U.S. Is Destroying and Conquering Iraq, Not "Winning" the War
"Winning" the Iraq War is a Bush-Cheney euphemism for conquering and destroying Iraq.
Regardless of their true intentions five years ago, destroying modern-day Iraq is certainly what George Bush and Dick Cheney have accomplished.
And once Iraq is entirely without resources and infrastructure, Bush-Cheney cronies apparently plan to make billions upon billions by rebuilding and "privatizing" Iraq. (See Iraq Gold Rush for Bush Crony War Profiteers.)
Make no mistake about it: George Bush and Dick Cheney have destroyed a country that posed no threat to the United States. And the devastation they've wreaked on Iraqi citizens far surpasses damages done by dictator Saddam Hussein, per a report issued jointly this week by two major relief agencies. Per CNN:
"About eight million Iraqis -- nearly a third of the population -- are without water, sanitation, food and shelter and need emergency aid, a report by two major relief agencies says..."The report found that about 43 percent of Iraq's population endure 'absolute poverty,' and that more than half 'are now without work'...
"Child malnutrition rates have jumped from 19 percent before the invasion four years ago to 28 percent now, and there are two million internally displaced people, many of whom have no or little access to food rations."
Deleting the Bad News: No Electricity for Iraqis
Also, the Los Angeles Times reported this week that the Bush administration "has stopped reporting to Congress a key quality-of-life indicator in Baghdad: how long the power stays on."
Why? Because the news isn't peachy.
Baghdad residents can now "count on only 'an hour or two a day' of electricity." In May 2007, Baghdad homes had 5.6 hours of daily electricity, and 10.9 hours for homes outside Baghdad. Before the U.S. attacked Iraq, Iraqi homes received 16 to 24 daily hours of electricity. (For more info, see Iraq Sweltering With Almost No Electricity.)
Obviously, for the Bush-Cheney Iraq War strategy, "winning" has absolutely nothing to do with the health, welfare and prosperity of Iraqis.
(Photo of aftermath of July 27, 2007 car bomb explosion, which killed at least 25 and injured many more, in the Shiite Karrada district of Baghdad, Iraq. Getty Images/Stringer)
Related Reading
Iraq War Statistics as of July 29, 2007
Iraq Gold Rush for Bush Crony War Profiteers
Iraq Sweltering With Almost No Electricity(Current Political Events)
CNN, July 30, 2007: 8 million Iraqis 'need urgent aid'
Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2007: U.S. drops Baghdad electricity reports
Comments
The people of Iraq are suffering , but there getting what theu ask for ,I know it sounds harsh, but it’s true they either blow or help mohammed’s dogs to keep wrecking this countrty, if the people here want a better life then mabey they should stop helping the very people who enslave them.
I would love to see this sort of thing discussed by the 08 candidates. Personally, improving the quality of life, level of safety and access to life-perpetuating services for people around the world is such an important part of the justification for “liberating” people. If we’re going to turn the tides in this war and the way we’re perceived in the world, we really need to focus some serious time, energy (and funding) on using our resources to help people, rather than destroy them.
How are we not winning the war? I mean, they have not attacked our country since 9-11. The only problem we’re having is not accomplishing tasks b/c of rules of engagement. If we would go out and conquer and then hold we would have Iraq to its knees. There’s no reason for saying we’re not winning this war.