Iraqi Objections to the Occupation
A positive attitude by Iraqi’s towards the U.S. presence was required whether the White House simply wanted oil or truly believed in a broader policy of liberating the Iraqi people, In fact, the war boosters predicted a jubilant welcome by the newly freed citizens. By a four to one margin, Iraqis view U.S. personnel as occupiers rather than liberators. A high percentage of Iraqis see the failure to provide adequate electricity and clean water as deliberate indifference on the part of the U.S. authorities. Few feel it’s safe to even talk to Coalition forces. This is just a part of the hostility to our presence by Iraq’s population.
A Question for U.S. Leaders and Politicians: What is your major malfunction?
Answer: You are indifferent to the opinion of the people whose nation you caused to be invaded and you now cause to be occupied. The results are a disaster. Convince us otherwise.
A majority of the people in Iraq:
- Endorse the use of violence against U.S. troops;
- Want us to leave very soon; and
- See the United States as indifferent to their suffering.
The White House is supposedly quite skilled at reading and using poll data. Members of Congress use poll data on a regular basis. Why can’t they do what nearly anyone can do; search for polls on Iraqi popular opinion and use that data to make rational choices?
Clearly, our leaders don’t care what Iraqi people think. What an odd approach. If you’re going to invade and conquer a nation, call it a liberation, and claim that it’s for the good of the people, you should at least be conversant with their opinions. Operating without this information is negligence; operating with it and continuing to talk about an exit timetable is cynical beyond words.
Leaving U.S. soldiers in the middle of a nation with such a violent response to our presence is a betrayal of the trust those soldiers have in their civilian leadership. The troops don’t get to pick their wars. They do what they pledged: faithfully execute the orders of their superiors under the assumption that military action is rational and necessary. This war was not rationally justified or planned and it was not and is not necessary.
Putting the U.S. public in a position where it continues to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on an unnecessary and failed war is also a betrayal.
The betrayal of the Iraqi people is ongoing. They despised the oppression of Saddam and they certainly can’t stand what many of them see as deliberate chaos created by the White House orchestrated occupation
We’ve been invited to leave. Prompt acceptance of this invitation addresses two needs. First, it’s our opportunity to leave soon, save lives, prevent more injuries, and stop the losses in a lost cause. Second, this may be the first step toward a rational relationship between the United States and Iraq in the future. The only requirement is that the leaders of both nations respect the prevailing will of their people – end this war and end it now. It’s called democracy.
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