Det danske Fredsakademi

Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 6. november 2003 / Timeline November 6, 2003

5. November 2003, 7. November 2003

Second Thoughts : The Bush War

By Kurt Singer.

The flag draped coffins have arrived. Also the seriously wounded soldiers. Television does not show the arrival nor the military burials. The press is not allowed to cover the arrival of the caskets. President Bush did not visit the families of the fallen heroes nor attend any of the burial ceremonies. Neither did Vice President Dick Cheney. However the President did send a very dignified letter to the griefing families praising the heroes who gave their lives for the defense of their country.The medal bestowed a great honor to the dead heroes. President Bush was in the South campaigning for the Republican Government candidates when he receiced the horrible news of the helicopter's missile attack which killed 15 American soldiers and wounded 20 on their way home to visit their families for 2 weeks. The tragedies of war remain endless and so are the tears.

There are now 3000 courageous women with the armed forces in Iraq. A number of them became pregnant. The US armed forces employs 2 gynacologist in their hospitals who diagnosed them. The future mothers were flown home. Quite a few GIs said: The war is over for them. lucky gals.

One word seems to have become taboo in Iraq and on the home front, it's no longer used - SUPERPOWER.

The US public receives bad news only with caution and slowly with the speed of a medicine dropper and not all is told. Not all bombings are reported.

Ambassador L. Paul Bremer is an amazingly gifted administrator performing an almost impossible job to bring stability to the 33 million Muslim Iraqis who did not ask to be liberated or to embrace democracy. Nobody had danced in the streets to welcome the occupation forces. Mr. Bremer put the US armies headquarters into the heart of Baghdad and received suddenly a number of bombs in his palatial quarters. A foolish location? Will he move a more secure place?

CIAs greatest weakness showed that the agency had not employed enough Arabic speaking agents. A blitz program is trying now to train 1000 men and women to learn the language in a special 6 weeks course, tought in isolation. They eat, drink, sleep and dream Arabic. The 135.000 American troops cannot even read the street signs in Baghdad or the other places.

What happened to the Iraqui Governing Council? They are powerless, mostly silent and certainly not acting as a new Iraqui Government. But they made it clear they don't want 10.000 Turkish soldiers since Turks and Kurds are adversaries. No Iraqii Goverenment is in sight or the new Constitution, not to speak of a general election.

President Bush is still fund rasing for his re-election and tries desperastely to find a strategy to stabilize Iraq which actualy does not wish to be occupied by the USA or any other foreign nation.

Some military leaders believe it will take 3-4 years of occupation and even Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld believes it will take a long time. Can America afford these horrendous costs?

Both houses of Congress approved the Energy Department's grant of 50 million dollars for new nuclear research to produce small nuclear bombs to penetrate underground bunkers. President Bush still believes that Saddam Hussein is hiding in a secure bunker similar to one built by Adolf Hitler in Berlin where the Fuehrer and Eva Braun committed suicide. The arms race goes on. Are the global watch dogs sleeping?

The Boeing Company in Washington state received a 2 Billion dollar a year order for 100 Tankers, the gas stations in the air. 20 to be leased and 80 to be bought. It will keep the company fully employed. General Shalikashvili, the former Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff happens to be on the Boeing Board of Direktors.General John Rolston serves on the Board of Directors at the rival Lockheed Martin Company.

The Iraq troops wear now new Kevlar vests with ceramic plates to protect them against small fire. Price is only $1600.- The Kevlar helmets at $325 are not bullet proof but give addtional protection. All this is carried at desert heat temperatures.

Donald R. Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defense doubled the money to be paid to the families of the fallen heroes to $1200. Was it noy Plato who said: "Onlly the dead have seen the end of the war."

11/06/2003
Høring af CND og Peace Rights med et panel af eksperter/jurister i international lov på London School of Economics. Formålet er at undersøge, om Blair og andre ministre kan anklages ved Den Internationale Straffedomstol for overtrædelser af internationale love om krigsførelse. Peace Rigts har monitoreret krigen i Irak. Derefter skal materialet overlades til Den internationale Straffedomstol, hvis der er basis herfor.

11/06/2003

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