5 Years of War and Dehumanization
By Wade Fulmer
The stories of these years of contrived war are sourced by political press evasives or by uncovered inconvenient truths of harms to peoples and nations. Five and six years of the wars of occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan continue the victimization, the loss of lives, limbs, and minds of our loved ones and of the invaded, bombed, tortured, dehumanized sovereign peoples of their homelands. While members of our military and families have sought to protect and defend our citizens and our Constitution they have been betrayed. With all our hearts we thank them for their noble service and sacrifice.
March 19th begins the sixth year of the war of occupation in Iraq. Sadly, unnecessarily, horrifically, year six will soon bring the killing and loss of another soldier loved one. 4,000 of our beloved troops will have been killed. 29,000 have been wounded. Three in ten of those deployed suffer from mental harms with diagnoses of PTSD, depression, and other mental harms. The Pentagon now admits to five times as many traumatic brain injuries than previously reported. Illegal, immoral, blank check congressionally funded war will cause continued suicides. Army suicides are at the highest level in twenty-six years. Medical or mental healthcare appointments are delayed or treatment and benefits are delayed or denied. Thousands of troops have been evacuated due to accidents or illnesses. Iraqi deaths due to the U.S. invasion are estimated to be near 1 million. Hundreds of thousands have been wounded. Another million have been displaced to Jordan and Syria. Iraq costs the U.S. $12B per month as projected in the new book, “The Three Trillion Dollar War”. Projected costs by end of year 2008 may surpass the $670B in 2007 dollars which was the price tag for the 12-year Vietnam War. There is no estimate of financial cost to the Iraq economy.
Soldiers and families continue to suffer multiple deployments, deployment extensions, and stop-gapping which denies them their earned, honorable, contract fulfilled service discharges. They are not allowed home and family. War stressed, wounded, and mentally harmed veterans are detained and sent again, while the Pentagon considers psychotropics to numb their consciences. This veteran says and numb their alertness. If they do return home there are now higher rates of domestic violence, divorce, and homelessness. While two wars rage, while the military is stretched and broken and veterans are not cared for, the sit on the ranch and on the hill taunting war mongers consider yet another war. Experiences and harms that soldiers, military families, and Iraqis have suffered are strategically silenced or discounted mythically by the arms of political and military media and political career loyalists. This simply speaks of the dissolved conscience of “decider” and nonrepresentational “representatives”. While the majority of American and Iraqi people want the occupation ended, there is no specific funding nor plan to ever bring family home. Instead, Congress funds only the continuation of war violence, surges of corporate profiteering for candidates’ campaign financing, and the war games of spin to win or stay a hundred years shedding others’ blood and pain.
As an infantry veteran of Vietnam and now with other members of Military Families Speak Out and its veterans care committee, we advocate for and demand the care of our soldiers and their families. Our military loved ones have sacrificed, given their lives, lost limbs, and suffer mental disabilities all brought by the insanity of a war of political lies. Policies of endless war, non-diplomacy, and exploitation by incompetent administration, funding not for care or to safely bring our soldiers home but for corporate and personal ambition by the blank check Congress of parties and profiteers, and the dismantling of Constitution and democracy by Capitol crimes are destructing our nation .
The abuse and neglect of our soldiers and families continue. We do not provide the needed care of our soldiers. We do not care for our citizens, we surge American jobs to other countries, we pay multiples of our soldier salaries to mercenaries and profiteering contractors. We kill and maim and leave insane our own and the families and children of Iraq. We torture, rendition, humiliate peoples of a sovereign land, create Guantanamo and secret prisons, and detain for years without evidence to charge people and families whom we destroy. No, it is not we. We are and must be the protectors and defenders of our people, our Constitution, the America. It is the decider and (his) Congress who are hypocrisy democracy and have betrayed soldier and morality. Where are care and morality? We are America. We are the people who are not being served by Administration or Congress, who are not holding them accountable for their funding of the killing, harming, and suicides of our own as well as for the bombing of children, families, and Iraq’s life sustaining infrastucture. Yes, we must demand our America, our Constitution, our families back, and we demand that the Iraqis have their Iraq back. We must hold accountable those on Capitol Hill who choose the stagnancy, arrogance, and betrayal of the Administration. We must now end our violent occupation and our degradation of the Iraqi people. We must now bring home and care for our troops and families for peace.
Wade Fulmer, Veteran. 923 Laurens St., Columbia, SC, 29201. Phone 253-6374
Wade Fulmer, piss ant peacenik who hates America.
Anti-War Vets Recall ‘Brutal Reality’ of Iraq
Silver Spring, Md. (CNSNews.com) – Jason Hurd, an Army veteran of the Iraq war, recalled that while serving in Iraq, he saw a speeding vehicle coming in his direction. When it did not stop after he flagged it down, he aimed his weapon and was prepared to fire.
Then, a superior officer stopped the vehicle. Inside was an 80-year-old woman who Hurd said was highly respected in Iraq and whose death could have caused uproar among Iraqis. Hurd said such incidents are too often not avoided and innocent civilians in Iraq are unnecessarily killed.
Hurd and other veterans spoke at the “Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan” conference held in Washington, D.C., over the weekend, an event sponsored by the Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Cliffton Hicks, also an Iraq war veteran, told attendees of the panel on “Rules of Engagement” that in the course of doing their job and through human error, U.S. soldiers are creating hostility among Iraqis. He recalled that his unit once busted into the wrong home of a woman and her family.
“We busted in and took her and her children and held them at gunpoint,” he said. “We destroyed the lady’s house and found nothing. We were off by one house number. It was the house across the street, but we didn’t go.”
Hicks also spoke about a battle that left hundreds dead.
“They said 700-800 of the enemy were killed,” he said. “I didn’t see that. Seven hundred or 800 were killed – and I would swear under oath about this – the majority were civilians.
“These are not bad people,” Hicks said of U.S. troops. “They are there to make things better, but you discover a lot of the people want to kill you, and they look like the people that don’t want to kill you.”
Veterans on the panel did not allege war crimes or atrocities in Iraq. Much of the horror is based on the unfortunate reality of war, said Vincent Emanuele, a Marine veteran of the war and president of the Indiana chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War.
Emanuele, not a panelist, said that during his time in Iraq he did not witness or hear of what he would describe as a war crime or atrocity, but he did see severe violence.
“I’m not a lawyer, so I’m not going to call it a crime – I’ll call it a brutal reality of what takes place,” Emanuele told Cybercast News Service.
“Little kids that are killed, women that are killed, bodies that are decapitated on the side of the road that American convoys are running over – these are things that are not on the news. These are things politicians aren’t talking about. These are things that the American people don’t know about,” he said.
Nick Morgan, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, also was reluctant to use the term war crimes, but he said he saw things and participated in events he viewed as morally wrong on the part of the U.S. military.
“A sergeant first class and an interpreter sat down an entire neighborhood and addressed them, and meanwhile they asked me, in a bulldozer, to bulldoze this house directly behind them,” Morgan said, adding, “and basically take my time and draw it out slowly, make it dramatic, you know, to make a point.”
“Basically, in more words, they said: Anyone out there who wants to contribute to terrorism or the insurgency, this is going to be your fate as well. Do I know whether insurgents lived in the house? I have no idea. I was following orders. As far as I was concerned, we were just destroying a house in their neighborhood in front of the entire neighborhood,” he said.
Emanuele added that these are all matters that are typical of past wars as well.
“Think about the World War II generation,” he said. “My grandfather was in World War II. Those guys didn’t come back and talk about what they saw. That didn’t happen in Korea.
“Vietnam was the first time that that did happen. It wasn’t like these incidents that people talk about in Iraq, or going back to Vietnam, didn’t take place in World War I, World War II, or any of the wars that we fought. It’s just a matter of these stories getting out there,” Emanuele added.
“If I’m going to send young men and women into battle, if I’m going to send them into war, these are things that are unavoidable, these are instances and situations that you put these men and women in, and I really couldn’t see expecting anything else,” Emanuele said.
Bart
You may disagree with Wade Fulmer but he did serve our country and as an American his voice should be heard. Because someone disagrees with you on the Iraq war you should not question their patriotism.
John,
What a lame reply…SOS.
Every single member of the military VOLUNTEERED to serve unlike Vietnam. Many re-upped and most support the war.
Wade Fulmer is not a patriot…he is a whiney ass liberal 60s leftover looking for some cause to get his name in the lights.
He supports de-funding the troops while in combat – is this patriotism? No.
Why do you support snatching defeat from the jaws of victory John?
Define victory?
John,
We’ve been through that discussion ad nauseum.
The point is; progress was made last year on the military/security front. It is time for the Iraqi government to fulfill its obligations and the words of General Patreus will likely help push them in the right direction.
Why come home now knowing full well America’s retreat would likely result in catastrophe?
David Petraeus: Iraqis Not Making “Sufficient Progress”
What is next?
HP-With a Senate appearance looming to explain the success of President Bush’s surge in Iraq, Gen. David Petreaus has offered his starkest commentary yet on the state of Iraq reconciliation, reports the Washington Post:
Petraeus, who is preparing to testify to Congress next month on the Iraq war, said in an interview that “no one” in the U.S. and Iraqi governments “feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation,” or in the provision of basic public services.
The general’s comments appeared to be his sternest to date on Iraqis’ failure to achieve political reconciliation. In February, following the passage of laws on the budget, provincial elections and an amnesty for certain detainees, Petraeus was more encouraging. “The passage of the three laws today showed that the Iraqi leaders are now taking advantage of the opportunity that coalition and Iraqi troopers fought so hard to provide,” he said at the time.
The truth you cannot define victory!
John,
Answer the question — why do you want to surrender?
bb,
One question.
Just the one . . .
Why did we invade, destroy, conquor and ever-so-badly occupy another sovereign nation that did nothing to us on, before or after September 11, 2001?
Bart
Surrender to whom it is not our country?
bb doesn’t have a strategy, set objective, or timeline. Of course part of the problem is the entire REST of the world knows the REAL plan which is outlined in the “Project for a New American Century” which was written in 1997.
Bart
Does Bush hate the troops?
Col.: DOD delayed brain injury scans
USATODAY-For more than two years, the Pentagon delayed screening troops returning from Iraq for mild brain injuries because officials feared veterans would blame vague ailments on the little-understood wound caused by exposure to bomb blasts, says the military’s director of medical assessments.
Air Force Col. Kenneth Cox said in an interview that the Pentagon wanted to avoid another controversy such as the so-called Gulf War syndrome. About 10,000 veterans blamed medical conditions from cancer to eczema on their service.
The Pentagon did not acknowledge the syndrome until Congress created a committee to study it in 1998.
For troops who think they may have a condition not designated as war-related, Cox said, often “they’re reacting to rumors, things that they’ve read about or heard about on the Internet or (from) their friends.”
That uncertainty, Cox said, means “some individuals will seek a diagnosis from provider to provider to provider.” It also makes treating veterans “much more difficult and much more costly,” he said.
READ MORE
DOR,
Why do you ignore all the bad things that took place in Iraq including daily attacks against American fighter jets patroling as part of the treaties signed after 1991?
Iraq will be a critical strategic outpost for America in the Mid East as the world works to find peace. Morons like Fulmer took too many hits of blue microdot in the 60s as evidenced by his ridiculous peace at all costs positions today. Sometimes we must take down those who wish to attack us before allowing them the means in which to carry out their desires.
Face it boys, we aren’t leaving until the job is completed…I don’t care who you support for president.
John,
Answer the damn question. If we leave Iraq, are you that so ignorant as to believe Al Qaeda won’t declare victory?
Bart
The biggest issue in Iraq is the tribes do not get along historically not Al Qaeda ruling the country. They have been fighting each other since 700 BC!
The reason Reagan went to the containment strategy is because he knew democratizing the Middle East in a western style country made no sense. In fact Cheney made this point after Iraq 1.
The best solutions is recognize the tribes as they are split up now and contain the situation and get off Middle East oil ASAP.
John,
That is all well and good, but the tribes were not coming together…now they are at least working toward that end. Thus the question; why snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?
Bart
The bar is not victory it is containment.
No John, the goal is to win, at least for most. Why won’t you admit progress is being made and it would be absolutely foolish to cut and run now?
You reference Gen. Patreus when he says something that you can construe to your liking. Yet you ignore the majority of what he says including the need to maintain current force levels because good things are happening. You can’t have it both ways John.
Bart
I am trying to deal with reality not talking points. The truth is strong federal government is not working in Iraq. The truth is the violence went down when they worked with each group separately like I recommended years ago. The real issue is unless we recognize that we cannot form a western style democracy in Iraq we will never get out and bankrupt our economy.
From Mike Boyce’s blog, candidate for Georgia’s 6th District Congressional seat, war veteran and retired from U.S. Marines:
Leaving Iraq—Have We Thought This Through?
As a recent returnee from 10 months in Baghdad, and as a candidate for the U.S. Congress in Georgia’s 6th District, I am asked almost daily about our options in Iraq. For those who want the bottom line, withdrawing at this moment may not be the best alternative.
For many, the immediate focus of any retrograde would probably be the 160,000 members of the armed forces. However, seldom mentioned are the more than 100,000 civilian contractors who would also have to be withdrawn. Most are part of military logistical augmentation programs and the military is responsible for including them in their security and contingency plans. Moreover, their presence is not directly proportional to the number of operational forces. The nature of the logistical support they provide frequently requires a large core of these people whether there are 100 or 1000 troops. This critical mass of people and their equipment would have to stay until the end. We may abandon the equipment but not the people.
For those who were involved and/or remember, it required almost one year to remove all the remain behind equipment in Kuwait after the First Gulf War. In that campaign, the sea and aerial ports were very close, if not adjacent to the battle space. The present situation in Iraq is nowhere comparable. There is a saying that soldiers talk tactics, but professionals talk logistics. You might want to question advocates of an immediate withdrawal about their thoughts on logistics for a pull back over lines of communication that are several hundred miles in length.
Secondly, we invaded Iraq and disbanded their army and police. We have an obligation to rebuild those security forces before we withdraw. Leaving behind an Iraq that is not capable of self defense is irresponsible. The price in American lives to restore stability and security in Iraq in 2007 saliently indicates what would happen if we left precipitously. How long will it take to rebuild the Iraqi security forces? My position in Iraq allowed me to see that the Iraqi soldier also wants to be a professional. It is wishful thinking that an Iraqi military can be rebuilt in less than a decade. Again, ask those who espouse an accelerated time table their plan to develop in less than ten years the mid grade leaders that are the back bone of every military.
Thirdly, what do we do about all those programs where we have finally begun to see progress? Much has been made about the Concerned Local Citizens and the Awakening Councils—armed “neighborhood watches” that have contributed significantly to putting a lid on the communal violence that wracked Iraq for nearly half of 2007. The truces that have emerged from these informal security groups have created opportunities at the local level for reconciliation between sectarian groups. The coalition forces are working with agencies like the US Institute for Peace to find common grounds for agreement between tribal elements. At the provincial level, local governments are benefiting from the central government’s honoring its commitment to decentralize budget execution. In 2007, the provinces were allocated $10.2 billion to fund local projects. They are receiving nearly $11 billion dollars in 2008. While acknowledging the unevenness of this effort in preparing programmed budgets, we should also appreciate that for the first time in Iraqi history provinces have discretionary budget authority.
The allocation of funds outside of Baghdad has created more opportunities for local governments to develop efficient processes. All these governments have a long journey before them, largely because of the lack of trained personnel and the incredible corruption in Iraqi society at all levels. But the seeds of participatory government have been planted. Moreover, the political problems, and especially the paralysis in Baghdad, have provided ample fodder for the Iraqi media to skewer their government—and they have not been restrained in doing so. Freedom of the press and the accountability that it brings is very much alive and well in Iraq. Do we throw the baby out with the bath water by leaving now?
Fourthly, the remarkable resurgence in Christian churches testifies to traction of the military surge. More than 30 churches with congregations ranging in size from small gatherings to more than 1000 people have taken heart in the improved security in Baghdad to again offer spiritual and humanitarian services to their communities. Are we willing to again allow the persecution of these people by sectarian elements which would accompany a hasty withdrawal?
As Secretary of State Colin Powell so sagely noted before the invasion into Iraq, if we break it, we own it. We broke it, but we are repairing it. Although the restored “cup” will not be what we envisioned, we are morally and politically responsible for staying until the job is complete. Based on my experience working at the US Embassy and in the Iraqi government, I believe that the right mixture of milestones and “sunset” provisions in our programs with the Iraqis will result in more responsible and faster transfer of responsibilities. This is an objective that both sides agree upon. The footprint that we leave behind should focus on providing Iraq with a credible security force. What the Iraqis decide to do with that force is a story for another day.
Is that enough “reality” for you John?
Are you supporting him over Price?
I’m going to support the candidate in every race who will stand before voters and say ’suck it up’ as Michelle Malkin called for in a column.
Regarding Iraq, I don’t see much difference between Boyce and Price…both understand the need to be there and to finish the job.
Do you disagree with Boyce’s position built upon 10 months in country and a lifetime of service?
bb,
I have never, ever said that Iraq was a paradise on earth. Never.
I have, very consistently held the same belief toward North Korea, which captured or killed a lot more of our soldiers over a much longer period of time – and has working nuclear weapons – to name just two.
We didn’t invade, destroy, conquer and ever-so-badly occupy North Korea, did we?
So, the question stands, unanswered:
Why did we invade, destroy, conquer and ever-so-badly occupy another sovereign nation that did nothing to us on, before or after September 11, 2001?
.
Answer the question, sir, and without the “we screwed up the Middle East so badly we had to have some place to call home” garbage.
DOR,
Iraq never did anything to us???
Other than firing missiles at our planes fulfilling treaties signed by Iraq’s leader…
Other than attempting to assasinate President George H.W. Bush…
Other than paying tens of thousands to families of terrorist martyrs….
Other than having WMDs in spite of treaties signed again by Saddam forbidding WMDs….
Other than ignoring 17 UN resolutions after being forced out of Kuwait…
Other than hosting terrorist training camps…
Geez DOR, be against the war if you must, but at least acknowledge the reality that Saddam thumbed his nose at the world and paid for it with his life. They did plenty to provoke the world’s invasion 5 years ago.