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Americans Dead in Afghanistan: 4,000 and Counting...
Mar 25, 2008
Today's killing of the 4,000 American soldier in Iraq was the latest grim marker in the Bush administration's disastrous war and occupation in Iraq, coming just days after the tragic passing of the fifth anniversary of the American invasion.
Both occurred as the hollow claims by the Bush administration that its so-called military "surge" is "working" became even more obviously absurd. For months it has been painfully clear that the goal of the surge -- political reconciliation that a decline in violence was to make possible -- had totally failed. Now, even the reduction of violence promoted daily by President Bush and the Iraq war apologists lacks credibility.
Up to now, the misleading claim of a "decline" in violence in Iraq could only be made by comparing the numbers killed and wounded to last year's catastrophically high levels. (Kind of like standing in a violent Category 3 hurricane and claiming that it is a beautiful day by comparing it to a Category 5 storm.) Now, even that claim can no longer hold water. The so-called decline in the number of violent attacks stopped last November and for weeks the level of violence has spiked significantly upward.
Meanwhile, the people of Iraq continue to pass their own cataclysmic milestones from the more than 100,000 who have been killed to the well over four million turned into refugees.
There is no end in sight for the carnage, no sign that the U.S. backed government will be willing to compromise with its rivals and absolutely no hope that the wishes of the majority of Iraqis that American forces be removed from their country will be taken seriously.
Next month the president will ask Congress to pass another tragic milestone by handing over more than $100 billion more dollars for the military occupation. That will be the latest installment of what Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz calculates will be a $3 TRILLION dollar price tag for American taxpayers.
Washington pundits predict that the Democratic controlled Congress will facilitate this milestone by once again rolling over and handing the president whatever he wants. But, this is ONE milestone that we need not reach. That is why the 40 member Win Without War coalition marked the 5th anniversary of the war last week by circulating an "Open Letter to Congress" imploring it to reverse course. Addressed to Congressman Jack Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, it calls on Congress to:
- Stop funding the war: Give the Pentagon only enough money for the safe and orderly redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq;
- Support a diplomatic offensive -- as recommended by the Iraq Study Group -- to build a comprehensive solution involving many countries;
- Stop funding the construction of permanent military bases in Iraq and military contractors; and
- Refuse to fund any permanent "security agreement" between President Bush and Iraqi President Maliki unless first approved by Congress and the Iraqi parliament.
If you are you are sick and tired of the passing of tragic milestones, we invite to do something about it: visit our campaign web site, sign the letter and pass it on: www.standupcongress.org.
The only acceptable milestone will be the removal of the final US soldier from Iraqi soil.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Tom Andrews
Tom Andrews, is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School. A former Member of Congress from the First Congressional District of Maine, he was a co-founder of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Tom served as National Director of Win Without War, and President of United to End Genocide. He has worked with political organizers and human rights advocates in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Yemen and Ukraine, among others. He has a Washington DC-based consulting practice.
Today's killing of the 4,000 American soldier in Iraq was the latest grim marker in the Bush administration's disastrous war and occupation in Iraq, coming just days after the tragic passing of the fifth anniversary of the American invasion.
Both occurred as the hollow claims by the Bush administration that its so-called military "surge" is "working" became even more obviously absurd. For months it has been painfully clear that the goal of the surge -- political reconciliation that a decline in violence was to make possible -- had totally failed. Now, even the reduction of violence promoted daily by President Bush and the Iraq war apologists lacks credibility.
Up to now, the misleading claim of a "decline" in violence in Iraq could only be made by comparing the numbers killed and wounded to last year's catastrophically high levels. (Kind of like standing in a violent Category 3 hurricane and claiming that it is a beautiful day by comparing it to a Category 5 storm.) Now, even that claim can no longer hold water. The so-called decline in the number of violent attacks stopped last November and for weeks the level of violence has spiked significantly upward.
Meanwhile, the people of Iraq continue to pass their own cataclysmic milestones from the more than 100,000 who have been killed to the well over four million turned into refugees.
There is no end in sight for the carnage, no sign that the U.S. backed government will be willing to compromise with its rivals and absolutely no hope that the wishes of the majority of Iraqis that American forces be removed from their country will be taken seriously.
Next month the president will ask Congress to pass another tragic milestone by handing over more than $100 billion more dollars for the military occupation. That will be the latest installment of what Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz calculates will be a $3 TRILLION dollar price tag for American taxpayers.
Washington pundits predict that the Democratic controlled Congress will facilitate this milestone by once again rolling over and handing the president whatever he wants. But, this is ONE milestone that we need not reach. That is why the 40 member Win Without War coalition marked the 5th anniversary of the war last week by circulating an "Open Letter to Congress" imploring it to reverse course. Addressed to Congressman Jack Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, it calls on Congress to:
- Stop funding the war: Give the Pentagon only enough money for the safe and orderly redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq;
- Support a diplomatic offensive -- as recommended by the Iraq Study Group -- to build a comprehensive solution involving many countries;
- Stop funding the construction of permanent military bases in Iraq and military contractors; and
- Refuse to fund any permanent "security agreement" between President Bush and Iraqi President Maliki unless first approved by Congress and the Iraqi parliament.
If you are you are sick and tired of the passing of tragic milestones, we invite to do something about it: visit our campaign web site, sign the letter and pass it on: www.standupcongress.org.
The only acceptable milestone will be the removal of the final US soldier from Iraqi soil.
Tom Andrews
Tom Andrews, is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School. A former Member of Congress from the First Congressional District of Maine, he was a co-founder of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Tom served as National Director of Win Without War, and President of United to End Genocide. He has worked with political organizers and human rights advocates in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Yemen and Ukraine, among others. He has a Washington DC-based consulting practice.
Today's killing of the 4,000 American soldier in Iraq was the latest grim marker in the Bush administration's disastrous war and occupation in Iraq, coming just days after the tragic passing of the fifth anniversary of the American invasion.
Both occurred as the hollow claims by the Bush administration that its so-called military "surge" is "working" became even more obviously absurd. For months it has been painfully clear that the goal of the surge -- political reconciliation that a decline in violence was to make possible -- had totally failed. Now, even the reduction of violence promoted daily by President Bush and the Iraq war apologists lacks credibility.
Up to now, the misleading claim of a "decline" in violence in Iraq could only be made by comparing the numbers killed and wounded to last year's catastrophically high levels. (Kind of like standing in a violent Category 3 hurricane and claiming that it is a beautiful day by comparing it to a Category 5 storm.) Now, even that claim can no longer hold water. The so-called decline in the number of violent attacks stopped last November and for weeks the level of violence has spiked significantly upward.
Meanwhile, the people of Iraq continue to pass their own cataclysmic milestones from the more than 100,000 who have been killed to the well over four million turned into refugees.
There is no end in sight for the carnage, no sign that the U.S. backed government will be willing to compromise with its rivals and absolutely no hope that the wishes of the majority of Iraqis that American forces be removed from their country will be taken seriously.
Next month the president will ask Congress to pass another tragic milestone by handing over more than $100 billion more dollars for the military occupation. That will be the latest installment of what Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz calculates will be a $3 TRILLION dollar price tag for American taxpayers.
Washington pundits predict that the Democratic controlled Congress will facilitate this milestone by once again rolling over and handing the president whatever he wants. But, this is ONE milestone that we need not reach. That is why the 40 member Win Without War coalition marked the 5th anniversary of the war last week by circulating an "Open Letter to Congress" imploring it to reverse course. Addressed to Congressman Jack Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, it calls on Congress to:
- Stop funding the war: Give the Pentagon only enough money for the safe and orderly redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq;
- Support a diplomatic offensive -- as recommended by the Iraq Study Group -- to build a comprehensive solution involving many countries;
- Stop funding the construction of permanent military bases in Iraq and military contractors; and
- Refuse to fund any permanent "security agreement" between President Bush and Iraqi President Maliki unless first approved by Congress and the Iraqi parliament.
If you are you are sick and tired of the passing of tragic milestones, we invite to do something about it: visit our campaign web site, sign the letter and pass it on: www.standupcongress.org.
The only acceptable milestone will be the removal of the final US soldier from Iraqi soil.
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