[Peace-discuss] U.S. in Iraq

[Morton K. Brussel]

Here is an addendum to Cockburn's article, from UFPJ:

Any reduction in the number of US troops occupying Iraq is a good thing. But the occupation is continuing, even if on a somewhat smaller scale, with 50,000 troops. Despite a commitment to withdraw "combat brigades," these 50,000 are indeed combat troops, "re-missioned" by the Pentagon and assigned to "training and assistance." But even Secretary of Defense Gates admits they will have continuing combat capability and will continue active counter-terrorism operations. The 4500 Special Forces among them will continue their "capture or kill" raids while building up the Iraqi Special Operations Forces like we saw with El Salvador-style death squads in the 80's.

The real transition underway is not from US to Iraqi control, but from Pentagon to State Department deployment.  Military resources are being shifted from Pentagon to State Dept control, thus remaining within the terms of the US-Iraqi Status of Forces Agreement that calls for all US troops and Pentagon-controlled mercenaries to leave by the end of 2011.  It is very likely that the still US-dependent Iraqi government (whatever government is in place by December 31, 2011) may well "request" an extension of US troop deployments in Iraq.  But even if it doesn't, the creation of the world's largest embassy in Iraq, the size of Vatican City, with plans for thousands of new military contractors, armored transport, planes, "rapid response" forces and other trappings of an army mean that plans are underway to turn the US presence in Iraq into a State Dept-run paramilitary operation. Instead of transforming a military occupation into a diplomatic mission, we will see the full militarization of US diplomacy and US diplomats turned into soldiers without uniforms.
 
President Obama's speech will likely avoid any terms remotely close to "mission accomplished." He knows too well that with violence rising, sectarian divisions as strong as ever, the parliament unable to create a new government, corruption sky-high and rising and linked to CIA-paid assets, oil contracts creating more violence instead of national wealth, there is no victory to claim.
 
And the costs of the Iraq war continue.  Even beyond the hundreds of billions that caring for injured veterans will cost, plus the huge debt of reparations and reconstruction we owe to the people of Iraq, the current continuing war is stripping our treasury.  The 50,000 troop deployment between now and the end of 2011 will cost more than 12 billion dollars.  That could be used instead to fund 240,000 new green union jobs.  What makes our country safer?

--mkb
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