Peoples Geography — Reclaiming space

Creating people's geographies

Iraq: a war for Israel

On Iraq policy, the truth continues to be hidden in plain sight. Israel’s neocons aggressively pushed for the US invasion of Iraq; it is not the only reason the Bush-Cheney administration went to war—control of oilfields and dollar hegemony also factored in—but nevertheless it is a very important factor. In an article in Ha’aretz (13 April 2007), Israeli journalist Akiva Eldar interviews Robert Novak, who calls Iraq “Sharon’s War”.

AE: Why do you insist on calling the war in Iraq “the Sharon war”?

Novak: “I am convinced that Israel made a large contribution to the decision to embark on this war. I know that on the eve of the war, Sharon said, in a closed conversation with senators, that if they could succeed in getting rid of Saddam Hussein, it would solve Israel’s security problems. Israel was the big winner in the terror attack of September 11, 2001. Since then it has been enjoying complete freedom of action in the territories. I believe that Bush intended a two-state solution in all seriousness, but he is focused solely on the Iraqi issue.”

AE: Will the United States get out of Iraq soon?

RN: “From the very first moment I was opposed to the invasion of Iraq, and I warned that it would end in catastrophe. As a conservative, I believe that the United States does not need to intervene in every place in the world. Rumsfeld admitted to me as early as 2002 that there is no proof that Iraq is connected to September 11.

On that last point, here is an interesting bit of footage (less than two minutes) that previews PBS’s Case for War that airs this month. (1:56). A soldier’s wife very politely questions neocon Richard Perle, former head of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board and one of the chief architects of the Iraq war about the reasons for the Iraq invasion.

In addressing Perle, the peace protester refers to the war as being one based on lies because of the way it was sold to the American people as being somehow connected to 9/11.

Perle’s response: “I didn’t hear statements to the effect that Iraq was responsible for 9/11.

Perle telling a porker: the Bush administration most definitely did foster the impression of this connection to sell the war, and here’s just two citations of proof. First, only this month Cheney has been churlishly reasserting the link between al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein (Associated Press, El Paso Times, 6 April 2007)

And immediately prior to the invasion, the President’s March 18, 2003 letter to the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate continued to make the connection:

“Acting pursuant to the Constitution and Public Law 107-243 (Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq) is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.”

2 comments on “Iraq: a war for Israel

  1. guerrilla radio
    16 April, 2007

    the Israeli army’s use of human shields,
    and they do it again, here:
    http://guerrillaradio.iobloggo.com/archive.php?eid=1524

    salutations and respect from Milan,
    Victor.

  2. peoplesgeography
    16 April, 2007

    Ciao Victor,

    Ringraziamenti molto per il collegamento relativo al vostro web site eccellente e per ottenere.

    Riguardi caldi,

    Anna

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Timely Reminders

"Those who crusade, not for God in themselves, but against the devil in others, never succeed in making the world better, but leave it either as it was, or sometimes perceptibly worse than what it was, before the crusade began. By thinking primarily of evil we tend, however excellent our intentions, to create occasions for evil to manifest itself."
-- Aldous Huxley

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-- Diane DiPrima, "Rant", from Pieces of a Song.

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yet men die miserably every day
for lack
of what is found there"
-- William Carlos Williams, "Asphodel, That Greeny Flower"


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