Seven years ago today I resigned from the U.S.
government in opposition to the Bush administration's war on Iraq.
I had worked for the State Department for sixteen years
and had been in the Army and Army Reserves for 29 years. I
was one of three U.S. diplomats who resigned over the Bush
administration's decision to invade and occupy Iraq and one of tens if
not hundreds of thousands of government employees that knew the war on
Iraq would jeopardize our national security, not improve it.
While I was in the process of making my decision to
resign, millions of Americans and tens of millions of people from around
the world took to the streets to protest the pending invasion and
occupation of Iraq and the inevitable deaths of hundreds of thousands of
Iraqis.
Tomorrow I will be marching in Washington, DC and will
join with hundreds of thousands of Americans all over our country to
protest the continuation of Bush's wars on Iraq and Afghanistan by the
Obama administration.
Seven years in Iraq
Looking our country's history of invasions and
occupations, I guess I should not be surprised that seven years later,
over 100,000 U.S. military and 100,000 U.S. contractors would remain in
Iraq and that a new president, elected by many to end the wars, would be
following lockstep the old president's blueprint on the wars and on so
many other issues.
President Obama, who professed to having been opposed
to the Iraq war, has not speeded up the removal of U.S. military forces
from Iraq. Bush's plan for leaving a force of 50,000 U.S.
military until the end of 2011 is being implemented with little
variation by Obama. These "non-combat" 50,000 forces will
actually be combat troops renamed as trainers and advisors to Iraqi
security forces and quick reaction forces to continue to combat
operations when needed.
No one of the Obama administration will
state how many private security contractors will remain in Iraq. Private
security contractors serve as extensions of combat military forces and,
if any administration was honest about in counting U.S. combat power,
should be added to the military numbers.
By the Bush-Obama timetable, all U.S. military troops
are to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011, but whether the 100,000 U.S.
contractors will remain is conveniently unclear.
If you thought this Iraq timetable was too long under
Bush, then one would hope that you think it is too long under Obama
also.
Eight and one-half years in Afghanistan
This month marks eight and one-half years the U.S.
military has been an occupying force in Afghanistan. Nobel
Peace Prize winner Obama has increased dramatically U.S. military
operations in Afghanistan with an increase of 30,000 troops. Now
over 100,000 U.S. military are in Afghanistan with the number of U.S.
contractors topping 75,000 and scheduled to increase even further.
The Obama administration has increased enormously the
use of assassination drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan with a major
increase in civilian deaths from drone attacks. Large scale combat
operations in sparsely populated areas of Afghanistan are underway.
We are told the operations are for clearing Taliban, but in
reality they seem to be consolidating power in the area for Afghan
President Karzai's brother Walid who is reported by many to be involved
in Afghanistan's huge drug trade and extending U.S. military occupation
of greater regions of the country.
Show your concerns tomorrow and every day-jobs,
schools, healthcare-not more war and other criminal acts by our own
government!
There are many reasons to be on the streets tomorrow.
Protesting wars of aggression, accountability for government officials
violating our own laws as well as domestic laws, is another reason.
Despite claims that he would close Guantanamo within
his first year, President Obama continues the imprisonment policies of
Bush and looks like he will fold to right-wing Republican pressure to
continue to use the tainted military commissions to try prisoners with
"evidence" obtained by torture.
Ominously, the Obama administration is refusing to hold
accountable key officials in the Bush administration who violated U.S.
and international law which makes torture illegal. The
names of these officials are well-known--John Yoo, Jay Bybee (now a
federal court judge), Alberto Gonzalez, David Addington. And
former Vice-President Cheney still makes public statements that torture
is fine and that water boarding is appropriate and legal.
Many citizens believe that there must be
accountability for the Bush administration otherwise future
administrations, including the Obama administration, may attempt to
conduct criminal action while in office with impunity. Today
I join hundreds who will protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, John
Yoo's freedom while he sentenced thousands to be tortured by his legal
opinions under as justification for torture by the Bush administration.
Greed from huge corporate war profits and from
financial system profits that miraculously rebounded in record time with
our tax bailout while millions of Americans are out of work, schools in
America close and healthcare costs skyrocket should move millions of us
to be visibly and vocally challenging both political parties who share
the blame in the dangerous situation America is in.
After spending most of my adult life in either the U.S.
military or the U.S. diplomatic corps, I strongly believe we must let
our officials know of our displeasure and anger, and I hope you will
join your friends and neighbors on the streets tomorrow, March 20, to
challenge war and business as usual in America.