DUCKPOND

RENEWED ATTACK ON IRAQ April 20, 2008

The Iraqi government army, backed by American and British airpower and firepower, is according to this report from ABC Online attempting a second, and more successful, push against the al Mahdi Army, although that description is contested by other sources.

The BBC report emphasizes the massive aerial firepower deployed on civilian areas by American and British forces. The ground troops are Iraqis. Destruction and murder is not lived to Basra, but is matched by an assault on Sadr City with the intention to stop the rocket attacks on the Green Zone. Murder and destruction, perhaps at the behest of the foreign occupiers and the Maliki Iraq Government, are building concrete blast walls, very much on the Israeli model effectively to imprison the local population.

In the absence of international law, the criminality of the Americans and the British appears to know no bounds. It is long since past that the war criminals should have been indicted. Saddam Hussein would never have attempted murder on this scale, even as a client of the United States in which role he murdered far more people, witness the Iraq-Iran war, than he did as a oppressive dictator.

The logic of empire reigns with murderous effect in Iraq as it did in British India. With the shining example of Israel standing before us like the city on the hill, the occupiers of Iraq in defence of empire seem to opted for their ultimate and futile recourse violence and murder on a large scale. While the criminals dream of bombing Iran, which must now be put on hold, the deciders in the White House views the short term, oblivious to long term consequent and continuing to display the characteristic criminal lack of responsibility. To argue that the increased volume and accuracy of the rocket attacks on the Green Zone under the cover of the sandstorms required as a matter of necessity retaliation is the miss the larger picture.

The consequences of foreign occupation and violence are appalling and long term, and will not be mitigated by the inevitable and shamefaced withdrawal of the occupiers. At the very least the solution requires war criminal indictments at the level of international law, and on the national level something similar to the Truth and Justice Commissions of South Africa to foster reconciliation, otherwise bloodshed may well reverberate for generations, and is likely to spill over into the affairs of other countries. In terms of strategic outcomes, except that Egypt and Saudi Arabia are so far unaffected, bin Laden in his cave is been given everything that he ever dreamed.

Olga Bonfiglio, at Common Dreams, gives some concrete examples of where peace practice has worked, while observing:

For those of us who want change we need to remember that just because our leadership does not possess the qualities of forgiveness, reconciliation and negotiation, does not mean that “we the people” can’t. And if we really believe in democratic governance, then it is incumbent on us to initiate and “be the change” in order to show our leaders the way.

Forgiveness, reconciliation and negotiation are not easy. However, they are essential if we are to move beyond our present divisions, hatreds, violence and war both at home and abroad.

Peace activists, in particular, can make a difference everyday to serve as bridges in our local communities so that the spirit of forgiveness, reconciliation and negotiation can spread throughout our country and the world.

ELSEWHERE:

Kevin Drum is not sure what to make of current developments in Iraq, framing it in terms of Iranian strategy and a nationalistic Sadr response.

Al Jazeera, via Truthdig, reports that Muqtada al-Sadr has said that the Madhi Army will resort to open war against the Iraqi Government if they continue to deploy the occupiers forces against them, reminding Maliki that he won government through their support.

Patrick Cockburn at Counterpunch sees “A new struggle is emerging in Iraq” within the Shiite population.

Brad DeLong posts on related issues as well.