For Immediate Release: August 31, 2010
Contact: Michael McPhearson, UFPJ Co-Convenor, 973-666-4605, michaelvfp@gmail.com
Phyllis Bennis, UFPJ Steering Committee - 202-234-9382 ext 5206, PBennis@ips-dc.org
Any reduction in the number of US troops occupying Iraq is a good
thing. But the occupation is continuing, even if on a somewhat smaller
scale, with 50,000 troops. Despite a commitment to withdraw "combat
brigades," these 50,000 are indeed combat troops, "re-missioned" by the
Pentagon and assigned to "training and assistance." But even Secretary
of Defense Gates admits they will have continuing combat capability and
will continue active counter-terrorism operations. The 4500 Special
Forces among them will continue their "capture or kill" raids while
building up the Iraqi Special Operations Forces like we saw with El Salvador-style death squads in the 80's.
The real transition underway is not from US to Iraqi control, but
from Pentagon to State Department deployment. Military resources are
being shifted from Pentagon to State Dept control, thus remaining within
the terms of the US-Iraqi Status of Forces Agreement that calls for all
US troops and Pentagon-controlled mercenaries to leave by the end of
2011. It is very likely that the still US-dependent Iraqi government
(whatever government is in place by December 31, 2011) may well
"request" an extension of US troop deployments in Iraq. But even if it
doesn't, the creation of the world's largest embassy in Iraq, the size
of Vatican City, with plans for thousands of new military contractors,
armored transport, planes, "rapid response" forces and other trappings
of an army mean that plans are underway to turn the US presence in Iraq
into a State Dept-run paramilitary operation. Instead of transforming a
military occupation into a diplomatic mission, we will see the full
militarization of US diplomacy and US diplomats turned into soldiers
without uniforms.
President Obama's speech will likely avoid any terms remotely close to
"mission accomplished." He knows too well that with violence rising,
sectarian divisions as strong as ever, the parliament unable to create a
new government, corruption sky-high and rising and linked to CIA-paid
assets, oil contracts creating more violence instead of national wealth,
there is no victory to claim.
And the costs of the Iraq war continue. Even beyond the hundreds of
billions that caring for injured veterans will cost, plus the huge debt
of reparations and reconstruction we owe to the people of Iraq, the
current continuing war is stripping our treasury. The 50,000 troop
deployment between now and the end of 2011 will cost more than 12
billion dollars. That could be used instead to fund 240,000 new green
union jobs. What makes our country safer?
United for Peace and Justice continues to hold this Administration accountable to their commitment to
end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to redirect war dollars to
meet underfunded needs at home. On October 2, peace activists will again
march on Washington, DC, joining thousands of civil rights, labor,
immigrant rights, environmental and other progressive organizations in a
unified call for jobs, peace, and justice. Visit www.onenationforpeace.org for details.
