THE NEVER-ENDING MASSACRE OF IRAQ- WE WILL NOW BLOW YOU APART FOR DECADES TO COME

[Orwellian_Ghost]

Late 1800s -- British control Middle East in order to have a land route to India

1904 -- British Navy shifted from coal to oil

1916 - British/French in Sykes-Picot agreement arbitrarily draw national borders in Middle East; southern Mesopotamia including Baghdad was to be administered by Great Britain. Arabs were needless to say upset by this secret agreement when it was published by the Russian government in 1917.

1917 - British forces invaded Mesopotamia and occupied Baghdad; Iraq became British Mandate

1918-Great Britain uses systematic aerial bombardment for first time in history to put down rebellions in Iraq.

1921 - British Colonial Office draws line across Southern Iraq creating Kuwait to prevent Iraq access to Persian Gulf

1932 - Iraq joins League of Nations and recognized as sovereign state

Late 1940s - after WWII British power begins to wane and America steps in. George Kennan, U.S. State Department stated in 1948," The US has about 50% of the world's wealth but only 6.3% of its population. In this situation we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national security. To do so we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and daydreaming, and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives. We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford the luxury of altruism and world benefaction. We should cease to talk about such vague and unreal objectives as human rights, the raising of living standards and democratization. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better."

1951 - Mossadegh takes power in Iran and declares that they will control their own oil

1953 -After 2 years of U.S. sponsored sanctions CIA supports plot to overthrow Mossadigh and place Shah in power. American Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf Sr. helps Shah develop SAVAK secret police.

1958 - popular revolution led by Abd al-Kassem Quassim overthrows British-installed king of Iraq

1959-Saddam Hussein was one of assassins who wounded Quassim

1963 -coup aided by CIA overthrows Kassem. Baathist party briefly in power. Hussein runs torture center

1968 - Baathist Party comes to power for good in Iraq

1972-Iraq announces the nationalization of oil. Pres. Nixon plots with Shah to arm Iraqui Kurds. Iraq placed on list of nations supporting terrorism

1975-Iraq Vice-president Saddam Hussein and Shah reach agreement ceding control of Shatt-al-Arab waterway to Iran. Kurdish aid abruptly stopped. Concerning the Kurds who were left in the lurch, Henry Kissinger said , " Covert operations should not be confused with missionary work".

1979-Shah is overthrown. National Security adviser Brzezinski publicly encouraged Iraq to attack Iran to take back the Shatt-al-Arab waterway - which the U.S had forced Iraq to cede to Iran four years earlier.

1980-"Carter Doctrine" states U.S. will intervene militarily to protect U.S. access to oil. Iraq invades Iran at U.S. urging.

1982-Iraq removed from terrorist nation list

1984-U.S restores full diplomatic relations with Iraq. Pres. Reagan authorizes intelligence sharing with Iraq. At same time U.S. begins sharing intelligence and selling weapons to Iran.

1985-Oliver North tells Iran that U.S. will help Iran overthrow Saddam Hussein

1986-U.S increases aid to Iraq

1987-Norman Schwartzkopf Jr. Named head of CENT-COM. U.S bombs Iranian oil platforms.

1988-Cease fire signed between Iran and Iraq. Center for Strategic and International Studies begins 2 year study predicting outcome of war between U.S and Iraq. Saddam Hussein announces $40 billion plan to peacefully rebuild Iraq.

1989-War Plan 1002 originally conceived to counter Soviet threat is adjusted to name Iraq as main threat in region. Plan renamed 1002-90.

January 1990 - CENT-COM stages computer games testing 1002-90. U.S. War College report states that "Baghdad should not be expected to deliberately provoke military confrontations with anyone. Its best interests now and in immediate future are served by peace".

February 1990-Schwartzkopf tells congress of need to increase U.S. military presence in Gulf region

May 1990 - At Arab summit Saddam accuses Gulf states of waging economic war against Iraq. The Iraq economy has been devastated by the war. Iraq had borrowed billions to wage war against Iran. Price of oil was down because Gulf states were dumping oil on world market. Kuwait was slant drilling with American equipment into Iraqi oilfields. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia at behest of U.S. demanded immediate repayment of loans to Iraq.

July 1990 -- Saddam accuses Kuwait of conspiring to destroy Iraq economy. Iraq troops mass on Iraq border

August 2, 1990 -Iraq invades Kuwait.

August 3, 1990 -U.N. passes Resolution 660 condemning Iraq

August 6, 1990 - U.N. passes Resolution 661 levying sanctions against Iraq. At this time Iraq imports 70% of it's food.

August 7, 1990 - U.S. tells Saudi Arabia that Iraq troops are massed on their border and convinces reluctant King Faud to accept U.S.troop deployment. Satellite photos show no troops massing on Iraq side of border.

August 8, 1990 -U.S.dispatches 40,000 troops to "protect" Saudi Arabia. Iraq announces it is annexing Kuwait.

August 12, 1990 - Iraq suggests withdrawal of it's troops from Kuwait be linked to Israel withdrawal from occupied territories. U.S. rejects. Later proposal to withdraw troops not linked to Israel rejected by U.S.

September 2, 1990 -Iraq begins rationing food.

November 8, 1990 - with no significant change in crisis U.S. doubles number of troops in area to 400,000

November 29, 1990 - U.N. authorizes use of force if Iraq doesn't voluntarily leave Kuwait by January 15, 1991.

December 22, 1990 - Infant mortality has doubled due to sanctions

January 9, 1991-U.S threatens destruction of Iraq if not out of Kuwait by January 15.

January 12, 1991 - Congress authorizes use of force if Iraq not withdrawn by January 15.

January 17, 1991 - U.S. begins air assault. 42 days of 2,000 sorties a day throughout Iraq and Kuwait.

February 13, 1991 - U.S kills 1,500 civilians at Al-Amariyah shelter

February 15, 1991 - Pres. Bush urges Iraqi people to overthrow Saddam.

February 21, 1991 - Russia announces that Iraq has agreed to full and unconditional withdrawal from Kuwait. U.S rejects plan and says that if Iraq not out of Kuwait by noon February 23 a ground attack will proceed.

February 23, 1991 - ground assault begins



February 26, 1991 -- Iraq announces it's troops are withdrawing from Kuwait. U.S bombs road that would be used to retreat and kills thousands from air including civilians in "turkey shoot".

February 28, 1991-Iraq and U.S. agree to cease-fire

March 2, 1991 - 24th Mechanized Infantry slaughters thousands of Iraqi soldiers in post cease fire battle. No Americans die.

March 1991 - U.S-encouraged rebellions against Saddam are put down. Schwartzkopf allows Saddam helicopters to fly through U.S. lines to kill Shiites in south and Kurds in North. He refused to allow rebelling members of the Republican Guard in the South get weapons from their storehouses.

And then the fun really begins...

[Orwellian_Ghost]

1. U.S. attacks 32 suspected missiles sites in Iraq

U.S. attacks 32 suspected missiles sites in Iraq
January 13, 1993
According to the United States Operation Southern Watch: "With Iraqi missile sites still operational south of the 32d parallel, and Iraqi troops
making repeated forays across the newly demarcated border with Kuwait, President Bush ordered punitive strikes against 32 Iraqi missile sites
and air defense command centers."

Allies bomb Iraq
BBC
January 13, 1993
American, British and French fighter jets have carried out a series of bombing raids over southern Iraq.

The Gulf War Allies targeted missile sites and aircraft command and control bases.

The air raids took place early this evening, (1700 GMT) led by American stealth fighter bombers, based in Saudi Arabia.

Planes were also deployed from a US aircraft carrier in the Gulf, and British tornado bombers and French mirage jets joined the attack.

Initial reports suggest the mission was successful and there were no allied casualties.

US President George Bush ordered the attacks to "teach Saddam Hussein a short, sharp lesson".

.....

http://www.ccmep.org/usbombingwatch/1998.htm#1992

[Orwellian_Ghost]

2. History of US and UK Intervention in Iraq

History of US and UK Intervention in Iraq
By Larry Everest



During the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, US government officials and establishment pundits turned into self-proclaimed Middle East historians, energetically exposing the record of Saddam Hussein's crimes - many real, some imagined. But mysteriously, these same experts studiously avoided examining the well-documented history of US and British actions - and crimes - against Iraq and its people.

As a result, most Americans (and no doubt many around the world) would be astounded to learn that Iraq was created in the interests of British imperialism, not the peoples living in the region; that when the Iraqi people rose to overthrow their hated pro-Western monarch, the self-proclaimed defenders of freedom and democracy in London and Washington responded not with joy, but with threats of war - even nuclear war.

Many would be shocked to learn that the US government helped bring the Hussein regime to power and was directly complicit in the very crimes for which it was indicted - the use of chemical weapons, aggression against neighboring countries, and atrocities against the Kurds. And they would be even horrified to learn that the UN sanctions - unjustly spearheaded and maintained on Iraq by the US and the UK - resulted in more Iraqi deaths than anything attributed to Saddam Hussein - yes, even after the Hussein regime had complied with UN demands by - as the world now knows - destroying its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Yet these are all well-documented historical facts, as I and others have detailed in our work.

.....

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/WTI062405V.shtml

[fed-up]

3. kick/rec'd and bookmarked for future reference- nt

[Orwellian_Ghost]

4. U.S. attack northern Iraq

U.S. attack northern Iraq and U.S. warship fires 45 missiles on nuclear facility in Baghdad

January 17, 1993

According to the United States Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch: "Iraqi AAA fired on two Provide Comfort F-16s.
Neither plane was hit and neither returned fire. About an hour later, an F-4G attacked an air defense site that was targeting French
reconnaissance planes. An hour and a half after that, a Provide Comfort F-16 shot down an Iraqi MiG over northern Iraq,. In the south,
US warships fired 45 cruise missiles against the Zarfaraniyah nuclear fabrication facility near Baghdad

[Orwellian_Ghost]

5. British, and French aircraft to attack Iraqi missile sites south of the 32d parallel

U.S. attack northern Iraq and 75 US, British and French aircraft attack southern Iraq
January 18, 1993

According to the United States Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch: "Provide Comfort F-4Gs attacked surface-to-air
missile sites in northern Iraq after being fired on, and F-16s dropped cluster bombs on Bashiqah airfield after being attacked by AAA fire.
In the south, JTF Southern Watch sent 75 US, British, and French aircraft to attack Iraqi missile sites south of the 32d parallel.

[Orwellian_Ghost]

6. January 19, 1993

U.S. fires missile near Mosul and drops cluster bombs elsewhere in Iraq
January 19, 1993

According to the United States Operation Northern Watch: " In two separate incidents, Provide Comfort aircraft clashed with Iraqi air defenses. An F-4G fired a missile at a SAM radar site east of Mosul
after the radar "locked onto" the Weasel. About three hours later, two F-16s dropped cluster bombs on a AAA site after being fired at."

[Diamond Dave]

7. Harsh, but well put together. "when will we ever learn".... n/t

[ConsAreLiars]

8. USA! USA! USA! (warning-graphic image)

This is what that brain dead jingoistic chanting has come to mean the sane world:

[gateley]

9. K&R - Fascinating and infuriating. Thank you. nt

[malaise]

10. Great post

K & R
Imperialism gone mad.

[madokie]

11. I gladly give the thirteenth rec

many here stand head and shoulders above me and you Sir are one of them. :-)

[Kurovski]

12. K&r. (nt)

[Orwellian_Ghost]

13. January 21, 1993

U.S. attacks suspected 'missile battery' in northern Iraq
January 21, 1993

According to the United States Operation Northern Watch: "A F-16 and an F-4G escorting a French Mirage reconnaissance plane over
northern Iraq attacked an Iraqi missile battery after the site's search radar began tracking them."

[Radical Activist]

14. This should include the part where the US sells them chemical weapon agents

Great summary.

[Karenina]

15. The "American MIC Entity"

will rot in hell for its transgressions. The chickens WILL come home to roost. It's all just SO sad. :cry:

[cyberpj]

16. Bookmarked. K&R. Thank you. nt

[Orwellian_Ghost]

17. U.S. Strikes Iraq for Plot to Kill Bush

U.S. Strikes Iraq for Plot to Kill Bush
By David Von Drehle and R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, June 27, 1993; Page A01

U.S. Navy ships launched 23 Tomahawk missiles against the headquarters of the Iraqi Intelligence Service yesterday in what President Clinton said was a "firm and commensurate" response to Iraq's plan to assassinate former president George Bush in mid-April.

The attack was meant to strike at the building where Iraqi officials had plotted against Bush, organized other unspecified terrorist actions and directed repressive internal security measures, senior U.S. officials said.

Clinton, speaking in a televised address to the nation at 7:40 last night, said he ordered the attack to send three messages to the Iraqi leadership: "We will combat terrorism. We will deter aggression. We will protect our people."

Clinton said he ordered the attack after receiving "compelling evidence" from U.S. intelligence officials that Bush had been the target of an assassination plot and that the plot was "directed and pursued by the Iraqi Intelligence Service."

"It was an elaborate plan devised by the Iraqi government and directed against a former president of the United States because of actions he took as president," Clinton said. Bush led the coalition that drove Iraq from Kuwait in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. "As such, the Iraqi attack against President Bush was an attack against our country and against all Americans," Clinton said.

....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/iraq/timeline/062793.htm

[Orwellian_Ghost]

18. August 19, 1993

U.S. drops cluster and 'laser-guided' bombs near Mosul

August 19, 1993

According to the United States Operation Northern Watch: "Two Provide Comfort F-16s reported possible SA-3 launches west of Mosul and
responded with cluster bombs. Two F-15s dropped four laser-guided bombs on the site an hour later."

[Orwellian_Ghost]

19. September 3, 1996

U.S. Navy and B-52s fire 27 missiles on southern Iraq; extend southern 'no-fly-zone'
September 3, 1996

According to the United States Operation Southern Watch: "Retaliating for the Iraqi attack, the US launched 27 cruise missiles against targets
in southern Iraq. Two Navy ships launched 14 Tomahawk missiles, while two B-52s fired 13 conventionally armed cruise missiles. The US also
extended the Southern Watch no-fly zone to include all areas of Iraq south of the 33d parallel, one degree further north

[Orwellian_Ghost]

20. September 11, 1996

U.S. fighter jets 'violate' illegal 'no-fly-zone'
September 11, 1996

According to the United States Operation Southern Watch: "Iraqi gunners fired an SA-6 missile at two US F-16s over northern Iraq but missed;
a fighter and helicopter briefly violated the southern no-fly zone. The US deployed two B-52s to Diego Garcia and ordered F-117A fighters to
the Gulf."

[Orwellian_Ghost]

21. As UN-Iraq deal stalls US bombing: Clinton issues new war threats

As UN-Iraq deal stalls US bombing: Clinton issues new war threats


24 February 1998
The agreement between UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Saddam Hussein, announced February 22, is a political setback for American imperialism and the Clinton administration’s plans for an air war against Iraq. It by no means, however, ends the danger of US aggression in the Persian Gulf, or a general growth of militarism among the major capitalist powers.

Clinton and his top national security and military aides could not conceal their bitterness and disappointment as the president announced tentative acceptance of the UN-brokered deal at the White House Monday afternoon. In response to press questions suggesting his administration had caved in to Iraq and the UN, Clinton reaffirmed that American troops, planes and warships will remain in the Persian Gulf and that attacks will be ordered "at a time of our choosing ... unilaterally" if and when a new confrontation with Iraq arises.

....

http://www.wsws.org/news/1998/feb1998/leadf23.shtml

http://www.fas.org/news/iraq/1998/08/index.html

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/1998/index_08.html