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| The Bush League Wars |
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| By Ray Tapajna (click on pictures to see all of Ray's Art) |
The Afghanistan War is now the longest war
in U.S. history. Counting the Desert Storm War, the U.S. has now been at war in the Middle East for more than twenty
years.
From Cleveland Plain Dealer Letters to the editor page by Kathy Ewing,
1/24/03 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In The Plain Dealer's excellent summary of the 1991 Gulf War (Jan. 12),
one figure jumped out at me: the estimated 100,000 Iraqi dead, in a war that lasted for a little over a month. Statistics,
however, can numb us, and so I looked up some records of other U.S. wars to put this figure in context. *100,000 is more than 10 times the number of Americans who died in the Revolutionary
War. *100,000 is more than twice the number of American dead (on both sides) in the Civil War battles of
Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Victsburg and Spottsylvania combined. *100,000 is the estimated
number of those killed by the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. *100,000 is almost twice the number of Americans who died in the Vietnam War,
which lasted more than 10 years. (about the same ratio died during the Korean war too.) In only five weeks,
America and its allies killed 100,000 Iraqis, many of who were civilians. Many other were retreating Iraqi soldiers, slaughtered
by American weaponry as they fled. Now, we are poised to return to Iraq, prepared to kill many, many more thousands, and to
sacrifice many more Americans than the 148 who died in the Gulf War. These deaths are justified. we say, because of something
the Iraqi government might do. Thanks are due to community leaders such as Joan Brown-Campbell, Rev. Mylion
Waite, Rev. Otis Moss, Rev. Marvin McMickle, union leader John Ryan, Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Khalid Samad-Amir for speaking
out at Antioch Baptist Church in the Voices Against War rally (Jan12). And thanks are due to Dick Feagler for asking
hard questions about the hugh human cost of yet another war in the Middle East. By Kathy Ewing
Post Notes: Ray Tapajna, Tapart News Editor and Artist, wrote
against the first Gulf War for most of the same reasons. The elder Bush was the first one in modern times to announce
"The New World Order" and during his period, the U.S.A. armed Iraq through BNL and other questionable ventures.
In addition, there reportedly was covert approval for Iraq to invade Kuwait.
Rep. Henry B Gonzalez of Texas put much of this
information in the Congressional Record in about 1992 before he died. Iraq had manufacturing facilities right
here in the USA with one facility right in Cleveland Ohio and received $14 million with a loan from BNL to purchase
technology and equipment. In the case of Matrix-Churchill Corp by Iraq in Nov 1987 The United States did not review
the transaction for national security purposes. ( Much of this information can be now found by searching under
Rep Gonzalez on the internet or in the Congressional Record.) (Can search under US Armed Iraq Through BNL- Rep. Gonzalez
Special Order).
Also much can be searched out on the web regarding the massacre
of retreating Iraqi soldiers. Reportedly up to 50,000 were buried in the sand by earth moving equipment while many were still
alive. (Search under: Barry McCaffrey and The Massacre at Rumalia, www.militarycorruption.com/barry.htm or search on all or any: abcnews.go.com/sections/usDailyNews/gulfwar000614.html , Major Glenn MacDonald,SPC
David Collart, Brasfield, Allen, James Manchester, LT Ware, John Pilger Article from Sydney Morning Herald,
Retired LTG John Yeosock, Retired LTG James Johnson Jr.,MG Ronald Griffith, "That Was no War, it Was Homicide - And
Still Iraqis Die" and one military person noted many times is Colonel Anthony Moreno with the Catholic Workers
Newspaper noting his presence in the "killing fields" of the Middle East.
U.S. BURIED IRAQI SOLDIERS ALIVE IN (FIRST) GULF WAR. News Report September 1991
From THE CATHOLIC WORKER, Page Three, March-April 1992 edition - Poem by Denise Levertov
"What you saw was a bunch of trenches with arms sticking out."
"Plows mounted on tanks. Combat earthmovers." "Defiant." "Buried."Carefully planned and rehearsed"
"When we went through there wasn't anybody left."
"Awarded Silver Star." "Reporters banned" "Not a single American killed."
"Bodycount impossible." "For all I know, thousands, said Colonel Moreno."
"What you saw was a bunch of buried trenches with people's arms and things sticking out."
"Secretary Chaney made no mention."
"Every single American was inside the juggernaut impervious to small-arms fire."
"I know burying people like that sounds pretty nasty," said Colonel Maggart, "But..."
"His force buried about six hundred and fifty in a thinner line of trenches."
"People's arms sticking out." "Every American inside." "The juggernaut." "I'm not going to sacrifice the
lives of my soldiers, Moreno said, it's not cost-effective."
"The tactic was designed to terrorize, Lieutenant Colonel Hawkins said, who helped devise it."
"Schwartzkopf's staff privately estimated fifty to seventy thousand killed in the trenches."
"Private Joe Queen was awarded a Bronze Star for burying trenches with his earthomover."
"Inside the juggernaut." "Impervious." "A lot of guys were scared, he said, but I enjoyed it."
"A bunch of trenches. People's arms and things sticking out."
"Cost-effective."
(Many references to Denise Levertov poetry can be found on the worldwide web.)
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