Category: Iraq War

Harry Reid’s Hawkish Foreign Policy

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The death of former Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid of Nevada has evoked praise for his parliamentary skills passing some critically important legislation and preventing passage of some seriously problematic bills. However, Reid not only failed to challenge dangerous Republican foreign policy initiatives that violated fundamental principles of international law and human rights, he was often among their most prominent supporters. [SOURCE]

Interview: Today’s US-Iran Crisis Is Rooted in the Decision to Invade Iraq

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Truthout January 20, 2020 also at ScottHorton.org
The ramifications of the illegal, unnecessary and predictably tragic U.S. decision to invade Iraq are still with us. This includes the ongoing crisis with Iran, which brought us perilously close to all-out war in early January, resulted in the tragic downing of a civilian airliner and remains in a hair-trigger situation. [FULL LINK]

The Five Lamest Excuses for Hillary Clinton’s Vote to Invade Iraq

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In These Times February 1, 2016: Also published in:
Common Dreams, Counterpunch, Consortium News, Democratic Underground, News.Alayham.com, Antiwar.com, Foreign Policy in Focus, My Trust In Conflict, Portside.org, RINF.com, Reddit, The Scott Horton Show radio, and referenced in other media. e.g., Mondoweiss.net.
   The primary reasons Clinton gave for supporting President George W. Bush’s request for authorizing that illegal and unnecessary war have long been proven false. As a result, many Democratic voters are questioning — despite her years of foreign policy experience — whether Clinton has the judgment and integrity to lead.

Don’t Blame the Iraq Debacle on the Israel Lobby

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Santa Cruz Sentinel March 29, 2013 | UPDATED: Sept. 11, 2018
[Republished by Foreign Policy In Focus/Institute for Policy Studies and Truthout] This month’s 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq raised the question  why the U.S. made such a tragic choice. As many of us argued in the lead-up to the war, claims that Iraq possessed “weapons of mass destruction” the Iraqi government had operational ties to al-Qaida were false. Similarly, the corrupt and repressive sectarian government the U.S. helped establish in Baghdad has undermined any pretense the war was about promoting democracy.

10 years after the Iraq invasion, Washington still hasn’t learned

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National Catholic Reporter, March 27, 2013
   This month marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which has resulted in the deaths of up to half a million Iraqis, mostly civilians, and the displacement of millions of others. Sectarian and ethnic tensions remain high and violence and terrorism — despite being less pervasive than a few years ago — are endemic. The current Iraqi government is notoriously corrupt and repressive, guilty of widespread torture and extrajudicial killings of opponents. A whole new generation of Islamist terrorists radicalized by the invasion and insurgency is now active worldwide. Almost 4,500 Americans were killed and thousands more received serious physical and emotional injuries…

On Foreign Policy Debate; Yifat Susskind on Iraq War’s Toxic Legacy (audio)

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Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting: Counterspin
October 26, 2012 (Dr. Zunes’ segment begins at 11 mins.)
The final presidential debate, addressing international issues, managed to promote several falsehood about U.S. foreign policy. No, the Iranian president never said he wanted Israel “wiped off the map,” and the U.S. did not treat South Africa’s racist apartheid rulers badly. … In other words, the debate was inline with how media and the candidates have treated foreign policy throughout the campaign.
Also on CounterSpin today: The toxic legacy of the Iraq War.
See also “Obama, Romney and the Foreign Policy Debate,” by Stephen Zunes (Foreign Policy in Focus, 10/23/12)“Cancer and Chemical Weapons” (myMadre, 10/23/12)