Iran: A Nuclear threat to Israel?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ‘RED LINE’ speech to the UN  General Assembly in Sept 2012

I’m sure you can recall a time when a politician had been asked a very simple, straight forward question that demanded a very simple, straight forward answer.  The reply from the politician would usually be, ‘It’s not as simple as a yes or no answer’. 

IRAQ: A Country In Ruin.

As former president George Bush sheds a tear at the opening of the Presidential Library earlier in the week,  Real News 365 examines the consequences of the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003.  Below are some of the devastating side effects of a war that was based on the threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction, which to this day have not been found.

DEATH TOLL:

The precise death figure toll is unclear.  According to The British polling firm Opinion Research Business (ORB) the estimated death count is believed to be a minimum of 733,158 to a maximum of 1,446,063.  The Iraq Body Count IBC, believes that the number of civilians who have lost their lives in the war is estimated to be in excess of 114,000.  More shockingly, 3,951 have been children under the age of 18.  Of the 4,040 civilian victims killed by the US led collation force, 1,201 were also children.  A worryingly high statistic that would give creditability to the criticism of the US-collation forces as being trigger happy.

REFUGEE DISPLACEMENT:

Since the beginning the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003,  it is estimated that the number of Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs) has risen to 2.8 million.  The majority had fled to neighbouring countries such as Syria and Jordon.  With the current conflict in Syria, Iraqi refuges, have been hurled from one battleground to another.  January 2011 saw the announcement of the Iraqi government, to address internal displacement issues, since then however, little has been done in relation to the tens of thousands living in temporary shelter.  Limited access to clean water and food is especially testing for the children affected in the war.  Post tramatic stress is high, espically in kids. According to the BBC, there are only 3 child psychologists in the entire country of Iraq.  Statistics like that makes one question the carelessness of response by the newly formed Iraq government. There seems to be a clear lack of investment in the development of the health sector in Iraq.

THREAT TO US CO-OPERATERS.

According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC).Ten of thousands of Iraqi nationals that risked their lives in collaboration with the US forces have seen the promise of protection and emigration disappear since the US backed out of Iraq in 2011.

In 2008 the US government set up the Special Immigrant Visa Program, which every year was due to provide a number of 5000 visas to nationals that had served the US government.  By the end of 2012 that would mean the number of collaborating Iraqi’s eligible for a visa, would be a total of 25,000.  According to IRC, the number of visas processed has reached 5,550.  The remaining number have been a target for militants in the country, which has seen a rise in the kidnappings and torture of these people.  The Immigrant Visa Program is due to expire in September of 2013, and will undoubtedly leave the lifes of just under 20,000 Iraqi’s in severe doubt.

The decision by the Bush administration is a clear sign that the philosophy of neo-liberalism is clearly alive and well in the western world.  With Iraq being the 3rd largest producer of oil, just behind Saudi Arabia and Russia.  Sanctions that had been initially forced on Saddam Hussein that were due to expire before 2003, left Bush and his allies needing a regime change.  The threat of Saddam changing payment methods from US dollars to Euros, would have cost the US economy trillions of dollars.  The resilience and determination of Iraqi militancy and the lack of support for Western Occupation both in Iraq and in the US, saw the withdrawal of troops in 2011. Unfortunately however new sanctions have been implemented by the US government that have bound the puppet Iraqi government to provide the US with the majority of its oil produce.