Showing posts with label Yemen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yemen. Show all posts
End: Less War
The Long War has dragged on for nearly two decades, with huge losses in lives and wealth inflicted on countries suffering our attention, but also at great cost to American citizens.
In Yemen alone, for example, since the beginning of the conflict there, more than 10,000 people have been killed and at least 40,000 wounded, mostly from air raids; the collateral deaths from damage to the infrastructure (hospitals, especially) and from "non-lethal" actions such as blockades and sanctions (from starvation, cholera, etc.) is immeasurable. This is just another illegal and immoral war racking up war crimes on our tab, crimes against humanity that have gone on far too long.
And yet there is no peace movement in the United States. Neither moral outrage nor the costs to the nation in lives, in quality of life and in reputation and influence has been enough to strike a spark of resistance.
What is wrong with us?
Must read: The War on Peace by Tino Rozzo (The Dissident).
The Long War
A new 'Costs of War' report published by Brown University's Watson Institute shows the actual costs incurred by the U.S. as part of its global 'war on terror' that widely contradicts the cost of war figures put together by the Pentagon in its report.
Some of the Costs of War Project’s main findings include:
370,000 people have died due to direct war violence, including armed forces on all sides of the conflicts, contractors, civilians, journalists, and humanitarian workers.
It is likely that many times more than 370,000 people have died indirectly in these wars, due to malnutrition, damaged infrastructure, and environmental degradation.
200,000 civilians have been killed in direct violence by all parties to these conflicts.
Over 6,800 US soldiers have died in the wars.
We do not know the full extent of how many US service members returning from these wars became injured or ill while deployed.
Many deaths and injuries among US contractors have not been reported as required by law, but it is likely that at least 6,900 have been killed.
10.1 million million Afghan, Iraqi, and Pakistani people are living as war refugees and internally displaced persons, in grossly inadequate conditions.*
The US has made an estimated 76 drone strikes in Yemen, making the US arguably at war in that country.
The wars have been accompanied by erosions in civil liberties and human rights at home and abroad.
The human and economic costs of these wars will continue for decades with some costs, such as the financial costs of US veterans’ care, not peaking until mid-century.
US government funding of reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan has totaled over $170 billion. Most of those funds have gone towards arming security forces in both countries. Much of the money allocated to humanitarian relief and rebuilding civil society has been lost to fraud, waste, and abuse.
The cost for the Iraq and Afghanistan/Pakistan wars totals about $4.8 trillion. This does not include future interest costs on borrowing for the wars, which will add an estimated $8 trillion through 2054.
The ripple effects on the US economy have also been significant, including job loss and interest rate increases.
Both Iraq and Afghanistan continue to rank extremely low in global studies of political freedom.
Women in Iraq and Afghanistan are excluded from political power and experience high rates of unemployment and war widowhood.
Compelling alternatives to war were scarcely considered in the aftermath of 9/11 or in the discussion about war against Iraq. Some of those alternatives are still available to the US.
* Source: The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) (2015).
Some of the Costs of War Project’s main findings include:
370,000 people have died due to direct war violence, including armed forces on all sides of the conflicts, contractors, civilians, journalists, and humanitarian workers.
It is likely that many times more than 370,000 people have died indirectly in these wars, due to malnutrition, damaged infrastructure, and environmental degradation.
200,000 civilians have been killed in direct violence by all parties to these conflicts.
Over 6,800 US soldiers have died in the wars.
We do not know the full extent of how many US service members returning from these wars became injured or ill while deployed.
Many deaths and injuries among US contractors have not been reported as required by law, but it is likely that at least 6,900 have been killed.
10.1 million million Afghan, Iraqi, and Pakistani people are living as war refugees and internally displaced persons, in grossly inadequate conditions.*
The US has made an estimated 76 drone strikes in Yemen, making the US arguably at war in that country.
The wars have been accompanied by erosions in civil liberties and human rights at home and abroad.
The human and economic costs of these wars will continue for decades with some costs, such as the financial costs of US veterans’ care, not peaking until mid-century.
US government funding of reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan has totaled over $170 billion. Most of those funds have gone towards arming security forces in both countries. Much of the money allocated to humanitarian relief and rebuilding civil society has been lost to fraud, waste, and abuse.
The cost for the Iraq and Afghanistan/Pakistan wars totals about $4.8 trillion. This does not include future interest costs on borrowing for the wars, which will add an estimated $8 trillion through 2054.
The ripple effects on the US economy have also been significant, including job loss and interest rate increases.
Both Iraq and Afghanistan continue to rank extremely low in global studies of political freedom.
Women in Iraq and Afghanistan are excluded from political power and experience high rates of unemployment and war widowhood.
Compelling alternatives to war were scarcely considered in the aftermath of 9/11 or in the discussion about war against Iraq. Some of those alternatives are still available to the US.
* Source: The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) (2015).
Militarism: Americans are tiring of The Long War
Even as they enmesh the U.S. in other senseless, costly military adventures in Yemen, Honduras, West Africa, and the Philippines, to name but a few, Obama administration warriors are taking time off this weekend to try to persuade their erstwhile NATO allies that the war in Afghanistan has been worth the effort. "I can't let this be a war without end," the president is alleged to have said, "and I can't lose the whole Democratic Party."
Too late. Not only has the invasion lost support of the whole Democratic Party, but, as Robert Naiman wrote yesterday on his HuffPost blog (On Afghanistan, the Pentagon Has Lost the American People 2012-05-18), "a substantial part of the Republican Party as well; the majority of Republican voters, for example." Luckily for the president, his domestic allies are the GOP leaders, so the AfPak debacle probably won't be much of a factor in the fall election. Still, Obama seems to be anxious to control the narrative in Chicago.
Whatever the outcomes in Chicago this weekend and in Kabul some weekend in the future, the enthusiasm of security staters for the Long War will not diminish, whether Barack Obama continues in office or Mitt Romney becomes commander in chief. With access to oil and other resources the motivation and the failed "War on Drugs" the excuse, and no matter the harm that is being done at home, America's political elite will continue to bog the nation down in unwinnable conflicts big and small.
America's Pacific Century: The future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the center of the action by Hillary Clinton (Foreign Policy 2011-10-11)
The National Security State Wins (Again): Why the Real Victor in Campaign 2012 Won’t Be Obama or Romney by William J. Astore (Tom Dispatch 2012-05-15)
Out of Africa: An expat witnesses the end of halcyon days in Mali by Jennifer Swift-Mogan (ForeignPolicy 2012-04-13)
Unmanned and Dangerous: Why NATO's expanding use of drones is a disturbing trend by Louis Arbour (Foreign Policy 2012-05-18)
The Long War: Year Ten Lost in the Desert with the GPS on the Fritz by Andrew J. Bacevich (Tom Dispatch 2010-10-01)
Fact Sheet: History of U.S. Military Involvement in Africa (AfriCom/Congressional Research Service 2008-06-12)
U.S. Africa Command (AfriCom) History, Background and Fact Sheets
Here are some articles analyzing and debunking the "War on Terror," from a reading list on New Democracy:
Too late. Not only has the invasion lost support of the whole Democratic Party, but, as Robert Naiman wrote yesterday on his HuffPost blog (On Afghanistan, the Pentagon Has Lost the American People 2012-05-18), "a substantial part of the Republican Party as well; the majority of Republican voters, for example." Luckily for the president, his domestic allies are the GOP leaders, so the AfPak debacle probably won't be much of a factor in the fall election. Still, Obama seems to be anxious to control the narrative in Chicago.
Whatever the outcomes in Chicago this weekend and in Kabul some weekend in the future, the enthusiasm of security staters for the Long War will not diminish, whether Barack Obama continues in office or Mitt Romney becomes commander in chief. With access to oil and other resources the motivation and the failed "War on Drugs" the excuse, and no matter the harm that is being done at home, America's political elite will continue to bog the nation down in unwinnable conflicts big and small.
America's Pacific Century: The future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the center of the action by Hillary Clinton (Foreign Policy 2011-10-11)
The National Security State Wins (Again): Why the Real Victor in Campaign 2012 Won’t Be Obama or Romney by William J. Astore (Tom Dispatch 2012-05-15)
Out of Africa: An expat witnesses the end of halcyon days in Mali by Jennifer Swift-Mogan (ForeignPolicy 2012-04-13)
Unmanned and Dangerous: Why NATO's expanding use of drones is a disturbing trend by Louis Arbour (Foreign Policy 2012-05-18)
The Long War: Year Ten Lost in the Desert with the GPS on the Fritz by Andrew J. Bacevich (Tom Dispatch 2010-10-01)
Fact Sheet: History of U.S. Military Involvement in Africa (AfriCom/Congressional Research Service 2008-06-12)
U.S. Africa Command (AfriCom) History, Background and Fact Sheets
Here are some articles analyzing and debunking the "War on Terror," from a reading list on New Democracy:
- The Lockerbie Fraud Again by Dave Stratman
- Did 9/11 justify the war in Afghanistan? by David Ray Griffin
- PTSD, infertility, and other consequences of war by Bob Nichols
- Assassination by Government: An Exchange by Dave Stratman
- Whom Should We Support in Iran? by John Spritzler
- Obama's Afghanistan War: Morally Wrong, or Incompetently Waged?, by John Spritzler
- No War But the Class War
- Unethical Media Coverage of UK Events, by Elias Davidsson
- Concealing the Real Goals of War by John Spritzler
- Bosses and Workers, a poem by Dennis Serdel
- My Country & The Railroad Tracks: two poems by Dennis Serdel, Vietnam '67-68 purple heart
- Important link: 911 Video, "Loose Change, 2nd edition, recut
- The true significance of Bush's no-warrant domestic eavesdropping by John Spritzler
- The Antiwar Movement Isn’t Where You Think It Is by Dave Stratman
- The London Bombings and the Class War by Dave Stratman
- "What Bush's 'Freedom & Democracy' Means for Iraqi Farmers" by John Spritzler (March 17, 2005)
- "The Witchhunts Continue: Columbia University and the New Anti-Semitism" by M. Junaid Alam
- "Collateral Damage" a poem by Gary Corseri (February 2005)
- "The Triumph of Liberalism" by Dave Stratman (November 12, 2004)
- "Circles" and "BREAKING THE LAW TO WIN" poems by Dennis Serdel (September 28, 2004)
- "This Land Is Our Land" by John Spritzler (August 31, 2004)
- "Talking to the Wrong People: Lessons of the DNC" by Dave Stratman (August 26, 2004)
- Interview of Dave Stratman (focusing on his article Inventing the Enemy) on WING TV (August 18, 2004)
- "Inventing the Enemy" by Dave Stratman (July 26, 2004)
- "The 'Good War' Myth of World War II" by John Spritzler (July 22, 2004)
- "Beware the Liberal War on Terror" by Dave Stratman (July 5, 2004)
- "Abu Ghraib: We Have Met the Enemy and He Is NOT Us" by John Spritzler (June 2, 2004)
- "Abu Ghraib Prison Torture: a Few Bad Apples or Long Standing Policy?" by John Spritzler (May 12, 2004).
- "The Antiwar Movement Is Not Progressive -- And That's A Good Thing"by Dave Stratman. (March 18, 2004).
- "George Bush, The Anti-Family President" by Bill Kauffman. (October 27, 2003).
- "BULLETDUCKERS" -- poetry by Dennis Serdel. (November, 2003).
- Book Review: "The War On Freedom" by John Spritzler (October 5, 2003)
- "Bush and the 'Good War'" by John Spritzler (September 30, 2003)
- "No To Politics, Yes To Mass Refusal" by Dave Stratman. (September 26, 2003).
- "Making Connections: the War, the Budget, and the Crisis in Social Values" -- remarks by David Stratman at the Community Church of Boston (April 6, 2003).
- "Conspiracy Theory" by Floyd Rudmin. (April, 2003).
- "Free Asan Akbar And Put The System On Trial?" by Steve Hesske (April, 2003).
- "Rethinking Anti-War Strategy" by Jim Luken (April, 2003).
- "They Dare Not Speak Its Name" by Steve Hesske (March 25, 2003).
- "The Death March" by Al McKinnis (March, 2003).
- The Call of Workers for Peace (January, 2003). Workers for Peace -- Chinese translation. Workers for Peace -- German translation.
- "Stop The Endless War: Boycott The Volunteer Army" by Doug Fuda. (January 23, 2003).
- "Elite Spokesman Alarmed by Magnitude of Opposition to Iraq War" by John Spritzler (January 9, 2003).
- "Palestine & Iraq: Any Signs of Hope? The lessons we have learned" by Henry Lowi (November 10, 2002).
- "What Is War With Iraq Really About?" -- A New Democracy Flyer. (Fall 2002).
- "A War To Make Iraq Democratic?" by John Spritzler. (Oct '02).
- "The U.S. As Fourth Reich" by David Stratman. (September 2, 2002).
- "Useful Enemies" by Dave Stratman. (NDN* Nov. '01-Feb. '02).
- "Is It Really A 'War Against Terrorism?'" (NDN* Nov. '01-Feb. '02).
- "What Else Could He Have Done?" (NDN* Nov. '01-Feb. '02).
- "Why Is The US Bombing Yugoslavia?" by Dave Stratman. (NDN* May-June 1999).
- * "NDN" indicates that the article is from the New Democracy Newsletter.
Empire: Next stop - Yemen
Oil, you say?
Off we go on another excellent imperial adventure. The Pentagon says it notified Congress that it plans to spend $155 million on 4 Huey helicopters, upgrades to 10 Russian-made Mi-17 medium transport helicopters, and 50 Hummers (suitably armored? doesn't say),
as well as night vision goggles and transport aircraft for the Yemen Army to fight al-Qaeda. If there are fewer than 100 al-Qaeda militants in anarchic, kleptocratic Afghanistan, one wonders how many can conceal themselves in relatively orderly, republican Yemen (unlike Afghanistan, for example, Yemen actually has an army to equip).
A tip of the hat, btw, to Defense Industry Daily for keeping us up to date on the activities of our busy soldiers, whether they're hither or yon.
Off we go on another excellent imperial adventure. The Pentagon says it notified Congress that it plans to spend $155 million on 4 Huey helicopters, upgrades to 10 Russian-made Mi-17 medium transport helicopters, and 50 Hummers (suitably armored? doesn't say),
as well as night vision goggles and transport aircraft for the Yemen Army to fight al-Qaeda. If there are fewer than 100 al-Qaeda militants in anarchic, kleptocratic Afghanistan, one wonders how many can conceal themselves in relatively orderly, republican Yemen (unlike Afghanistan, for example, Yemen actually has an army to equip).A tip of the hat, btw, to Defense Industry Daily for keeping us up to date on the activities of our busy soldiers, whether they're hither or yon.
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