Azzaman,
Iraq
'Iraqi Souls are Worth Nothing'
By Sammak Burhan-eddin
June 18, 2006
Iraq - Azzaman - Original
Article (English)
A woman weeps after a bomb exploded at a second-hand
clothing shop in central Baghdad, June 20. (above)
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Matters
have come to a head. Iraqi souls, whether killed by Americans or non-Americans are
now worth nothing. As a result of the reckless salvos of these "friendly"
forces, Iraqis are being killed in droves.
When
these "friendly" forces landed in our midst, their declared purpose
was to introduce democracy and establish a state of law in our country, in
which there would be no room for oppression, summary arrests or mass killings.
But in
the years since the 2003 invasion, we have seen very little of their democracy
and very much of their oppression. Only God knows what's in store for us in the
days ahead.
Conditions
as they stand today are horrific. Iraqis can be arrested or killed for no
reason, their houses demolished for mere suspicion. And you can imagine the
horror that accompanies a situation like this.
Today,
U.S. Marines have the right to abuse Iraqis without contrition or fear of
punishment. What is generally referred to as "human conscience" has
no place in the Marines' dictionary.
U.S. Marines
have nothing to worry about, no matter what they do in the country. They are
immune from prosecution in Iraq and their leaders provide them with the necessary
cover to justify the atrocities, crimes and errors they commit against the
Iraqi people.
The way
the Pentagon has treated revelations of U.S. Marines atrocities in Iraq can be likened to the carefully orchestrated chapters of a play.
First,
U.S. spokesmen express sorrow and extend their condolences to the victims and
their families. They order "fair and independent" investigations and
vow that U.S. military courts will punish the perpetrators if found guilty.
Second,
the investigations for the most part take the side of the Marines, despite
confirmed reports of abuses, torture and killing, as happed at Abu Ghraib and
Haditha. And if there is punishment, it is extremely lenient and touches only
the very low-ranking Marines who have no say in the operations.
Third,
the Pentagon denies that its troops have committed any wrongdoing, despite
eyewitness accounts. It justifies atrocities by the fact that the Marines were
following "rules of engagement." And it doesn't matter if women and
children are killed, so long as you follow the Pentagon's rules.
An American soldier from the
101st Airborne Division takes cover
from sniper fire in Ramadi, on Teusday.
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The U.S.
Marines Corps is said to be an elite force of which the Pentagon is extremely
proud. They are supposed to be highly accurate and efficient when using their
guns and performing their duties, as Hollywood's movie industry shows. Or at
least that's what their commanders would like us to believe.
It is
tragic to see the Pentagon issuing orders to have its troops educated in
morality and good behavior in dealing with Iraqis.
Is this
decision not overdue? More than three years after the "liberation" of
Iraq – which for many has become the "extermination" of Iraq, the
Pentagon discovers that its troops need to undergo "ethical training."
VIDEO FROM JORDAN: ZARQAWI ACTED 'FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH'
AL-JAZZERA TV, QATAR: Excerpts from interviews with Al-Zarqawi sympathizers in Jordan, June 14, 2006, 00:06:30 MEMRI
"The Americans and their allies came to Iraq, occupied it, destroyed it, ripped it to shreds, did all sorts of things, and still do. Ultimately, he fought them, and they were the ones who killed him.'"
Jordanian MP Muhammad Abu Fares