Monday marked the 15th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. “Humanitarian intervention” to depose a “dictator” was the excuse. Now Iraq—home to a major civilization—is littered with military waste that has caused birth defects in Iraqi infants and has been a breeding ground for armed, right-wing Islamic groups. The bill for re-constructing Iraq is estimated at $100 billion. The United States says it will not pay a cent. Keeping Iraq in ruins allows the United States to control the oil Iraq produces and keep that crucial resource out of the hands of China and Russia, both of which have been demonized by the ruling class with the help of the Western press.
Voices from around the world lamented the anniversary. Here’s journalist Ben Norton on Twitter:
The illegal invasion of Iraq is one of the worst crimes of the 21st century. It led to 1M+ deaths and destabilized the region.
And many of the people who supported it have since rebranded as regime change "experts" on Syria and members of The Resistance™https://t.co/vt7XqtPeNk
— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) March 19, 2018
Iraqi Sami Ramadani mourned the destruction of his homeland:
Fifteen years ago today, US, UK & forces from 38 other aggressor states invaded & occupied #Iraq. Beloved city of my childhood, #Baghdad, was blitzed & within few years over a million people were killed by an imperialist war based on lies and deception pic.twitter.com/Whl2hCAXQ4
— Sami Ramadani سامي (@SamiRamadani1) March 19, 2018
Close to a half-million people (civilians and combatants) have been documented as casualties, according to the Iraq Body Count. Although many people associate the Iraq War with U.S. President George W. Bush, it was under Barack Obama’s reign that most deaths took place.
Here’s then-FBI director Robert Mueller lying about weapons of mass destruction being detected in Iraq. He’s now Special Counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections—basically, he’s helping concoct another lie to mislead the U.S. public into what could be another war to maintain Full Spectrum Dominance and loot resources, as the United States is doing in Afghanistan.
Oppose U.S. Imperialism—in Washington, D.C.
Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) is supporting an action as part of the Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases at the Japanese Embassy this Friday to oppose the repressive sentence handed down by the court against Okinawan activists fighting for Okinawa’s self-determination and demanding the closure of toxic U.S. military bases.
Join the action in Washington, D.C., 1-3 p.m., March 23, at 2520 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Bring your signs and banners.
Say Her Name: Marielle Franco
A number of Black communities are under military occupation in Brazil because of the U.S.-supported right-wing government that is also persecuting a revolutionary candidate for president. Black human-rights activists organizing opposition have been targeted. This is not isolated. It is happening in Honduras, a nation where the United States—under Obama—gave a green light to a coup and is imposing a terroristic government on the people now. This is also the reality that the United States wishes for Venezuela, as it supports an opposition that has burnt alive Black people because they assumed the victims were supporters of the government. The latest fatality is Marielle Franco, a lesbian, Black Brazilian woman raised in a favela (Brazilian shanty town) who fought police brutality against the Black community. Thousands of Brazilians have since marched in the streets, protesting her state-sponsored murder.
Everywhere the people are resisting the dying—but dangerous—racist, Western, colonial/capitalist patriarchy, women are emerging in the leadership and paying a price as a consequence. From the racist apartheid state of Israel to Brazil, Colombia and South Africa, to the streets of the South Side of Chicago and Detroit, they have struck a rock as revolutionary women are assuming their rightful place at the center of our global resistance. Palestine’s Ahed Tamimi has been offered a plea deal of eight months in prison for bravely fighting Israel.
And here in the United States, Black folks are resisting the same white-supremacist apparatus that has been oppressing our people since we were stolen from Africa.
The Intercept reported the FBI tracked an activist who was involved with Black Lives Matter as that person traveled across the United States.
Radio program Law and Disorder interviewed BAP National Organizer Ajamu Baraka on these issues on a recent episode.
Free Herman Bell
The New York State Board of Parole granted parole for Black political prisoner Herman Bell, who has been imprisoned for 45 years. Since the Board’s decision, right-wing forces, including the Police Benevolent Association, have been angered.
It is important politicians and policymakers know public support exists for the release of Black political prisoners, many of whom have been jailed for over four decades.
Herman has a community of friends, family and loved ones eagerly awaiting his return. At 70, after decades inside, it is time for Herman to come home.
Here are three things you can do right now to support Herman Bell:
- CALL New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office: 518.474.8390
- EMAIL Governor Cuomo’s office here
- TWEET at Governor Cuomo using the following sample tweet: “.@NYGovCuomo: stand by the Parole Board’s lawful & just decision to release Herman Bell. At 70 years old and after more than 40 years of incarceration, his release is overdue. #BringHermanHome”
Gun Control and Militarism
While the U.S. public tries to figure out why gun violence is so prevalent, Ajamu placed that discussion in a larger context: That we need to make deeper connections between violence and weapons in the United States and U.S. imperialism around the world.
If you’d like to say no to militarism, get involved in opposing Trump’s military parade, a brash show of imperialist power.
You can also join a Spring Action near you. These events for April 14-15 were called by the Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases—which BAP helped found—and are being endorsed by dozens of organizations across the country.
Twitter has been blocking the use of the Spring Action website. Help get the website unblocked by tweeting:
Hey, @Twitter. Stop blocking the revolution and unblock our website. In the meantime, head to springaction2018 DOT org if you’d like to get involved in taking down the empire. #SpringAgainstWar
No compromise.
No retreat.
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Featured image is from Project Syndicate.
