IS THE WORLD A SAFER PLACE SINCE THE INVASION OF IRAQ? |
John Craig |
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I THINK NOT. The slaughter of the parents and children of Beslan came just days after George Bush claimed he had made the world a safer place. On his campaign trail across the US he is trying to convince the American people to give him another four years in the White House. He has said: "We have led, many have joined and America and the world are safer." But since the invasion of Iraq, terrorism has continued to be a horrible fact of our times with continued attacks across the World. May 2003. 34 people were killed and hundreds hurt in suicide attacks in Saudi Arabia including several British. Five or six vehicles packed with explosives detonated near foreign workers homes in Riyadh. Al-Qaeda was blamed. Three days later suicide bombers set off bombs at a Chechnya religious festival. Russia linked it to the Riyadh bombings. Days later more suicide bombings took place in Casablanca, Morocco, killing 44 people and 7 more killed in Israel when a Palestinian blew himself up on a bus. August 20th 2003, a suicide bomber drove a truck of explosives into the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Among the 24 dead was the Scots peacekeeper Fiona Watson and the UN Human Rights Commissioner Sergio Vieira de Mello. Saddam loyalists were suspected. Five days later in Bombay, twin car bombs exploded killing 52 and injuring more than 150. Student Islamic Movement of India and Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan based insurgent group, were blamed. Later that month 80 people died after a car bomb in Najaf blew up outside a mosque including Shia Cleric Ayatollah Baqr-al-Hakim. Saddam loyalist accused. In November the same year 61 people died and more than 600 injured, Al-Qaeda was blamed. In March 2004 the horrific bombing of the trains in Madrid killing 192 and injuring 1700. Days before the Beslan atrocity, 10 people died and 51 were injured in Moscow by bombing carried out by the Islambouli Brigades in support of Chechen Muslims. The same militants claimed they blew up two Russian planes killing 90. By Sunday 5th September 2004, the death toll in Iraq of US & British soldiers stands at 1,284 and the number of Iraqis killed 18,224. For Bush the battle for votes goes on as tens of thousands face a lifetime of mourning loved ones. I would say to Mr Bush and Mr Blair, I do not think the World is a safer place and hope that when November election day comes the Americans wake up and do the right thing and give Bush The Push. The Rape of Iraq Provisions for receipt of spoils The un-elected government of Iraq has been busy passing laws to ensure that its masters can "legitimately" exploit the country's assets. Order 39 allows for: The order thus prevents Iraqis from receiving preference in reconstruction projects. It allows foreign corporations to do all the work and to send all money home. Such corporations are under no obligation to employ Iraqi labour or to reinvest their money in the Iraqi economy. They can withdraw their investments at any time and to any extent. Orders Nos. 57 and 77 place US appointed auditors and inspectors general in every government ministry with 5 year terms and sweeping authority over contracts, programmes, employees and regulations. Order 17 grants foreign contractors, including private security firms, full immunity from prosecution under Iraqi laws. Order 40 allows foreign banks to purchase up to 50% of Iraqi banks. Order 49 drops the corporation tax from a high of 40% to a low of 15%. Finally Order 12 suspends "all tariffs, customs duties, import taxes, licensing fees and similar surcharges" for goods entering or leaving Iraq. This order (renewed on 24th of February 2004) has had a devastating effect on local producers and traders due to the influx of cheap foreign consumer goods. Acknowledgement: The above information was obtained from S A V E - Australia inc. |
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