_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It has been Bush and his Administration that have carved out the overwhelming criminal conduct by American officers right down to the privates in this illegal invasion on Iraq. And, now, with more American forces deployed in Afghanistan the illegal activities by the invading forces are on the rise primarily by the actions of the American forces.
These criminal activities are War Crimes as well as Crimes Against Humanity.
The crimes include the targeting of civilians, destruction of necessary infrastructure such as water and electricity as well as facilities to take away sewage to prevent disease. Many hospitals are no longer functioning and it is know that in some cases the sick and the wounded can not get to the hospital because of American sniper attacks. Most times it would do no good to get to a hospital because they lack water and electricity as well as medicines such as antibiotics, pain killers and even the essential guasse to help wounds heal.
Another War Crime is the disproportionate use of forces ie: bombing a city for four days reducing it to rubble and then laying siege with ground forces with Free Fire orders (to shoot anybody and everybody). Another War Crime is the targeting of civilians. Many actions of the American armed forces are actions taken against civilian targets. For instance the four days of bombing of the Holy City of Fallujah targeted civilians - no question. 70% of the city was bombed to rubble or rendered houses and businesses unsafe. They used indiscriminate incendiary devices in civilian neighbourhoods as well as, equally indiscriminate bombs, such as Carpet bombs. There are some who claim that napalm was used also.
In many of these atrocities the military kept the embedded journalists (can hardly call these people journalists) out with simple orders. They tried to stop brave independent journalists from going in and reporting. Hats off to the independent "real" journalists who tried to get the "real" story out to the world that is still being sent white washed reports of America at War.
It's cruel how the US condemns the targeting of children by suicide bombers, who could disagree?, while the US itself is killing thousands of children with its indiscriminate bombing. The two are essentially different only by degree. The US sends tones of bombs and incendiary devices onto civilian targets which kills children enmass. Hospitals are closed up and snipers shoot at all who would want in, essential medicines and hospital supplies are kept out - these crimes do target children along with mothers, fathers, grandparents. These bombing and strafing raids do not target insurgents. But America doesn't care. It is quite obvious by the way they run these wars that no human has any value to the American Way of killing.
Some proved targets in the wars upon Iraq and Afghanistan are:
- targeting of civilians by snipers
- targeting of children
- targeting people trying to get to hospital
- targeting of ambulances
- use of illegal weapons
It might be interesting to note:
"After we shoot something with DU, we're not supposed to go around it, due to the fact that it could cause cancer," says a sergeant in Baghdad from New York, assigned to a Bradley, who asked not to be further identified.
But still the US military cares little about the future of Iraq. The life of depleted uranium dust is 4.5 billion years.
The US military continues to argue inanely about the safety of depleted uranium as well as the necessity of its use. Apparently soldiers know better.
RC
 |  |
Re: View “Misunderestimated'
I understand where Tom Olsen is coming from when he suggests that Bush's legacy, after a few years, will become one of respect. And this has been true of many presidents but only because the popular media, when speaking about former presidents, neglects the negative aspects of each one's tenure as president with the possible exception of the much maligned President Carter, a true humanitarian.
Olsen proceeds to point out this fact with Nixon's criminal behaviour and his consequent impeachment. Olsen, as with the norm of the popular press, neglects the horrid negatives of the Nixon presidency. Rarely is it now reported Nixon's close involvement with the failure of President Allende the Chilean democratically elected president of Chile. Because of Allede's activities in his beloved country of Chile he moved to make Chile more economically able on the world stage and set about to set up a much more fair distribution of wealth and land amoung the citizens of Chile.
Nixon, keeping in step with 'America's need for control' allowed the CIA to enhance their criminal and covert activities in Chile. The CIA operatives began a program of lies and deceits to pare away at Allende's popularity. They did this in a few ways. The CIA assets began by creating and spreading rumours of Allende followed by creating unrest in unionized labour shops and created negative perspectives of Allende's land reform suggesting that people were being ripped off. Nixon bolstered the effects of the CIA criminal behaviour by spending $10 million of American taxpayer's money directly assigned to provide false news stories for the Chilean media.
As unrest began to become evident CIA assets incited violence in normally respectful protests. As the political climate began to fail it was easy for the American puppet General Pinochet to launch a successful coup and militarily take over Chile. As is normal with American puppet leaders in foriegn lands Pinochet was a cruel and criminal man. Shortly after his rise to control of Chile people began to disappear from the cities and town and rural areas of Chile. There was a huge outcry with many mother's marching and crying in the streets holding pictures of their beloveds. The US turned a blind eye to their suffering that America had caused and people continued to be killed, disappeared and set on fire in the streets of Chile.
To my mind this is the most important legacy of the Nixon presidency. But, the Americans, being self centered as they are, didn't even prosecute Nixon on these evil deeds. Thousands were tortured and killed by Pinochet who remained an American protege through all of it. Only Spain send out an order for his arrest but could not act upon it because of American hinderance. Finally, as an old man looking for hospital care inthe UK was Spain able to extradite and send him to trial. Very much too late for some many victims of his cruel tenure as an American puppet leader.
What is worse is this type of American illegal interference had a long history before General Pinochet's career of killing and torture but it continues today. It's time for the world to demand the full truth in reporting of president's legacies as well as the full truth of the torture and murders of which the American nation is really all about in this savaged world of ours.
RC
