One For Their Back Pocket

If Al Qaeda seized control of American cities and streets after 9/11, the uproar and backlash would be quick and excruciatingly severe. Though, let’s be honest, it would never even get that far.

So why are other countries supposed to sit back and accept it when we are the perpetrators?

While the exact count is unknown, it has been estimated that anywhere from 150,000, up to over a million civilians have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. While, not all of these are directly caused by U.S./NATO forces,  too many have been the result of deliberate or reckless actions at the hands of our U.S. Military.

Just today, it has been reported, that a U.S. soldier stationed in Kandahar, Afghanistan murdered 16 civilians and torched their bodies. This, while the repercussions are still being felt from Quran burnings in the country. And to find other examples, you don’t have to go too far back through news archives to discover the last time innocent Afghanis or Iraqis have been killed and/or desecrated by U.S. soldiers.

These events are unfortunate and result in perpetuating violence in the region. The Taliban has already promised to seek retribution for the murders, and there is sure to be resistance among the general population, as well. However, there is another danger at play. While the Taliban might be ingenuously outraged by a civilian massacre carried out by a U.S. soldier (no one likes competition), it also gives them something to put in their back pocket: a recruiting tool.

What better way to recruit members for your cause, than have to have your enemy kill innocent villagers in cold blood.

I understand that one man doesn’t represent a military of 1.5 million, or a country of over 300 million. However, tell that to a neighborhood of people who just lost sixteen family members to a man sporting a U.S. flag on his uniform. That, in combination with the fact, that these type of occurrences have happened before, and will likely happen again in the future, given our presence in the region, and you have a pretty well-justified argument for anti-American sentiment. (Blowback, anyone?)

Hey, it’s not like Americans have much room to talk on that front. After all, we started wars in two countries and another against a religion of over one billion, for the actions of nineteen.

Regardless, of whether or not this tragedy was carried out by a lone actor, or many, it brings us back to the question: What are we still doing there?           Short answer: More harm than good.

We are sure to see development and debate on this story in coming days.

Sincerely, The Experts

Eight former U.S. military officials took out this full-page ad in the Washington Post today, urging President Obama to rethink his military strategy against Iran. Today, President Obama is to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding future actions.

The Human Side of Iran

A friend of mine on Facebook, recently linked to this photo:

I figured it must have been some sort of joke, but curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to check out the website for myself.

Luckily, it was a joke. However, there is also a very serious component to this website. War. Though, Iran has been willing to talk about its nuclear program with U.N. officials and other world leaders, and there has been warnings against preemptive strikes, in the popular media (e.g. here and here), Israel still appears to be on the brink of an attack, which would assuredly lead to U.S. involvement.

I think most of us can agree, that the last thing the U.S. needs is another war, especially one with Iran. Part of that reason is because we stay informed via the internet. The majority of the country, however, gets their news from television, where the war propaganda is prevalent and threatening. Their mission to de-humanize Iran and make it appear to be a country of fundamentalist savages that want nothing more than to destroy the west. Travelers to Iran, however, depict a different side of the country. A side the media does not make known. The human side.

BombIran.org links to a great documentary by Rick Steves, where he gets into the thick of the country. The greenery, the streets filled with people, the beautiful architecture, the smiling schoolchildren, the local businesses, and the families who go about their everyday like most Americans. (watch the documentary here)

This isn’t the first time I’ve been surprised by the normality of this country. Back in December, I was directed to a link that showed pictures of Iranians celebrating Christmas. I was amazed. The pictures look like they could have been taken in New York City, or any other downtown. You see people window shopping, buying gift wrapping paper, prepping their stores, and children leering through the windows of toy shops. I thought to myself, ‘I consider myself to be a relatively informed individual, and this is not even what I was expecting!’. (see the pictures here)

A question you should be asking yourself is, “Why?”. Why are these images surprising to us? If you were told these pictures were taken in India or South Africa, would that surprise you? Probably not. Have you ever been to either of those countries to know firsthand? Probably not. But when it comes to Iran or other countries in this region, we are conditioned to believe that normalcy is non-existent. Why? Because it makes it easier for us to attack them.

I am not here to say that Iran has a good and just government. I am not here to say they are always well-intentioned, either.  What I am here to say, is that their country consists of people…like you and me. That there is a human side to war, that we may not always be exposed to, for a reason.

Thankfully, people are starting to take notice. Just last year, film makers from Iran created a drama that shows the human side of Iran. The film, “A Separation”, has gained worldwide notoriety, being nominated for, or winning, dozens of awards, including those at the Golden Globes, in which it won Best Foreign Language Film and the upcoming Academy Awards, in which it is nominated for two awards. One can only hope, with films like these and documentaries like Rick Steves’, that we come to the realization that our actions affect other humans, like us, and that we start turning to diplomacy, instead of war, in dealing with Iran and all other countries of the world.

On a lighter note, Bomb Bomb Iran.

BAD PR

As the United States implements stricter sanctions on Iran for advancing their nuclear energy program, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted 4-1 today to build two nuclear reactors in Georgia–the first since in three decades.

Aside from the fact that taxpayers will be footing the $14 billion dollar bill, one has to ask, is this a responsible time to be approving such projects? As Iran inches closer to block the Strait of Hormuz (a move the US has already committed to act on, should it occur), and Israel starts gearing up its weaponry for a preemptive attack, should the US add insult to injury and expand its nuclear program?

With all the spending the federal government does, I hope they have a good PR team.

Strait Into War

The Strait of Hormuz has been a major point of contention, this week, with Iran threatening to close the strategic choke point, a major passageway for the world’s oil supply. Brought on by U.S. imposed sanctions, Iran is threatening to cut off the oil supply, which would have deep diplomatic and economic consequences.

Situated between Iran and Oman, at its narrowest, the strait reaches only thirty-four miles wide. Twelve miles off the shore is the accepted distance to which a country “owns” the right to the waters. However, international law has determined that no one owns the strait. This is vital to the options available to the United States. In the event that Iran starts taking actions to block oil transport, the U.S. will be able to employ international law to justify military intervention.

This week, it was reported, that President Obama sent Iranian officials a “secret letter”, calling for direct talks with Iran’s supreme leader. While it has not been confirmed whether or not these talks will take place, U.S. military chief, Gen. Martin Dempsey, is currently meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, perhaps to gauge Israeli intentions regarding preemptive strikes on Iran.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is trying to appeal to China and Russia to support the U.S. in new sanctions against Iran. Russia and China, however, have both called a move toward war or harsher sanctions against Iran “catastrophic” and “dangerous”.

The source of these tensions revolve around Iran’s nuclear program. Iran has denied allegations it seeks to develop a nuclear bomb, and maintains it is seeking nuclear energy alternatives. This claim is supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has determined that at this time, there is no evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear bomb. Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, along with Iran’s Ambassador to South Korea, Ahmad Masumifar and  Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Prof. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu have also defended Iran’s nuclear motives.

Opinion:

• Pakistan
• China
• North Korea
• Israel
• France
• Russia
• India
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Belgium**
• Germany**
• Italy**
• Netherlands**
• Turkey**

**Countries engaged in NATO nuclear weapons sharing

Above, is a list of all the countries that currently have possession of nuclear weapons. As you can see, some of the countries on the list are known enemies to the United States, and others we have had, or currently have, strained relations. Four of the countries on this list are in the same region as Iran.

From a logical and moral standpoint, what grounds do western nations have to tell Iran they are not allowed to develop nuclear capabilities, but it’s okay for the west, and others, to possess nuclear weapons? That is like your Home Owner’s Association telling you that it’s okay for everyone else to put up a shed in their backyard, except you. It doesn’t make any fucking sense. You wouldn’t stand for it.

Iran is a sovereign nation, and while, it may not be a “trustworthy” nation or one with the best intentions, like the United States, it demands respect and freedom regarding its internal affairs. As a sovereign nation, Iran should have every right to protect itself, from its borders, as it sees fit, and be allowed the same capabilities afforded to other nations of the world.

What is one reason Iran might want nuclear capabilities? Check out this map, and then tell me whether or not the United States would not want the capabilities to defend itself, should China or Russia have our borders lined with military bases. Our positioning is threatening and telling of our intentions in that region.

With Russia and China as Iranian allies, all we can do is pray that these tensions will not land us into World War III.

Adding to the Terror

The below is a conversation I had via Facebook regarding a link about night raids in Afghanistan. The conversation took place between me and a US soldier.

Tony the Truther

Alright, so maybe he is not a “Truther” in the 9/11 conspiracy sense, but Tony Bennett definitely seeks the truth when it comes to the terrorists motivations behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and current threats.

While promoting his new album on the Howard Stern show,  Tony discussed his time as a young World War II vet and how that experience impacted his life. Now, a self-described Pacifist, Tony referred to war and the “lowest form of human behavior” and called the War in Iraq a “tremendous, tremendous mistake”. While these opinions are telling in themselves, the comments that struck me most were regarding the motivations behind the terrorist attacks. Whether it be through experience, research, or just intuition, I was impressed with his statements (and they came at the perfect time as to support yesterday’s posting).

What I didn’t find surprising, was the backlash. This morning on Fox & Friends, the daily pundits sat there with looks of disgust while reading his interview; shaking their heads, rolling their eyes, and not missing the opportunity to cast some insults, “Well, I mean, what is he, 85? I’d normally give him a free pass, but…” “What was he thinking?!?!” Well, Friends, I have some news for you, Tony isn’t the only one who uses common sense when it comes to foreign policy-millions of Americans and hundreds of millions world-wide do, too. It’s just unfortunate that people look to you as the authorities on foreign policy, and not to people who want to know or find the truth.

To Tony Bennett, my hat goes off to you, sir.

The Middle East Massacre

On my way into work this morning, I was listening to a BBC Newshour segment on a man’s account of a night raid in Afghanistan. My initial thought was, ‘This is never a story you’d hear on any mainstream American news outlet”. My second thought was, ‘Wow, and we wonder why “these people” “hate” us?’

At the Tea Party Debate on September 12th, Ron Paul was attacked by Rick Santorum for writing  this article. In a nutshell, Ron Paul explains that the people in the Middle East who want to attack us do not want to do so because we are free, democratic, prosperous, or even predominantly a “Christian nation”; they want to attack us because we are over there occupying their land and meddling in their affairs. The Tea Party Debate crowd booed Ron Paul as he continued to defend his viewpoint.

Some people might wonder how these statements are even controversial. The term “blowback” was coined by the CIA and the CIA has admitted that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were a result of our own foreign policies. So how is this even disputed? How has it become “un-American” to question the government’s foreign policies and how they affect us worldwide? Does the MSM (mainstream media) keep us that far removed from what is happening over there on the ground? Or are we that desensitized to the Muslim region that we just don’t care?

The man who BBC profiled this morning spoke of the many night raids that the American troops conduct. Even though the troops killed two members of his family, a 12-year-old girl, both of his neighbors, and many others, he didn’t ask the government to stop–he just pleaded that the U.S. provide warning, like in the form of an announcement at a local Mosque, ahead of time. Why? Because many Afghanis irrigate their crops at night; because they don’t have indoor restroom facilities, so they must leave their houses to relieve themselves; because just like anyone else in the world, people still carry on at night.

This is one story. These tragic events happen daily for the civilians of this region. Take for instance, this story, where troops “executed” 10 Iraqis, including an elderly woman and an infant. Or this one, where troops killed Afghani men for “sport”. In 2006, in Iraq alone, the civilian death toll was 655,000. The numbers across the region are in the millions now.

My goal here is not to vilify American Troops. Like any given large population, you are going to have your “bad apples”. The majority of troops are good people who want to make a living serving their country. What’s concerning to me is our Middle Eastern foreign policy, but most importantly, public opinion regarding these policies. The U.S. has more civilian blood on its hands than any Extremist ever could, and probably ever will. Since our presence in the Middle East, the Taliban has doubled. These people were safer without us there (and so were we). What I can’t understand, is how pointing out these figures and making logical deductions regarding American sentiment in the Middle East, is controversial?

Like Ron Paul said in his article, put yourselves in these people’s shoes for one moment. Imagine, that as a sovereign nation, another “big kid on the block”, let’s say China or Russia, send hundreds of thousands of troops over our borders. They start bombing our streets and turning our neighborhoods into war zones. Women and children are killed, sometimes on “accident”, sometimes on purpose. Because of this, there is an insurgence of violence and radicalization.

….Ask yourselves, how would you feel about China or Russia? What would you want to do to them? Maybe you would become a “radical” yourself.

The examples above are just some of the reasons America isn’t popular in the Middle East. There are others, like propping up dictators, our blind support for Israel, or imposing sanctions that contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people. Knowing this, how can you not understand “their” position on America? Instead of looking at external factors for these threats, we need to start looking inward…