Comments on: Is Iraq stable enough to cope without U.S. troops?

By: The Bell

The Bell — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:03:36 +0000

More to the point: Can any of the 168,000 Americans from Gulf War One and literally countless Iraqi civilians ever expect to recover from the sickening effects of depleted Uranium spread over thousands of square miles of that country? When will they be stable enough to cope without water and schools, but with plenty of prison camps?

Bound to find out eventually, aren’t we? Unlike Pandora, “we” didn’t open the box so much as blow it to smithereens and contaminate all of its contents, to see what was inside.

Are the people of Iraq, who never in all history attacked the countries of their current aggressors, jailers and occupants, ever likely to forget the hideously massive loss of life, health, social infrastructure, liberty and cultural artefacts which have gone hand in hand with this absolutely unjustified multi-trillion dollar war?

How can Iraq be expected to deal with people who persistently quibble, it was “[only] $687 billion and [just] three hundred thousand lives”? Uncharitably, if at all, I would imagine.

On an entertainment note:

In versions of Casablanca I have seen, the line where Humphrey Bogart apparently wonders whether the French, Polish and Russians were stable enough to cope without the presence of Panzer-Divisions, associated carcinogenic chemical weaponry, rape, pillaging and so forth must have been… uh, omitted.

Quaint question, though.

By: Anubis

Anubis — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:41:28 +0000

You are right Bob, many of the deaths are suicide bombings and other forms of sectarian violence that did not exist under Saddam’s regime. This was in no small part due to his brutality. However the loss of infrastructure from the initial bombings by U.S. forces prior to the invasion left Bahgdad in ruins. No fresh water, electricity, medical supplies, fresh food and destroyed sanitation systems lead to starvation and disease killing the elderly and youngest of the population. Amnesty International has tried to do an accounting of mortality and disease rates in Iraq since the first gulf war. Dealing with any government is problematic when trying to uncover such information. I don’t think anyone really knows for sure.

By: ZT

ZT — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:19:22 +0000

I had to ruin your conspiracy theory, Hoang, but Iraq is a relativly small player in the world oil industry (only about 1% of the US supply, for example) that the war was never designed to influence world oil prices. Oil prices effect the war, though, since the revenue is neccesarry to rebuild the country’s economy, and also a cause for sectarian violence.

By: Michael Ham

Michael Ham — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:31:38 +0000

Iraq a mess during the Saddam administration and an even worse mess now, just look at how the families are living. (hard to find since no media outlet ever shows it, including Reuters)

What do we say now to all fatherless children here in America? What do we tell them their fathers died for? Do we tell them the depressing truth or lie to their faces?

By: niyaz/Erbil

niyaz/Erbil — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:20:11 +0000

As a person who lives in Kurdistan region of Iraq ui can not be optimistic about the future of Iraq. There is no difference whether the US troops will stay or not. Iraq got it’s independent since 1920 and throughout that time there has been always problems inside Iraq. Problems lingering among Shia, Sunni, and Kurds. Still thses problems exist and the Iraqi government has noty made any concerted efforts to slove the disputes between Iraqi sections. Currently the tension between the central government and the Kurdistan regional governmernt has resurfaced again and the central government is not doing a serious efoorts to solve the issue. The best solution for Iraq is to be seperated to three federal region as V.Presidnet Joe Biden suggested. As a Kurd we are unwilingly part of iraq and we do not want to rmain so, personally i advocate the idea of seceding from iraq as soon as possible. Also in the Middle and south of iraq Shia and Sunni can not get along, it is impossible for them to live together. SO if Iraq remain unified it will cause catastrophy. The sooner Iraq divides the better for all Iraqi people.

By: Hoang Thanh Nguyen

Hoang Thanh Nguyen — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:41:05 +0000

I think once the US TROOP pull out IRAQ, oil will reach at least 150 to 200 per barrel. Since they cannot pay the money, they will negotiate to pay by OIL. IRAQ will take advantage to sell OIL at higher price.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:09:46 +0000

Earlier someone posted these thoughts (among other things)

Cost; $687 billion! … cost; 350,000 lives…

—

Add them together and then it is possible to realize what actually happened…Bush raped a country in the name of America for his own ends and for the ends of those who do not care about Iraq or its people but only for profit and political power. Now not only Iraq but America will pay for Bush’s tyranny for many years to come…

By: Semaj Vosng

Semaj Vosng — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:24:52 +0000

Since American and coalition force withdrawal, are photographs of Islamic apostates being posted in Mosques? Are photos of Iraqi’s who helped American and coalition forces being posted as wanted persons?
Are these rumors?

By: Dusan G.

Dusan G. — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:13:52 +0000

The title is misleading also in the following: Looks that we care for Iraqis what is obviously not true. The title could be valid only in the context of security of our companies exporting Iraqi’s oil.

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:10:45 +0000

I notice, Anubis, that you used the qualifying term “directly or indirectly” when speaking about the 1.3 million deaths caused by America.

Would you care to elaborate?

I was led to believe that the majority of those 1.3 million deaths were caused by insurgency actions directed at civilians.