Friday March 21, 2008, 7:23 pm
20/03/08 "Al-Hayat" -- - Five years ago to the day, it was the dawn of the American invasion that carried Iraq to the endless darkness of the occupation. The fall of Baghdad, the Arab capital which they almost dubbed Saddam Hussein's capital, was nothing but the onset of a massive volcanic eruption in the region; its fires still consume the Arabs' stability and security and rewrite maps from the Ocean to the Gulf.

The captain of the invasion, George Bush, celebrates the "first large-scale Arab uprising against Usama bin Laden." He reassures Americans that the costs of the invasion and war against and in Iraq, now touching $500 billion, are petty when bearing the "gains" in mind…notably ending "Saddam's tyranny" and lighting the candles of hope towards "democracy."

As he celebrates the fifth anniversary of the invasion, Bush forgets the big misleading lie about the threat of weapons of mass destruction. The battle has turned into a front against al-Qaeda and terrorism, and its strategic goal is to prevent shifting the battlefield to the US. Let it then be the 100-year war fought with Iraqi blood!

Those were five years of tears and blood. They are good enough a price for the Baghdad government to prevent a quick American withdrawal, which would sweep away the "achievements" realized so far, including the reduction of death tolls and rates. The suicide bombers, however, continue to come in waves, while hundreds of thousands have been left dead since the invasion and occupation began. Millions are now refugees all over Mesopotamia and neighboring countries, announcing the worst humanitarian "crisis" in a country that holds the world's third largest oil reserves. Perhaps it is certainly much worse than a crisis.

Despite all this, Bush is still celebrating the liberation of Iraqis from tyranny, and also from their blood, wealth, sovereignty, security, stability, and unity. By all moral standards, neither he nor his Vice President Dick Cheney feel embarrassed when they present on their list of victories the face of a new Iraq in which al-Qaeda is weakened and the resources of terrorism are dried up. They conveniently overlook al-Qaeda's students and women, the swamps of corruption drowning ministers and officials, the impoverishment of the homeless and the insanity of those who have been plagued by massacres and bombings that have turned Iraq into the home of the forgotten genocide.

The president, the captain of occupation, and his vice president who has bestowed upon his wife an adventurous and challenging trip to the secret base, are not ashamed of revealing the "logical" conclusion of the extremely costly war: that no other generation of Americans will have to be sent here to deter a potential confrontation on American soil. And if the cost is the blood, wealth, and unity of Iraqis, that would be their problem.

When Mesopotamia becomes the nation of unified plagues falling upon the necks of a nation, the American president finds no reason to apologize for his lies about weapons of mass destruction. Only a handful of the original war architects remain with him but mostly in hiding, while Cheney promises the Iraqis that he would not tire. The battle still has chapters to come, and if the Americans were to be bored by any slackness on al-Qaeda's side, there would still be the Iranian "influence." It is as if the vice president is taking the risk to address the victim of murder and warn him against the murderer!

Five years of tears and blood. The deafening bombs are still louder than the wailing of the mothers who lost their children and the weeping of men every time they lost children and fathers. But does any of this happen in Iraq? Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is commending the "healing of the nation," for Iraqis are no longer killed on the basis of their sectarian identity! Genocide has become "fair," as it no longer discriminates between Sunni and Shiite. To become indiscriminate, the genocide has had to last as long as the occupation itself. Everything that has been since the dawn of March 20th, 2003 is a "success" according to Cheney's testimony.

According to al-Maliki's account, life goes on in Iraq. The only obstacle that hinders "reconciliation" between the ruling forces and the disgruntled parties is a final resolution over the oil law to divide the inheritance of the murdered victim.

The "Iraqis were liberated" five years ago. All they need to do is to believe the American when he offers them a medal for defeating tyranny so they can prepare themselves for another decade or two of war on terror, while he promises them "strategic" military bases to guard oil facilities …and the dead.

Cheney wonders about the Arabs and why they are so shy in front of Iran and al-Qaeda. In the century-long war, everyone has a role to play.

In the long night and the epic of forgotten genocide, only Bush hallucinates about victory….All the politicians of Iraq hallucinate about democracy-deception. It is the long night of genocide.

Saturday March 22, 2008, 12:43 am
“The success of the US ’surge’ strategy in Iraq may be under threat as Sunni militia employed by the US to fight al Qaida are warning of a national strike because they are not being paid regularly.” Leading members of the awakening councils “have said they will stop fighting unless payment of their $10 a day wage is resumed.” According to a survey by GuardianFilms, four of the 49 councils have quit while 38 more are threatening to leave.

Sunday March 23, 2008, 11:05 am
I hope they/we/all quit, TY

Sunday March 23, 2008, 3:10 pm
Yes, it would be welcomed to cease the hallucinations and see the reality for what it is; a battle which was lost before it began. That the desires of the elite few, were more valid than that of the majority and any support which was found was based upon a lie which was fed to the American public and that of our allies.
-sigh- yes... 5 Years and no end in sight.
Peace m'friends, pray for peace

Monday March 24, 2008, 5:52 am
Kim
Is not suficient to pray for peace!!

Monday March 24, 2008, 8:40 am
Agreed Madalena, praying isn't enough, however, if more of the world's population began to think thoughts of peace instead of thoughts of hate/revenge, wouldn't the world be a better place?
Spreading peace is the only solution I can see to stopping the madness which grips our planet.

Monday March 24, 2008, 9:03 am
Yes, Kim, if we are genuine about peace, then we take action for peace. : )

We promote and vote for pro-peace candidates : )
We educate ourselves and the people around us about the issues : )
We join peace organisations, participate in demonstrations and even engage in civil disobedience, for peace : )

Monday March 24, 2008, 9:04 am
Bring the troops home!!!

Iraq for the Iraqis!!!

Share the U.S.A.'s wealth amongst all of its people, and provide decent jobs for every U.S. citizen, so that no U.S. citizen has to join the military because of poverty!!!

Monday March 24, 2008, 12:02 pm
Thank you Madalena, the world should not for one minute forget what's being done to human beings right this moment.

Monday March 24, 2008, 1:02 pm
Kim
I agree with you but we must do more! Much nore!

Say NO to war is important and necessary.
CREATE PEACE is the fight against war.
But PEACE is not the sum of all of the steps nor the subtraction of the conflicts and wars. PEACE is a way of looking the life and the world and to recognize that we are some part of the other ones and together we formed a completely.

Monday March 24, 2008, 1:37 pm
Mada, Kim, Simon:
Remember the song,
"Let there be peace on Earth,
and let it begin with me" ?
If we want peace on Earth, YES,
we must act for it, and we must
be living it in our personal lives
as well.

George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are
the worst war criminals and mass murderers
this world has seen in over sixty years.
What they have done, in Iraq and to the
Iraqi people, will no doubt be recalled
as the worst crime of this century. It is
unforgivable what those two have done.
I wish, more than anything, that Bush and
Cheney would be arrested and taken in shackles
to the Intl. Criminal Court to stand trial
for genocide and crimes against humanity.
Normally, I am very much against the death
penalty, but no other punishment would fit
their crimes.
So, if swinging from the end of a rope
was good enough for their old pal Saddam,
then it's good enough for them.
Death to Bush and Cheney.
Thank you, Mada.
noted..

Monday March 24, 2008, 1:38 pm
btw, the photo above should be
on the front page of every newspaper
and on every television news
broadcast in the world.
Let the world see what Bush/Cheney
have done.

Tuesday March 25, 2008, 5:30 am
Tim
I love this : "If we want peace on Earth, YES,
we must act for it,"
Thanks