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Destroying Iraq Isn’t Enough for Bush
An Immoral and Illegal War
By Rep. CYNTHIA McKINNEY
Remarks at Chicago Anti-War Rally, March 19, 2005
Two years ago we gathered all across America to say no to war.
We were joined by people all over the planet who know that there is an alternative to war.
But war is about the only option available when the real motive is to steal natural resources that belong to someone else.
Or to restack the deck in the Middle East with today’s generation of coups and assassinations, following the likes of the US 1949 ouster of Syria’s elected government, the US 1953 ouster of Iran’s elected government; US 1958 landing of Marines in Lebanon; and its 1963 support for a coup in Iraq after an assassination attempt against its leader failed.
The militarism we see today is nothing new.
Even though some 14 countries have withdrawn their troops since March 2003, Bush tells the American people that he has no idea when US troops can expect to come home.
Sadly, many of them are being forced to take matters into their own hands. With filings for conscientious objector status, forced pregnancies, disappearances, seeking asylum in Canada, and leading rallies like this today all over America.
The American people, and our children over there fighting, still haven’t been told the real reason the US is at war with the Iraqi people.
And against the people the US war machine has turned.
Thousands of Iraqis, especially children, have been killed by our sanctions and our bombs.
This is an immoral and illegal war and we need to bring our troops home now.
Instead, they lay the groundwork to expand the war and destabilize Iran, Lebanon, and Syria.
Destroying Iraq isn’t enough for them.
Nor are the million men and women in our Armed Services enough for them.
The George Bush war machine wants you, too. And your children.
Everywhere you turn the Pentagon is denying it wants a draft while at the same time lamenting that recruitment is way down.
Mercenaries will increasingly be used to fight their wars with your tax dollars.
While reinstating the draft only feeds the war machine.
In fact, we need to get the military recruiters out of our high schools; they need to stop harassing our children, and the 1 billion dollars they spend on slick radio and tv spots and friendly neighborhood offices, ought to be put in the education budget so our kids can go to college without having to go to war first.
They tell us we’re at war for democracy.
But that’s a joke; George Bush came to power by stopping democracy at home—denying the opportunity to vote to blacks and Latinos in Florida.
They built on that fine record last year with hackable voting machines that don’t accurately tally our votes.
And in countries like Haiti where democracy was thriving, they arrested President Aristide at gunpoint and forced him out of his own country.
While they purport to cherish democracy, they really have a disdain for it.
Democracy in Venezuela, India, Spain, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay has produced proud people willing to stand up to US imperialism, coup attempts, and destabilization of their countries. And the good news is that this resistance will spread.
The worse they are, the stronger we become.
And worse they will become because they’ve aimed their sights on Russia and China after they’ve balkanized the Middle East.
But one thing I guarantee to you and to them: we won’t be fooled!
We know the truth. And we won’t stop.
Stay strong, my brothers and sisters, we have a lot of work to do.
Forum posts
26 March 2005, 14:37
War crimes in IRAQ
Dear Sirs:
I am writing to you calling for some efforts to stop the war going on in Iraq . This war has caused the loss of more than 100,000 Iraqis ( according to a study published by the LANCET medical journal ( www.thelancet.com ) ) and more than 1524 Americans. Large violations of human rights have been committed against civilians in various towns of Iraq,( see for example the report " Beyond Torture ", www.cser.com ) . Those who were the cause for these losses and violations must be sent to fair trials , so that the two nations may start reconciliation and live together peacefully.
A part from the invasion, which can not be accepted by any nation, the Iraqis continued to resist the existence of the USA troops due to the various abuses done by some of these troops. Such abuses took various forms, among them are:- the resolution of the Iraqi army, excessive use of power which led to the killings of innocent civilians, humiliation and robberies during the searches for weapons in the houses of Iraqis , torturing and raping of prisoners in Abu-Garaib prison, briberies and squandering of Iraqi money. Many of the frustrated Iraqis had to start fighting back USA troops , and violence escalated up.
I am enclosing a photograph of one of the invading troops in which he is acknowledging the killing and raping of Iraqis. You are kindly requested to publish this evidence , so that the kind people of Indonesia are made aware of the injustice put on the Iraqis . Moreover , the person who committed these crimes will be send to a trial so that the Iraqis feel that criminals face fair sentences.
I am also enclosing a video of one of the invading troops in which he is shooting an injured Iraqi civilian up to the killing . The soldier then laughs while expressing his feeling about the cold blooded crime which he has just committed . The video was done by CNN reporter who was accompanying the USA troops
The other video shows the killing of three Iraqi farmers by American apache crew .
You are kindly requested to publish these information into your newspaper . We also ask you to use these evidences for attempts to send these persons to trials so that the Iraqis feel that criminals face fair sentences.
Thanking you in anticipation of your proper action, I remain
Mohamed Younis
Mosul / Iraq.
26 March 2005, 15:50
yes, and let us never forget the baby milk factory EVIL AMERIKA destroyed in the desert storm war. but this tops all that! 100,000 Iraqis lost! This is a heartrending disaster! Does anyone know where they might possibly be? I have some vacation time coming, I could help search for them. 1000,000 people is a lot of people! They have to be somewhere. If we are diligent in our search we will find them!
28 March 2005, 17:30
Just a note to let you know that I find you to be excitingly refreshing. You shine like a star amidst your colleagues. I liked the manner in which you questioned Rumsfeld, and my respect for you grows with every action you take to protect America.
Sincerely,
Liz DeMarco
28 March 2005, 18:23
Cynthia Mckinney is my second favorite member of congress. I dream of her as VP to President Kucinich, and eventually our first black/female president. America deserves Kucinich/McKinney after what Bush/Cheney has put us through.
30 March 2005, 15:46
Ms. McKinney,
Having shamelessly asked fo the money Mayor Giuliani refused from the Saudi prince who blamed the US for 9-11, maybe you should now spend some time with your ideological pal, Moqtada al-Sadr. The view from his jihad tent might be instructive.