How do They Feel?

Published on Sunday, April 13, 2003 by the Toronto Star
I'll Stay Off Bandwagon of Conquering Army
by Linda McQuaig

The sudden U.S. victory in Iraq illustrates what has long been obvious: Military spending of $350 billion a year buys a lot of firepower. I'm not sure last week's events have clarified anything much beyond that. But the pro-war lobby, strutting and preening in its bloodstained moment of glory, would have us believe that this conquest proves the rightness of its cause. The justification repeatedly put forward by Washington in the months leading up to this war — removing the threat of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction — is now little more than a curious footnote. Even so, as Iraq tumbles into chaos and lawlessness — with the only really well-protected sites being U.S. military stations and the offices of Iraq's former oil ministry — opponents of the war are being told to admit they were wrong and get on the bandwagon of the conquering army.

That's one bandwagon I'll gladly take a pass on. Certainly, the notion that military conquest is proof of a war's legitimacy would be questioned by anyone but those happy to embrace whatever army parades through town with the biggest cannon. Beyond that, the claim that the American war effort has been vindicated seems to rest on what we're now told this war was all about — liberating the Iraqi people. Of course, there has been some jubilation among Iraqis thrilled to see the end of a brutal tyrant; no one doubted that would be the case. But how most Iraqis feel about having U.S. troops occupying their country and controlling their foreseeable future can hardly be determined from snippets of TV footage showing some celebrations. Among the millions not filmed celebrating are probably many sitting home sullen or scared, or off looting, planning suicide attacks, searching desperately for food or water, burying loved ones, lying injured in hospitals or simply unavailable for comment.

The notion that we have some clear indication of how Iraqis feel about the American "liberation" is absurd.

Read the entire article HERE.