that of the state of Kentucky. some threat.
Have you considered the effect that economic sanctions have on a
nation? Virtually no imported medicines or antiseptics or vaccines,
no imported chlorine to purify drinking water, no replacement parts
for destroyed infrastructure, no fertilizer for growing crops, not
even graphite for childrens' pencils. All these items are forbidden
by the US/UN sanctions as dual use technologies, because these would
supposedly be used to develop 'weapons of mass destruction'.
Consequently, about 5,000 children ages 5 and other die EACH MONTH
due to malnutrition and preventable diseases. RACIST GENOCIDE, thy
name is SANCTIONS.
Have you considered what is left to bomb? We utterly destroyed
their infrastructure in the 1991 attacks. Under the guise
of "suspected chemical sites" we destroyed their factories, their
food processing facilities, their water processing, their electrical
plants, in addition to most of their 1950's era military equipment.
(You should see the captured Iraqi 'war trophy' museum at Fort
Stewart GA. Old Soviet surplus and discarded equipment reminiscent of
World War II and Korea. Some prize)
Have you considered that the Iraqi people do not have the
opportunity to vote their leadership out of office? We at least have
a mechanism to remove poor leadership from office. Observe how
difficult this is to accomplish, even in the light of overwhelming
evidence to support removal of our infamous (the world over)
president.
Have you considered that Tomahawk missiles are "weapons of mass
destruction" when we target civilian water supplies, sewage treatment
plants and power generation facilities, as we did in 1991, and are
doing so now?
Have you considered that Iraq is not fighting back? No scrambled
aircraft, no massing of troops, no assaults on our carriers, no
diversionary attacks on neighboring countries. Only token anti-
aircraft fire from their manually sighted 1950's - era weapons,
hardly effective against supersonic attack aircraft.
Have you considered how much more cooperative Iraq will be
concerning UN inspections? I'm sure they will welcome our
puppet "inspectors" with open arms, after we destroy their country
again.
Have you considered that Saddam Hussein is a very `marketable'
enemy? If the rumors are true about troops having been called off,
when he was virtually in their sights, why where they called off? WHO
called them off?
Alternatively, how could the greatest intelligence network in the
world (with their mapping satellites, agents, and operatives) - our
own CIA - be so inept as to not be able to locate him and provide his
GPS coordinates?
The US government does not want Saddam Hussein dead. As long as he
is alive, he provides a very convenient focal point to distract from
the human suffering caused by our attacks, the matter that human
beings live in Iraq, the true motives behind our attacks. He provides
an easy target for the frenzied rage that our leadership and the
media and the church whip up amongst the American public. When he is
gone, who will be the next whipping boy?
Have you considered a logical replacement for Saddam Hussein's
government? When he and his cabinet are gone, then what? No one seems
to have a solution should he be assassinated by a western-sponsored
coup, or directly by the US government (blatantly illegal by
international law). Should we install another puppet regime as we
have in so many places around the globe, with the CIA standing by to
offer 'assistance' and 'foreign aid' when our puppet cannot
adequately control (oppress) his subjects? Or, will we do nothing and
allow the country to descend into anarchy and civil war?
Or, should we assist while the country is systematically carved up
by its neighbors in a bloody land grab?. I presume everyone is
supposed to live happily ever after, after we destroy their land and
kill their leadership.
Perhaps the surviving Iraqi citizens will send a delegation to
thank us for ridding them of Saddam Hussein, for destroying their
homes and livelihood and social structure, for allowing benevolent
Christian capitalist industries to move in, steal their resources,
and essentially enslave the natives as they have done in Central
America, Malaysia, Indonesia, Haiti, etc., etc.
Have you considered that the Iraqi people are non-white? Consider
our country's historical relationship with African peoples, the
Native American Indians, the Chinese workers imported to build the
railroads, the persons of color in sweatshops worldwide working for
Nike and Kathie Lee Gifford and Wal-Mart. If our foreign policy is
not racist and genocidal, please refute from the examples presented
by the peoples listed above.
Have you considered that we have stored in Aberdeen Proving
Ground, MD alone, over 400 thousand gallons of chemical agents? with
no protection from a civil aviation disaster at that, just stored in
above-ground steel tanks (I was stationed there for two years). Not
to mention Redstone Arsenal - Alabama, Toole Utah and dozens of other
sites in the US which are in need of toxic cleanup efforts.
(remember "Superfund"? -established supposedly to finance cleanup
efforts, it is largely exhausted by the attorneys who lobbied for its
establishment.) FYI, Aberdeen is situated in a community of several
thousand, and is less than 60 miles from a slightly larger community,
namely Baltimore. Who is the real possessor of "weapons of mass
destruction" here? Yet another dual standard.
Have you considered that the administrations' argument that Saddam
Hussein is a threat to his neighbors has not been voiced by his
neighbors? Not Saudi Arabia, not Iran, none of Iraq's neighbors have
called for military action. Furthermore, we are not allowed to launch
military strikes from their soil. The Arab nations and China and
Russia have (in varying degrees) denounced the strikes, but have
limited their voice, due to the fear that they will be next if they
do not cooperate with the US' agenda.
The discerning person should be able to see something of
significance here, one point being that unilateral action in others'
backyard is less than appreciated.
Have you considered what our true motives and plans for the region
are? 'Containing terrorism' & 'sending a message' really do not
qualify, considering the windfall to be reaped by big oil, military
contractors, etc. The US' lifeline is maintained by the resources in
third world countries, and we go to great trouble militarily to
ensure that they will remain third world countries so we can continue
to exploit their resources.
Incidentally, oil reserves in Iraq are estimated to be 99 billion
barrels, and natural gas reserves are 108 trillion cubic feet.
Problem is, there are human bodies in the way of US' plans for the
region. Washington's solution - just remove the bodies, preferably
after killing them. Pave the way for Big oil and friends. Big oil
will be still be able to finance Congressional candidates and buy
elections for some time. One hand does indeed wash the other. It's
just so hard to get the blood off, though.
Have you considered the timing? Just as the impeachment noose was
tightening. Remember the last time - August '98, about 3 months ago -
when the issue was Monica Lewinsky, the cigar and the Starr report?
Our "ethics poster boy" bombed the undefended pharmaceutical factory
in Sudan and some villagers in Afghanistan. No independently
determined connection was made to any terrorist activities in either
location, but this event is now ancient history. The American people
are not interested in justice, only slick marketing as practiced by
our administration and military. "Never underestimate a desperate
president".
Have you considered that we have a very limited input via the
media (If you have ever been interviewed, I'm sure you are familiar
with their incredible ability to misreport, and present their own
bias in your name). No input is garnered from legitimate sources in
the region, only the select few we send to tell us what our itching
ears want to hear.
Have you considered that - no matter what Iraq does - a 'rationale
of the week' spin would be produced by Washington (as were presented
by James Baker and Dick Cheney in 1990-91) until a consensus would be
built in support of airstrikes, until the place is completely and
irrevocably pulverized to pave the way for western interests? We used
to hear all about the tremendous threat posed by SCUD missiles.
Have you considered that the range of a SCUD missile is
approximately 300 miles? Do you know how far Israel is from Iraq? How
about New York City? surely the threat to the Big Apple must justify
preemptive military action.
Have you considered that Saddam Hussein will use these attacks to
reinforce anti-US sentiments not only in Iraq, but among the entire
Arabic community? That military strikes will force retaliation in the
only way these people can? There is no opportunity for a "fair" fight
for them, considering that our annual military spending is greater
than the combined expenditures of the next 10 or so countries? When
the school bully is pummeling you and stealing your lunch money,
where are you going to kick him? Same rationale applies.
I hold that the Bible is God's inerrant word, and is not to be
ignored or diluted in this day of free-for-all morality. Regardless
of whether you choose to acknowledge Almighty God, I assure He does
indeed exist. Have you considered how He feels about military strikes
by a religious / "Christian" nation against a people created by the
same God?
Someday we all die, none of us will get out of this world without
tasting death. It will be too late to take up the cause of the
oppressed, the downtrodden, the helpless, the defeated. And to you,
the "evangelical Christian" - How do you propose to convince God (as
if that were possible) that your motives were truly to demonstrate
His love working through you to reach the Iraqi people for Jesus
Christ? Looks more like you were reaching for their oil, with their
blood all over your hands. You will indeed have a difficult case to
present.
Evangelical Christian leader, how will you answer regarding the
great commission referenced in Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:16? You
should have been preaching and teaching and actively sharing the love
of Christ (James 1:27, James 2:15-18), not by a thoughtless and
mindless support for the secular leaders who are bombing and killing
and sending cruise missiles.
Jesus clearly told us the day will come when he will say to
many, "I never knew you. Depart from me" (Matthew 7:21-23). God knows
all things, who does he have in mind?
Rick Blumhorst Paola, KS
Sources of Mr. Blumhorst's statements are primarily US government
publications including the Congressional Presentation for Foreign
Operations, the World Almanac, and the Bible. Some of his references
are to the rhetoric circulated by George Bush, James Baker and Dick
Cheney. We believe his references are generally accurate, and
statistically conservative. Your questions and comments are invited.
ED.