The United States Is Open for Business in Iraq

[unhappycamper]

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/28571-the-united-states-is-open-for-business-in-iraq



"Every mistake by Washington is a boon for future arms sales," writes Van Buren.

The United States Is Open for Business in Iraq
Thursday, 15 January 2015 13:15
By Peter Van Buren, TomDispatch | News Analysis

The current American war in Iraq is a struggle in search of a goal. It began in August as a humanitarian intervention, morphed into a campaign to protect Americans in-country, became a plan to defend the Kurds, followed by a full-on crusade to defeat the new Islamic State (IS, aka ISIS, aka ISIL), and then... well, something in Syria to be determined at a later date.

At the moment, Iraq War 3.0 simply drones on, part bombing campaign, part mission to train the collapsed army the U.S. military created for Iraq War 2.0, all amid a miasma of incoherent mainstream media coverage. American troops are tiptoeing closer to combat (assuming you don't count defensive operations, getting mortared, and flying ground attack helicopters as “combat”), even as they act like archaeologists of America’s warring past, exploring the ruins of abandoned U.S. bases. Meanwhile, Shia militias are using the conflict for the ethnic cleansing of Sunnis and Iran has become an ever-more significant player in Iraq's affairs. Key issues of the previous American occupation of the country -- corruption, representative government, oil revenue-sharing -- remain largely unresolved. The Kurds still keep “winning” against the militants of IS in the city of Kobani on the Turkish border without having “won.”

In the meantime, Washington’s rallying cry now seems to be: “Wait for the spring offensive!” In translation that means: wait for the Iraqi army to get enough newly American-trained and -armed troops into action to make a move on Mosul. That city is, of course, the country’s second largest and still ruled by the new “caliphate” proclaimed by Islamic State head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. All in all, not exactly inspiring stuff.

You can't have victory if you have no idea where the finish line is. But there is one bright side to the situation. If you can't create Victory in Iraq for future VI Day parades, you can at least make a profit from the disintegrating situation there.

[delrem]

1. It doesn't matter.

All one needs to know is that the US is the good guys, the US's enemies are terrorist bad guys. The US MSM is the free press, all other press is bad. The US is for freedom, the US's enemies are against it. The US fights for true and universal ideals, the US's enemies are religious crazies or even worse, commies. People that the US kills in war don't matter, people the other side kill are innocent victims.

And don't think things will ever change. They won't.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Excellent article.

Esp. liked the clarity in these 2 sentences:

For Congress to approve the DSCA arms deals, the Department of Defense must certify that "the proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region." So the tanks to fight IS will have to be certified in writing not to affect the regional situation.

Perhaps it is better to see the immediate profits from such deals as just a part of a much bigger process,
one that demands America have enemies to crusade against to ensure the survival of the national security state.

Very few people can remain under the illusion that we care about Democracy ( here or abroad).

Maybe I should be buying War Contractor's stock, I would at least recoup some of my mis-spent tax dollars.