- America's hidden history is ugly and disturbing. No nation
ever matched it. To Iraq alone, over the past two decades, it includes
ongoing genocide, destruction, terror, occupation, and contamination -
a horrendous combination of crimes, unmentioned in Western discourse.
-
- Environmental Engineering Professor Souad N. Al-Azzawi
documents them, including in his report titled, "Crime of the Century:
Iraq's Occupation and DU Contamination," a detailed account of US
culpability.
-
- America's strategic aims, he explains, include:
-
- -- controlling most of the world's oil and other natural
resources;
-
- -- remaining permanently in the Middle East, "the
intersection zone of the three continents where 80% of the world('s) population"
lives; and
-
- -- if the above two objectives are achieved, America
will control the world's economy, or enough of it to matter.
-
- Spread over a large enough area, depleted uranium (DU)
is a weapon of mass destruction, because it's radioactive and chemically
toxic. If ingested or inhaled through food, air, water or other means,
it enters the human body, remaining for decades. An earlier article reported
the dangers, accessed through the following link:
-
- http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2006/01/depleted-uranium-hidden-looming_16.html
-
- It explained that continued DU use has the potential
to end planetary life, yet few understand the risk, or that weaponized
DU is used regularly in missiles, bombs, shells and bullets wherever America
wages war - first during the 1991 Gulf War.
-
- Its danger comes from radiation residue after use. On
impact, DU munitions penetrate deeply and aerosolize into a fine spray,
polluting surrounding air, water and soil. It's microscopic, sub-miscroscopic,
and permanent. Spread over vast areas as radioactive atmospheric dust,
its contamination causes virtually all known illnesses and diseases from
severe headaches, muscle pain and general fatigue, to major birth defects,
infections, depression, cardiovascular disease, and many types of cancers.
It also causes permanent disability and death.
-
- Over the past two decades in Iraq alone, hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of tons have been used, irradiating the entire country, some
areas more than others. In his October 2009 presentation to the Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia International Conference to Criminalize War, Azzawi accused America
and Britain of:
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- "subject(ing) the whole nation of Iraq for two decades
to torture and slow death through the intentional use of radioactive weapons
and the sanctions. The continuous and intentional use of (these) weapons
is a crime against humanity due to its undifferentiating harmful health
effects on civilians in contaminated areas tens of years to come after
the military engagements." Radiation, in fact, is permanent, affecting
unborn generations like living ones.
-
- During the Gulf War, about 320 tons were used in southern
Iraq, affecting the Basrah region. Post-conflict, "comprehensive"
examination detected it, especially "in and around Al-Basrah City,"
showing:
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- -- "high gamma radiation" levels;
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- -- "soil samples from 39 locations (with) higher
activities than natural background levels;" and
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- -- "Surface water channel sediments (with 2 - 3)
times higher radioactivity than the natural background" level.
-
- Contamination was widespread, affecting at least "45%
of people in the area, the Iraqi troops, and" coalition ones. As a
result, soldiers (and civilians) exposed "to DU oxides (can expect)
70 cancer cases per 1,000" persons. Perhaps a higher incidence over
time, and along with other illnesses and diseases, an epidemic of human
affliction.
-
- Subsequent epidemiological studies in Basrah showed a
"five times rise in the incidence rate of malignancies amongst children
to be far more noticeable from 1995 onwards." In addition, exposure
to ionized radiation caused:
-
- -- higher child leukemia rates;
-
- -- a "six fold increase in congenital malformations
among births in Basrah City since 1995 onward," some too disturbing
to view; and
-
- -- higher rates of congenital heart diseases and chromosomal
aberrations.
-
- Even more destructive weapons were used in the 2003 war,
including banned ones like napalm, white phosphorous, cluster bombs, and
greater amounts of DU - "against people, infrastructure facilities,
and environment." Further, "the looting and burning of factories,
industrial complexes, laboratories, and ministries (including the looting
of the Tuwaitha Atomic Energy Agency, and 300 other highly contaminated
sites....)" caused contamination.
-
- Much more as well across the country in Baghdad and suburbs,
Basrah, Mosul, Fallujah, Balad, Anbar, Haditha, Qa'im, Rawa, Karbala, Najar,
Aubaidi, Diala, Samara, Tikrit, Baiji, Ahsaiba, Mada'in, Kubaissa, and
other locations.
-
- In March 2009, Gideon Polya used the Just Foreign Policy
estimate of 1.32 million Iraqi deaths post-March 2003 alone, a number considerably
higher today. It's also well below his post-9/11 eight million "war
on terror" total, mostly affecting women and children, aged five and
younger, killed by war, diseases, and/or depravation, America's horrific
ongoing genocidal legacy - air-brushed from history. Azzawi adds more:
-
- -- at least 4.5 internal or external refugees, many victimized
by "militias and police raids and terrorist groups;"
-
- -- death squads targeting "certain ethnic and sectarian
groups" daily; and
-
- -- in cities throughout Iraq, sieges cutting off "all
life support aids on people, (affecting) Thousands of children, women and
elderly who could not leave their houses and were subjected to collective
punishment...." For weeks, these areas were deprived of food, water,
healthcare, and electricity. As a result, contaminated water was used "from
ditches and nearby rivers," causing cholera and other waterborne diseases.
-
- The continuous use of DU weapons in heavily populated
areas exposes millions to its destructive effects. Further, "Continuous
negligence of medical care systems, hospitals, and the killing of prominent
medical and healthcare specialists....after 2003" exacerbated a widespread
health crisis.
-
- Yet occupation forces provide no data on civilians killed,
wounded, kidnapped or otherwise harmed. Nor do they allow "exploration
programs to detect (DU) related contaminated areas." Yet they're vitally
needed to "help Iraqi people....cope with the damages."
-
- Known evidence shows "Continuous deterioration of
environmental quality....in Baghdad City due to explosions, and heavy traffic
of tanks and vehicles...." Concentrations of numerous toxins way exceed
safe levels. "Water quality deterioration caused an increase in "pathogenic
water born diseases like Cholera, Typhoid, Hepatitis, (and) others."
Air pollution results from continuous bombing and explosions.
-
- The "Multiple impact of all of the above pollution
sources on the human body can be critical, especially for children, women
and the elderly people."
-
- From DU munitions alone, Azzawi told the Kuala Lumpur
conference that contamination is spread over vast areas by "wind storms,
dust storms, sandstorms, and rainstorms," besides polluted waterways
and surface migration in soil, causing:
-
- -- "Siltation, creeping, and suspension from contaminated
soil to atmosphere; (and)
-
- -- Suspension and re-suspension of deposited DU aerosols....the
most dangerous and critical pathway of transfer and spreading from source
to the human population."
-
- America and Britain are responsible "for exposing
a whole nation to the risk of continually receiving high radioactive and
toxic persistent contaminants," including DU and many others, a noxious
brew leaving no one untouched and many lethally harmed. "This is a
crime against humanity (because of) its undifferentiated harmful health
impacts on civilians long (after) military operations" are concluded.
-
- A Final Comment
-
- On September 19, BRussells Tribunal Executive Committee
member Dirk Adriaensens headlined, "Iraq: The Age of Darkness,"
explaining "a devastating balance sheet (of) success," including:
-
- -- a 150% increase in child mortality since 1990;
-
- -- only half of primary-aged children in school;
-
- -- about 1,500 children in (horrific) detention facilities;
-
- -- in 2007, about "5 million Iraqi orphans;"
-
- -- over two million external refugees and almost three
million internal ones (IDPs);
-
- -- official unemployment at 50%; real unemployment at
least 70%;
-
- -- at least 43% of Iraqis "in abject poverty;"
-
- -- at least eight million need "emergency aid;"
-
- -- at least four million "lack food and are in dire
need of humanitarian assistance;"
-
- -- at least 80% lack "effective sanitation;"
-
- -- "Religious minorities are on the verge of extinction;"
and
-
- -- an Oxfam survey showed 33% of women got no humanitarian
aid since 2003; 76% of widows lack pension help; 52% are unemployed; 55%
have been displaced; and 55% have been "subjected to (various forms
of) violence."
-
- In Iraq today, "killing of innocent people has become
part of daily life." America is committing genocide against the entire
population. It persists daily unreported, yet called "a success."
-
- It includes death, destruction, torture, terror, occupation,
displacement, disease, and insecurity in a nation that no longer exists.
For sure, one unfit to live in - unsafe, corrupt, terrorized, tyrannized,
contaminated, and permanently occupied. In virtually all rankings that
matter, Iraq scores last, Afghanistan second last, a testimony to America's
liberating values.
-
- They're run from Washington with no functioning governments,
de facto satraps instead obeying their imperial masters. Yet on August
31, declaring an "end to the combat mission in Iraq," Obama outrageously
said: "Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United
States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility," infamously displaying
his culpability as a war criminal, matching the worst America ever produced.
-
- Under him, George Bush, and their successors, "Iraq
has no viable future," Adriaensens' final assessment of America's
"success."
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com
and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the
Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays
at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs
are archived for easy listening.
-
- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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