Dear Editor
On this tenth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, I feel more then ever compelled to write this letter of reflection on this dark episode of American History which was a crime against humanity.
First, the lies which brought us into that situation were not a mere mistake by some people in the U.S. intelligence community but rather a deliberate and well calculated plan by members of the Bush Administration to spread American hegemony over the Middle East, in particular the oil resources of Iraq. While the American people were being told by George W. Bush that the United States was seeking a peaceful resolution, the fix was already in and they, the administration, were determined to launch a war no matter what. This was later revealed in the Downing Street Memo, which was also called the 'Smoking Gun Meno' where the British Foreign Secretary declared the Americans were hell bent on war and there was no stopping them. Unfortunately, this report never saw the light of day in the American main stream media, which acted more like a puppet for the Bush administration and a stenographer for the Department of Defense rather than the guardian of democracy it's supposed to be.
As a result of all these lies and deceit, the U.S. Government spent over 2.2 Trillion dollars on Iraq, money that could have been used here at home for more peaceful and desperately needed things. Tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians were kill and millions more displaced. Over four thousand Americans were killed and many more came home with visible and invisible wounds which will alter their lives forever. And finally, American credibility is forever tainted.
In conclusion, there were some winners in this mess. Men like former Vice President Dick Chaney, whose company Haliburton got 'no bid contracts', will forever be reaping the financial rewards of this criminal act, along with other corporations like Bectel, Kellogg, Brown and Root, Blackwater, which keeps changing it's name, and other well connected companies that got their share.
The final sad thing about this event is a man like private first class Bradley Manning, who exposed a very small part of the many crimes committed in Iraq, is facing life in prison for doing so while men like G.W. Bush, Dick Chaney, Donald Rumsfeld and others will go on profiting from this terrible crime. May God forgive America.
Kenneth Dalton
President, Veterans For Peace, Chapter 21, New Jersey
Vietnam Veterans Against the War, North Jersey
EN2, U.S.N. 1970-74
89 Brighton Road
Clifton, New Jersey 07012
(973) 249-8680
njvfpken22@aim.com