Kucinich: We are Losing our Nation to Lies about the Necessity of War
Washington, Jun 28 -
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today made the following statement on the
floor of the House concerning an expected vote on a $33 billion supplemental
war funding bill:
"In a little more than a year the United States flew $12 billion in cash to
Iraq, much of it in $100 bills, shrink wrapped and loaded onto pallets.
Vanity Fair reported in 2004 that 'at least $9 billion' of the cash had
'gone missing, unaccounted for.' $9 billion.
"Today, we learned that suitcases of $3 billion in cash have openly moved
through the Kabul airport. One U.S. official quoted by the Wall Street
Journal said, 'A lot of this looks like our tax dollars being stolen.' $3
billion. Consider this as the American people sweat out an extension of
unemployment benefits.
"Last week, the BBC reported that "the US military has been giving tens of
millions of dollars to Afghan security firms who are funneling the money to
warlords." Add to that a corrupt Afghan government underwritten by the lives
of our troops.
"And now reports indicate that Congress is preparing to attach $10 billion
in state education funding to a $33 billion spending bill to keep the war
going.
"Back home millions of Americans are out of work, losing their homes, losing
their savings, their pensions, and their retirement security. We are losing
our nation to lies about the necessity of war.
"Bring our troops home. End the war. Secure our economy."
***
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/eric_margolis/2010/07/09/14663076.html
Saving face in unwinnable war
*Sinking in debt and no closer to victory, heads may roll as the U.S. and
NATO wrap up their pointless Afghan adventure*
By Eric Margolis, QMI Agency
Toronto Sun: July 11, 2010
Fire-breathing U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal and his Special Forces "mafia"
were supposed to crush Afghan resistance to western occupation. But
McChrystal was fired after rude remarks from his staff about the White
House.
A more cerebral and political general, David Petraeus, replaced McChrystal.
Petraeus managed to temporarily suppress resistance in Iraq.
Last week, the usually cautious Petraeus vowed from Kabul to "win" the
Afghan War, which has cost the U.S. nearly $300 billion to date and 1,000
dead. The problem: No one can define what winning really means. Each time
the U.S. reinforces, Afghan resistance grows stronger.
Afghanistan is America's longest-running conflict.
The escalating war now costs U.S. taxpayers $17 billion monthly. President
Barack Obama's Afghan "surge" of 30,000 more troops will cost another $30
billion.
The Afghan and Iraq wars — at a cost of $1 trillion — are being waged on
borrowed money when the U.S. is drowning in $13.1 trillion in debt.
America has become addicted to debt and war.
By 2011, Canadians will have spent an estimated $18.1 billion on
Afghanistan, $1,500 per household.
The U.S. Congress, which alone can declare and fund war, shamefully allowed
U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Obama to usurp this power. A majority of
Americans now oppose this imperial misadventure. Though politicians fear
opposing the war lest they be accused of "betraying our soldiers," dissent
is breaking into the open.
Last week, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele let the cat
out of the bag, admitting the Afghan war was not winnable. War-loving
Republicans erupted in rage, all but accusing Steele of high treason. Many
of Steele's most hawkish Republican critics had, like Bush and Dick Cheney,
dodged real military service during the Vietnam War.
Republicans (I used to be one) blasted McChrystal's sensible policy of
trying to lessen Afghan civilian casualties from U.S. bombing and shelling.
There is growing anti-western fury in Afghanistan and Pakistan over mounting
civilian deaths.
By clamouring for more aggressive attacks that endanger Afghan civilians and
strengthen Taliban, Republicans again sadly demonstrate they have become the
party and voice of America's dim and ignorant.
Obama claimed he was expanding the Afghan War to fight al-Qaida. Yet the
Pentagon estimates there are no more than a handful of al-Qaida small-fry
left in Afghanistan.
Obama owes Americans the truth about Afghanistan.
After nine years of war, the immense military might of the U.S., its
dragooned NATO allies, and armies of mercenaries have been unable to defeat
resistance to western occupation or create a popular, legitimate government
in Kabul. Drug production has reached new heights.
As the United States feted freedom from a foreign oppressor on July 4, its
professional soldiers were using every sort of weapon in Afghanistan, from
heavy bombers to tanks, armoured vehicles, helicopter gunships, fleets of
drones, heavy artillery, cluster bombs and an arsenal of hi-tech gear.
In spite of this might, bands of outnumbered Pashtun tribesmen and farmers,
armed only with small arms, determination and limitless courage, have fought
the West's war machine to a standstill and now have it on the strategic
defensive.
This brutal David versus Goliath conflict brings no honour upon the western
powers waging it, including Canada. They are widely seen abroad as waging
yet another pitiless colonial war against a small, backward people for
resource domination and strategic geography.
Most Afghans yearn for peace after 30 years of war. But efforts by the
government of Hamid Karzai, Taliban and Pakistan to forge a peace are being
thwarted by Washington, Ottawa and Afghanistan's Communist-dominated Tajik
Northern Alliance. India stirs the pot in Afghanistan while rebellion
seethes in Indian-held Kashmir.
The heretical Republican Steele was speaking truth when he said this ugly,
pointless war is unwinnable. But Washington's imperial impulses continue.
Too many political careers in the U.S., Canada and Europe hang on this
misbegotten war. So, too, does the fate of the obsolete NATO alliance that
may well meet its Waterloo in the hills of Afghanistan.
eric.margolis@sunmedia.ca
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