The Persian Gulf War II: A Staged Event
June 8, 2003
Never before, to my knowledge, has an American president donned military garb to address the troops of the United States. This did not stop George W. Bush from doing just that when he landed on the carrier Abraham Lincoln in early May and declared victory in Iraq. It was a made-for-television event sure to be replayed during Bush's re-election campaign, according to the Associated Press. Thankfully a few journalists did not miss the irony in this, specifically that Bush failed to report for duty for an entire year toward the end of his hitch with the Texas Air National Guard. Before the 2000 Presidential Elections Senator Kerry from Nebraska even went so far as to ask "If he is elected president, how will he be able to deal as commander in chief with someone who goes AWOL, when he did the same thing?" Fortunately for Bush the terror attacks of 911 and the ensuring so-called war on terrorism drove such criticisms out of the headlines. Bush's grandstanding was just one incident in a long series of manipulated media events destined to go down in the history books as The Persian Gulf War II.
For many weeks there have been countless articles published by the mainstream media outlets and alternative press that call into question the intelligence that was used to massage public opinion into supporting the military action in Iraq. Three days ago there was an article on the website of The London Guardian that stated that the US deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz admitted, in an address to delegates at an Asian security summit in Singapore last weekend, that oil was the main reason for military action against Iraq. Here is his direct quote from the article: "Let's look at it simply. The most important difference between North Korea and Iraq is that economically, we just had no choice in Iraq. The country swims on a sea of oil." Then the story was pulled from The Guardian website and a statement was posted that claims that the author had misconstrued the remarks made by Wolfowitz. Anyone wishing to view the original article can do so here at the alternative media website Truthout.org. It sure seems that his comments have been misconstrued often of late as an article appeared on May 30th on Britain's Independent website that bore the headline: WMD just a convenient excuse for war, admits Wolfowitz. It is no surprise that the Pentagon immediately declared that Wolfowitz's comments (from an interview appearing in Vanity Fair) were taken out of context. To be fair, you can view the transcript of the interview here on the Department of Defense's website. Here is another Wolfowitz bombshell: Saddam behind 9/11 attacks and OKC Bombing. And here Wolfowitz admits the Iraq invasion was planned two days after 911. Actually it has been advocated since 1997 by the The Project for the New American Century, a non-profit, educational organization whose goal is to promote American global leadership.
The world was told that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were the pretext for invasion by the United States yet none have been found, unless you count a few supposed mobile weapons labs that even the CIA has admitted could have other uses. A former attorney general says Bush should be impeached. The news articles and op-ed pieces accusing Bush and Tony Blair of lying about the WMD's are becoming voluminous. Here is a small sampling:
Now we have analysts saying that Cheney's CIA visits pressured them and the British government is blaming intelligence rogue elements, while the US Senate opens an Iraq weapons probe and the British Parliament holds hearings on Blair's WMD claims. Also, under intense scrutiny and pressure the Pentagon takes the offensive on Iraq war allegations. If this military action was to rid Iraq of WMD's, then why won't the US probe secret Iraqi weapons documents? UN members have asked the United States to let inspectors into Iraq yet they refuse. Colin Powell voiced doubts over Iraq's WMD's ('I'm not reading this. This is bullsh*t'), then he covered himself by claiming he removed dubious facts from his UN presentation. And now US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said that there may not be any WMD in Iraq because they may have been destroyed prior to the invasion. It must be apparent to most anyone, except people intent on blindly following our so-called leaders, that the invasion of Iraq was based on lies. When Rumsfeld did not like the intelligence he was getting from the CIA, he formed his own intelligence wing: The Office of Special Plans. He did this to propagate fears of WMD's and draw the less than credible connection between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin-Laden.
Since WMD's have not been found there has been a shift to the liberation of the Iraqi people as a pretext for invasion. The world was told that the Coalition forces would install a democratic government in Iraq. But now we find out that the US will 'appoint' the new Iraq government and plans for a British-appointed ruling council in Basra have gone awry. Also the Iraqi press is being censored. The Iraqi people are quickly finding out what liberation and freedom mean as the US prepares for military repression in Iraq. It seems a good number of them are not buying the scam as almost each day we hear of protests against the occupation and attacks on American forces. Iraq guerrilla violence flares so the U.S. is to send 20,000 additional troops to stabilize Iraq. That may not be enough according to a former civilian head of the Army who has said it is time for the Pentagon to admit that the military is in for a long occupation in Iraq that will require a major commitment of American troops. Too many Iraqi civilians have been gunned down to reasonably assert that occupation will be bloodless. There have been many reports as to why Baghdad fell without a fight, most pointing to deals cut between the US and top Iraqi Generals. Then there was the staged photo-op toppling of Saddam's statue. Reports indicate that the few dozens at the event were members of the Iraqi Democratic Congress flown in for the occasion by the US. If the city really felt liberated there would have been many millions in the streets. Then only a few days after the fall of Baghdad there was a flood of cocaine and heroin on the streets. Also the US military used depleted uranium munitions. DU affects not only the people in the Middle East, but the US soldiers who fought there. The military used 9,600,000 pounds of radioactive munitions in and around Baghdad alone. The troops are there right now breathing uranium dust.
The looting of Iraq's archeological treasures is a crime against humanity on a monumental scale. Trade in illegal antiquities is the third biggest money making venture in the world behind arms and drugs. Here are some articles detailing US complicity in these heinous crimes:
Schools are closing early because of cash shortages and there is over $1 trillion missing from the Pentagon, yet US money is funding Uzbeki torture chambers. How do they get away with this? With the compliance of the mainstream media, that's how. Back in the late 1940's the CIA started taking over the media with the aptly named Operation Mockingbird. Today this operation has no doubt reached it's goal as evidenced by the embedded infotainment during the Iraq invasion, when media outlets showed themselves to be nothing more than flag waving propagandists. Before the invasion, BBC reporter Kate Adie revealed that the Pentagon announced that they would fire on independent journalists in Iraq and they surely made good on their threat. Although officials maintain that the numerous incidences in which journalists were killed or maimed were accidents, many media groups have asserted that US forces intentionally targeted them. As the pressure grows over the killing of journalists by the US, the media giants have gotten their payoff. FCC Chair Michael Powell has effectively given multinational conglomerates free reign to gobble up radio and television stations without worry, while critics contend that the FCC shift may choke independent voices in an environment already heavily consolidated. Control of the airwaves insure the ability to mold society's perceptions, and suppress information such as the fact that both Osama bin-Laden and Saddam Hussein have ties to the CIA. And one must wonder how reports like the US may help Iranian terrorist group and the US is running a terror organization fit into the so-called war on terror. We must regain the ability to think for ourselves. We can evoke an information revolution by supporting independent media sources. In fact I suggest that each one of us become independent researchers to dispel and discredit the propaganda and hype being served up all around us
Here are some articles uncovering the Saving Private Lynch debacle:
The commanding general of Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas warned military personnel not to wear their uniforms when off duty because of two recent threats on soldiers and sailors stationed there. If things are that bad it is hard to believe the polls that claim 70% of Americans supported the invasion of Iraq. Also, for the first time in history, while the military action was being waged in real life, our children were already playing the game version in full 3-D first person perspective. Desert Combat, a modification (mod) of a game called Battlefield:1942, pits the coalition forces against the opposition forces. That is a polite way of saying the United States against Iraq. That is one way to prepare our children for the future if the Universal National Service Act of 2003 gets passed. That is a bill mandating service to the homeland for every man and woman.
Bush lied to us. Colon Powell Lied to us. Tony Blair lied to us. Indeed, they lied to the whole world to legitimize and gain public support for the invasion of Iraq. This is unconscionable. I am not versed in political or legal law, but lying to the American public to start an illegitimate invasion would seem to me to be an impeachable offense. I encourage all to contact the members of Congress to demand just that. We can put our foot down if enough of us express outrage over the needless killing that has been perpetuated in our name. And for all those that hold out hope that democrats will take the presidency and/or capture a majority of Congress in the next election and everything will be ok after that......forget it. The right-left political paradigm is a farce. A staged production to give the illusion that power alternates every so many years. At the top of the spectrum, apart from a few exceptions, there is no difference between a Democrat or a Republican. We have an obligation to our future generations to hold the ones in power accountable when they have abused their positions for personal and geo-political gain, and Bush has clearly done that. Though we are told that Iraq has just returned to the international oil market, we all know who is actually doing business there. A shadowy cabal fronted by US and transnational corporations. It is our actions today that will shape our children's future and their children's future. Unless we speak out and oppose these abuses certainly more will follow. Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and many others are on the target list, although many officials have denied the existence of a hit list. Our personal freedoms are being curtailed and taken away at light speed. Some officials and pundits have even attempted to equate peaceful protest and free speech criticizing the government with terrorism. We must use our freedom of speech effectively while we still have it without fear. Please tell Congress to impeach Bush now.