Thursday, January 01, 2004

New Year’s Reflections

By Abu Spinoza

In a caption for a photo, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) says: “Losses for the U.S. and British forces are light but there are no figures for Iraqi military or civilian deaths.”

The statement is only partially true. It is true in the sense that losses for the U.S. and British forces were “light” compared to the number of Iraqi deaths and it is also true that there are no official and definitive figures for Iraqi military and civilians deaths.

It is false in the sense that one can obtain reasonable estimates of Iraqi civilians directly killed from the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq. Of course the total loss to Iraqis exceeds by far the number of people killed directly. But BBC does not like to mention the number of Iraqi deaths.

Perhaps the managers of BBC think it would not be “polite” to do so, and it would spoil the fun of “shock and awe” and relentless lies that Bush-Blair have broadcasts throughout this year.

One of the reasons that there are no official figures for Iraqi deaths is that the Anglo-American occupation coalition does not deem it appropriate to keep track of the human beings that they kill. For the masters of universe the lives of the colonized are worthless. That’s why they can kill them without any moral qualms or mercy.

However, if one is interested, estimates of Iraqi deaths are available from Iraqi Body Count, based on a sound methodology. Other sources have also tried to estimate the same in many different ways. Those who care to know can also find perceptive analysis of Iraqi deaths and sufferings. The needless deaths of coalition occupation forces, Americans and others, are also tragic for which only the War Party and criminal Bush-Blair gang are responsible. When will these criminals be held accountable to the population of their countries?

All the victims of “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” Iraqis, Americans, and others, are really the victims of the War Party’s Operation Iraqi Occupation. In this new imperial age, occupation is called freedom. But if there this is an imperial age, this is also the age of global resistance and solidarity. Thus, my resolution for the New Year is to uncover the lies and tell the truth to the best of my innate (and acquired) abilities.

May this New Year see an end to the occupation of Iraq! May the Iraqi people realize freedom from tyrants, quislings, and foreign occupiers! May the people enjoy from freedom of hunger, persecution, and pollution! May humanity work collectively to bring peace and justice to all!

Abu Spinoza is a columnist for Press Action.

More from Abu Spinoza

Printer Friendly Format | Tell-a-Friend

Next: Apartheid in Israel? -->

<-- Previous: Press Action Predictions for 2004

Support Press Action