Monday, October 30, 2006
Pacifica Commentary For October 25, 2006
Sectarian Violence
As Iraq is being torn to pieces, the commercial media has framed the phrase "sectarian violence" as if it were somehow unrelated to the occupation.
Actually, the occupation of Iraq by the United States is the primary cause of this so-called sectarian violence. Iraqis who have cooperated with the occupation are identified as the enemy by those who resist the intrusion of foreign troops.
This phenomenon is entirely predictable. France was similarly divided in the Second World War. The French people opposing occupation fought their fellow citizens who cooperated with the Third Reich. Vietnamese people who opposed our intervention in their homeland fought against Vietnamese who cooperated with the invaders.
Division of Iraq into three parts, Sunni, Shia and Kurd would only make matters worse. It would be seen as the classic imperial method of divide and conquer.
It is true that the minority Sunnis who held power during the reign of Saddam Hussein now consider themselves overwhelmed by the Shia majority. Sectarianism is not to be ignored. But to speak of sectarian violence without identifying the cause is not acceptable.
If the cause of the violence would depart from Iraq immediately we can expect the bloodshed to decline. There would certainly be residual personal and ethnic vendettas as well as common crime but the root cause of the blood bath would be removed. The Bush administration has retreated from the slogan of, "Staying the Course." The new direction in Iraq must include the following:
* Initiate diplomacy and dialogue with Iran and all other Middle East states.
* Dismantle all permanent bases in Iraq and pledge not to build any new ones.
* Begin the withdrawal of troops immediately.
And what will we call it, "A tragic mistake?" Every intervention has been at least a tragic mistake and more accurately stated, a malicious action of cold-blooded mass murder.
Friends, there is no problem-free way to leave Iraq but leave we must. Confession is good for the soul.
Let this be the last of literally hundreds of illegal interventions made by our nation.
For this to take place we must resurrect Constitutional checks and balances. For example, the 1803 decision of Marbury vs Madison made it clear that the Supreme Court had the right of judicial review over the President of the United States and could declare acts of the president to be unconstitutional. But in regard to foreign policy the Supreme Court has sat like potted plants for over two centuries. A functional Supreme Court could restrain and enjoin any war mongering administration.
As Iraq is being torn to pieces, the commercial media has framed the phrase "sectarian violence" as if it were somehow unrelated to the occupation.
Actually, the occupation of Iraq by the United States is the primary cause of this so-called sectarian violence. Iraqis who have cooperated with the occupation are identified as the enemy by those who resist the intrusion of foreign troops.
This phenomenon is entirely predictable. France was similarly divided in the Second World War. The French people opposing occupation fought their fellow citizens who cooperated with the Third Reich. Vietnamese people who opposed our intervention in their homeland fought against Vietnamese who cooperated with the invaders.
Division of Iraq into three parts, Sunni, Shia and Kurd would only make matters worse. It would be seen as the classic imperial method of divide and conquer.
It is true that the minority Sunnis who held power during the reign of Saddam Hussein now consider themselves overwhelmed by the Shia majority. Sectarianism is not to be ignored. But to speak of sectarian violence without identifying the cause is not acceptable.
If the cause of the violence would depart from Iraq immediately we can expect the bloodshed to decline. There would certainly be residual personal and ethnic vendettas as well as common crime but the root cause of the blood bath would be removed. The Bush administration has retreated from the slogan of, "Staying the Course." The new direction in Iraq must include the following:
* Initiate diplomacy and dialogue with Iran and all other Middle East states.
* Dismantle all permanent bases in Iraq and pledge not to build any new ones.
* Begin the withdrawal of troops immediately.
And what will we call it, "A tragic mistake?" Every intervention has been at least a tragic mistake and more accurately stated, a malicious action of cold-blooded mass murder.
Friends, there is no problem-free way to leave Iraq but leave we must. Confession is good for the soul.
Let this be the last of literally hundreds of illegal interventions made by our nation.
For this to take place we must resurrect Constitutional checks and balances. For example, the 1803 decision of Marbury vs Madison made it clear that the Supreme Court had the right of judicial review over the President of the United States and could declare acts of the president to be unconstitutional. But in regard to foreign policy the Supreme Court has sat like potted plants for over two centuries. A functional Supreme Court could restrain and enjoin any war mongering administration.
