Those youngsters who were born into or grew up in, and it only takes a few, are those now fighting U.S. and other occupation forces in Afghanistan, the country who's mission and promises to, once again, we walked away from, while others, again only a few needed, will or are seeking retaliation by criminal international terrorism! It will take decades, if ever, to see if even minimal blowback occurs as the costs of the extremely failed policies will continue and continue in many forms!
December 11, 2011 - On June 28, 2004, the day the U.S.-led occupation authority in Iraq officially was dissolved, our Baghdad news bureau held a staff dinner to mark the beginning of the country's path to self-determination and democracy.
A photo of the modest party and our serious faces reflected our concerns that the tensions coursing through Iraqi streets didn’t match the rosy predictions for the country’s future that were coming from Washington.
Even so, Iraqi and American staff members toasted, “Long live Iraq!” and had a chocolate cake from the bakery in our hotel. After filing our reports, we piled on couches to watch TV channels replay the swearing-in of Iraq’s new interim premier, Ayad Allawi.
More than seven years later, with U.S. troops almost gone from Iraq ahead of the Dec. 31 withdrawal deadline, these are the fates of the six Iraqi staffers in that photo: One is dead, one is an amputee, one was internally displaced and the others are refugees in Sweden, Australia and the United States.
Just one still lives in Iraq, and he was forced to move to a different neighborhood after a double car bombing in January 2010 left his house in ruins. The same blasts partially demolished the hotel where the picture was taken and killed a friendly young worker in the bakery where we’d ordered the cake.
The postscripts to that photo encapsulate the ruinous aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion, which set off years of sectarian warfare and political paralysis that have touched the lives of virtually all of Iraq’s more than 30 million citizens.
The mostly tragic fates of the bright, enthusiastic Iraqis who worked for our bureau capture the story of post-invasion Iraq. Besides the staff members pictured, at least a dozen other Iraqi men and women from all ethnic and sectarian backgrounds have helped us as drivers, translators, reporters, cooks and cleaners. None has a post-invasion story with a happy ending. read more>>>
No Revenues = No Sacrifice = No Support for the Soldiers and Veterans = DeJa-Vu all over again!, now a decade long of none nor demand for added to the previous decades!!
Of their wars of choice they rubber stamped, with the blessings of their supporters, Total Costs on the Credit Card and the coming generations to pay for, while reaping the wealth from the private investments in same!!
Country Must 'Sacrifice' not just Groups Within nor Just Non Profits Fighting for Donations! What part of 'we serve the Whole Country and not groups within' don't you get?
USN All Shore GMG3 '67-'71 In Country Vietnam '70-'71 and not forgetting the 'purple heart bandages' of these so called republicans and their joy and laughter over nor the verbal spitting on us who don't walk in lockstep with their failed policies!!!
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