Slap the Other Side of the Ass

Posted on June 1, 2006 in Atrocity Occupation of Iraq

Just about the only argument left — after the lies by Bush, after the failure to find WMDs — for the occupation of Iraq is that in the late 1980s, Saddam Hussein gassed the Kurds. I am in no way arguing that this act was acceptable. What gets me is that the people who now propound this as a justification for a war which was not begun until 15 years after the fact is that they are not willing to do the whole job. Their effort, I must say, is half ass.

When the gas flowed into the lungs of the Kurd men, women, and children, where did it come from? Who sold it to Hussein? Don’t give me this “they didn’t know it would be used.” Arms dealers sell weapons for the purpose of destruction. If their products don’t work, word gets around. Dictators don’t buy weapons they can’t use.

When you develop a device for killing, when you sell it to someone who intends to use it to kill, you are a party to murder.

At the time this happened, the American government — especially a certain undersecretary of State named Donald Rumsfeld — encouraged Hussein to just go right ahead. After all the Kurds were in rebellion and that rebellion was draining off valuable firepower from the war with Iran. Hussein’s actions were seen as necessary — and I don’t see that Rummy thought of them as evil at the time.

So we have elements in the arms industry and the U.S. State Department aiding and abetting the gassing of Kurds. Who else took part? If the supporters of the Occupation of Iraq are sincere in their desire to seek justice, it’s time to turn the other cheek and slap it like they slapped the first. The arms dealers, Rumsfeld, and anyone else who played a part in that mauve atrocity should be tried as war criminals. Children, women, and men are dying over there. The last thing they need “helping” them is a nation of hypocrites.

All those who participated and aided these war and human rights crimes should be brought to justice. Let it start here. Our power and support made them possible.

Enough memorials for soldiers who died in a cause provoked by greed. Let’s have some justice.