[Peace-discuss] What we're doing in Iraq

[C. G. Estabrook]

	U.S. veteran: "We're committing genocide in Iraq"
	1/13/2005 12:30:00 PM GMT  
 
The list of critics of the U.S.'s presence in Iraq is growing each day.
Former Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey is a 12-year Marine veteran who's
returned from Iraq, airing some very disparaging views on his country's
role in the Middle Eastern nation.

The American marine entered Iraq as part of the initial American invasion
in March 2003 and was witness, and in some cases took part in, the killing
of innocent civilians.

He says that in one 48-hour period, he witnessed the killing of some 30
civilians by U.S. gunfire at highway checkpoints.

What changed Massey's view of the occupation was the sheer brutality of
the American military's actions.

The former Staff Sergeant was horrified by what was happening and began to
speak out to his superiors about the actions undertaken by the U.S.
military.
 
Massey was bundled out of Iraq and 'diagnosed' with depression and
post-traumatic stress disorder. He was labeled as a conscientious objector
by his commanders but sought legal advice and won his honourable discharge
in December 2003.

As a recruiter with the American military, Massey began to question the
methods used by the Marines which targeted young people from economically
depresses areas.
 
"I'm not going to say that the Marine Corps is all flat-out lies, but it
is very misleading the way we enlist recruits. A lot of the kids joining
the military are from the 'barrios' and 'hoods,' or the poor parts -so
they're sweeping them up."

Massey believes that due to the economic situation in the U.S. there
exists what can be called an 'economic draft' of young Americans into the
military.

"A large percentage of the so-called growth in this country is associated
with the military. The bottom line is, for the Halliburtons and Enrons war
is good, but for the poor and for all of the soldiers coming home,
especially the ones coming home wounded, there's not much of a future. But
for a lot of the kids getting ready to graduate high-school, the military
is looking pretty good because their families have no money to send them
to college."

Massey's disillusionment with the war in Iraq came to head when he saw the
army the U.S. military faced. The world's strongest military carrying the
most technologically advanced weapons up against the military of a country
devastated by a decade of sanctions.
 
Massey says, "There wasn't a whole lot of direct fighting to speak of.
There were some firefights but it wasn't like major combat action…They
had no artillery; they had no air support. They were so weakened by all
the sanctions. All of their equipment was in very bad shape. Most of their
hardware was left over from the war against Iran. The first Gulf War just
devastated them. I don't think they had the will or the opportunity to
fight."

Massey believes the hostility the Iraqi people have towards the American
presence has grown in direct response to the brutal methods used by his
country's troops against the entire population.

A study recently commissioned has put the number of Iraqi deaths since the
war began at around 100,000. Massey agrees but says it doesn't include the
number of those who died from before the war started due to the sanctions
nor those who will from the lack of medical supplies, clean water or
proper sanitations.

"We are committing genocide in Iraq, and that is the intention," he says

http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/review/article_full_story.asp?service_ID=6634