On Al-Zarqawi
The news over the past couple of days has been monopolised by the story of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi being killed in a coalition airstrike in Baquba, Iraq. Some seem to believe that this is to be the turning point that will bring about the end to the voilence in Iraq. I wish I could believe that, but I can't see how that could possibly be true.
A figurhead has been killed. Indeed, a very sick man has been killed. A man who would relegate women to second-class citizens, a man who would kill someone because they pray differently from the way he feels people should. However, he is not the Iraqi Resistance. Killing him will not kill the resistance, it will not kill extremism, it will not kill terrorism.
When dealing with a disease, you must treat the disease itself, not just the symptoms. Al-Zarqawi was the visual representation of the symptoms of a disease, killing him is by no means a cure. The American destruction of all systems of Law and Order in Iraq, coupled with their wholesale slaughter of tens-of-thousands of Iraqi civilians, internment of Iraqi youths without crime and without trial, theft of Iraqi natural resources, removal of basic freedoms while professing a desire to spread freedom, creating a de-facto puppet-dictatorship while professing that it is a democracy (even going so far as to stage a show election in which the people could choose between those whom america had provided for them to choose between, and no-one else, in violation of the very definitions of freedom and democracy), and creating a situation where people must live their lives in fear for their safety and for the future for their children has created a vacuum in which men like Zarqawi thrive. While he is gone, there are countless others more than willing to take his place.
The only way to truly put an end to the sectarian violence, to the murder, to the desparate situation that is Iraq today is for the "coalition" (American Government) to take responsibility for their actions, to bring to justice those who have commited crimes (murder, rape, war crimes, crimes against humanity, Haditha, Ramadi, Abu-Ghraib), to respect Human Rights, and to work to create TRUE Democracy and Freedom in Iraq, and to create an Iraq for Iraqis, not an Iraq for American Corporations.
Tags:
Terrorism
3 comments:
Very good post. I think its a very difficult thing that should happen for true peace to come to Iraq, and for true democracy to take its roots here.
Foreign policy experts in the States have been referring to Iraq as the "petri dish" for future American foreign policy. If things go the way they're going, that petri dish is going to produce Ibola. I genuinely hope changes come sooner rather than later.
I found an interesting article on Zarqawi's death and its relation to international law. I'm not saying I agree or disagree, I'm just putting it out there:
"As the civilized world justly celebrates the long overdue killing of Abu M Zarqawi, it must recall that his death was brought about by what has come to be known as "targeted assassination" or "targeted killings." This is the same technique that has been repeatedly condemned by the international community when Israel has employed it against terrorists who have murdered innocent Jews. When Israel targeted the two previous heads of Hamas, the British foreign secretary said: "targeted killings of this kind are unlawful and unjustified." The same views expressed at the United Nations and by several European heads of state. It was also expressed by various Human Rights organizations. "
from Solomonia
Trackback (still don't know how that works...)
Wow, that actually occured to me. I didn't like the guy, but technically, who gave them the authority to just go in there and drop 1000 lbs worth of bombs on him. Quite interesting, thanks for the article.
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