English

WSWS readers write on terror alerts and the war against Iraq

On “Two ‘sting’ operations raise disturbing questions about US terror alert”

Hello,

I appreciate information that is supported by the underlying facts that are available if one looks for them. Thank you for publishing accurate information, unlike the mainstream media.

Sincerely,

SW

11 August 2004

* * *

After reading the above article, the only conclusion that I can come up with as to why the USA would release this man’s name and sabotage any operations into arresting Al Qaeda members is because some of those members are American. It’s a classic case of protecting your own operations.

Who gains from the release of this man’s name and then the subsequent ending of investigations into Al Qaeda membership?

The American administration is not as inept as many think and feel. Many of them have been involved with the government for decades. They know who and what is going on. It is our mistake for thinking of them as stupid and stumbling from one episode to the next. These people have managed to overthrow the democratically elected government of the USA without using the army. It has taken them years and years of effort and planning. They have manipulated their entire populace to agree with them in the plundering of Iraq.

RG

Canada

11 August 2004

* * *

On Kerry: ‘I would still have voted for Iraq war’”

We all know that most of the Democratic candidates are posturing for survival in the coming elections. Kerry, Edwards, Kucinich.

You will notice how Kucinich was sidelined by his party when he appeared to be antiwar and how he needed to compromise to remain within the circle. Similarly, several antiwar congressional candidates were not invited to speak at the convention. To me this is disturbing. The financial oligarchy wants the war to continue to perpetuate their global wealth. They use the IMF and the WTO as tools in carrying out their agendas. They control our political parties and our media. Anyone that does not follow their agenda will be eliminated. It is as simple as that.

My hope is that if Kerry gets into the White House, he will “turn the corner” and be a free agent and help the US salvage itself. Is he strong enough to do that? Bush’s father used the lie: “Read my lips, no new taxes” and effectively got himself into the White House, but he was the servant of the financial oligarchy and thus served their purpose. Enron, WorldCom, Tyco are just the tip of the iceberg of a troubling phenomenon. The major players are still in charge. America will decline as has been foretold already by many futurists, e.g. Johnathan Lieberman—The Legalistic Society and the Decline of Western Civilization. Unless good Americans wake up and see through this fraud we are doomed and our way of life as we know it will just become a memory.

It may be wishful thinking but what alternatives do we have left?

TT

12 August 2004

* * *

Your words went straight to my heart—I printed it because one day, when I am married and have children, I want them to know what went horribly wrong when a leader elected by Democracy used racism and fear as an excuse to destroy it.

My grandfather lived during the Holocaust, which means he lived during times when Hitler was elected by a Democracy, Hitler began teaching people to hate Jews, then destroyed the legal rights of Jews, then went after non-Jewish Germans—when you violate the rights of one man, one day your rights will be violated.

By the way, my grandfather helped a Jew escape Germany to another European country away from Nazi occupation, when he returned someone close to his family told the Gestapo, who knocked on his door—luckily he convinced them he didn’t do it, if he had failed, he, his wife and my mom, who was a baby, would all have been sent to a concentration camp, and I would never have existed. I take tyrants like Bush, seriously, because I know the reality of how Democracies can be destroyed by complacency and the willingness to let “security” destroy Democracy.

First Bush went to violate the rights of Arabs in Afghanistan with Guantanamo Bay, then he used Guantanamo Bay to violate the rights of the Muslim Army Chaplin (soldier), then he violated the rights of Jose Padilla (civilian), then he went after a white civil rights attorney (arrested and imprisoned him without charges). What Americans born in America don’t seem to realize is that their government will begin to turn on ordinary Americans—perhaps it will begin with protesters or reporters or government employees who dare to speak out against injustice.

It breaks my heart, but history is repeating itself. Every great empire is destroyed from within by its own corruption and its belief that its military can “never be defeated” and that it can be “king of the world.” England was thrown out of India by human beings it deemed as inferior. That same colonialism will ultimately lead to the defeat of the United States military, which leads to the question—is that what it will take for the world and US to regain respect for Arabs as human beings with the same rights we expect for ourselves?

Thank you for every word you wrote.

TA

12 August 2004

* * *

On “US atrocity in Najaf”

Dear authors,

I have been reading your articles on the WSWS web site for some weeks now, and have been impressed with the accuracy of the analysis, the speed of response to current events, the attention to detail and the depth of perception shown.

The current piece is no exception. Perhaps amongst comparable war crimes, the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising could have been mentioned, where 200,000 of civilians and 18,000 poorly armed insurgents perished, whilst Polish “allies,” the Soviet troops, stood idly by, on the other side of the river, with the Uprising abandoned by the Western allies. Now, in black irony, Poland is a fervent servant of US imperialism, with some 2.500 troops in Iraq.

Then, the Resistance Army fighters (AK), numbering about 400,000, were called by the Germans “banditen” now it is “terrorists” in Afghanistan and Iraq. Obviously, history does repeat itself, as the aims of the imperialists are unchanging and continuous.

I cannot escape the conclusion that the latest all-out assault is designed to portray Bush as a ‘strong’ leader, and to take the initiative from the rival “commander-in-chief,” Kerry. The Republican convention is only weeks away.

Comradely, and keep up the good work,

MS

Queanbeyan, NSW, Australia

14 August 2004

* * *

Anyone with a 60+ IQ now knows our military invasion of Iraq was not right. And going about it, the way we did, was definitely wrong. I must state something: We did not learn a very important lesson from Vietnam and now we have relived that mistake.

Going to war is not the President’s decision. It is a sacred power entrusted to Congress and was done so for an all-important reason. Kerry has stated he believed (and still apparently does) that the president should have that power. He should not! Our framers were quite explicit in this. The people are represented by representatives (Congress). They sold us out by giving the president this power.

This makes war easy to occur. Will it happen again? The President is supposed to “ask congress for a declaration of war.” Even after we were attacked at Pearl Harbor—FDR approached Congress and ASKED for a Declaration of WAR. I intend to vote for Kerry (for GWB is intolerable), but Mr. Kerry needs to rethink the causes, the ease, and the responsibility (including the checks and balances) of the way we go to war. And so does our darned Congress (who had more than once) in past decades dropped the ball on their single most important responsibility—the Declaration of War.

Brad

17 August 2004

* * *

On “FBI ‘anti-terror’ task force targets Bush administration opponents”

Comrades,

The more things change the more they remain the same. It reminds me of the COINTELPRO program conducted by the FBI in the 50s and 60s, infiltrating and spying on dissident groups, prosecuting and “neutralizing” countless individuals. For those at WSWS much younger than myself I refer you to the attached link. http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/cointel.htm

“Know your enemy, know yourself, win a thousand battles.”

Regards,

LE

18 August 2004

Loading