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Departments War in Iraq U.S. troops (sort of) pull out of Iraq cities by Mike Ferner July 3, 2009 Iraq now (sort of) sovereign (Sort of) pregnant woman makes medical history As of June 30, all U.S. troops have left Iraq’s cities – except for Baghdad where municipal borders were redrawn so a U.S. base doesn't have to move, Mosul where some troops will remain as "advisers," and other cities we haven't heard about at this point. A year from now, the U.S. will still have upwards of 50,000 ‘non-combat’ troops in Iraq – a rather bizarre concept to any soldier who has been in a combat zone. Not until the end of 2011, two and a half years from now, are U.S. troops finally scheduled to be gone, and even that distant deadline could change. Such a lengthy timetable is simply not good enough. The presence of U.S. troops in Iraq is what fuels the instability and violence. Keeping tens of thousands of military personnel there for at least another 18 months will insure the killing and wounding, the political instability and the economic chaos will continue that much longer. We have killed over a million Iraqis, the large majority of them children; wounded at least five times that many; driven over four million from their homes; destroyed their water, sewer, health and education systems and much of their culture. We have tortured and abused tens of thousands in the prisons we took over from Saddam Hussein. Not a family exists in Iraq that hasn’t had someone killed, wounded, tortured or made homeless. The comparable effect in this country would mean that in Atlanta, Denver, Boston, Seattle, Milwaukee, Fort Worth, Baltimore, San Francisco, Dallas and Philadelphia every single person is dead. In Vermont, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, Kansas, Mississippi, Iowa, Oregon, South Carolina and Colorado every single person is wounded. The entire populations of Ohio and New Jersey are homeless, surviving with friends, relatives or under bridges as they can. The entire populations of Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky have fled to Canada or Mexico. Just as we have opened the door to foreign control of Iraq’s oil, our actions guarantee that for at least another generation, the deep well of affection Iraqis once had for Americans will remain bitterly poisoned. We have caused enough suffering and misery. It is time to end the occupation of Iraq and begin paying to rebuild it. It is time to bring our troops home. All of them. Now. --- Ferner is a writer from Ohio and President of Veterans For Peace Email this article to a friend |
Don't forget to check out articles from 2009 and 2010
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December 16, 2009
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November 20, 2009
Robert C. Koehler
"The Columbus Free Press talks with David Swanson, author of Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union"
September 2, 2009
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"Change in the SOFA"
July 30, 2009
David Swanson
"U.S. troops (sort of) pull out of Iraq cities"
July 3, 2009
Mike Ferner
""W" is for withdrawl"
July 2, 2009
Robert C. Koehler
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