On March 19, 2008 Douglas MacKinnon published a piece on the Baltimore Sun titled "Forget about revisionist history; let’s finish the job."

First things first, who hired us? Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution says that all treaties signed are "the supreme law of the land." In other words, the UN Charter is the "supreme law of the land" and according to the charter the only justification for the use of force is to defend oneself from an ongoing attack or to get approval from the UN Security Council. Iraq neither attacked us nor did we get approval from the Security Council. This means the war is illegal. This is what former Supreme Court Justice, Robert Jackson, said was the "supreme international crime" during his stint at the Nuremberg trials: aggression.

What the Constitution or the UN Charter states isn’t a matter of revisionism. It was clear before the war.

In response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, former President George H. W. Bush said, "This will not stand. This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait."

Saddam was not allowed to finish the job. No paper published any op-eds that said, "Forget about revisionist history; let Iraq finish the job."

With that aside we should look at what has been the consequences of this "job" for the "liberated" Iraqis.

  • More than 1.2 million "excess" deaths. 

  • More than 4 million Iraqis have been displaced from their homes with more than two million fleeing the country.  

  • More than 60% of Iraqis are unemployed and electricity is still not back to pre-war levels in many areas.

  • Malnutrition in children has doubled. 

  • Cholera outbreaks have occurred and are increasing in their fatality.  

  • Birth defects and cancer are continually rising, and likely due to our use of depleted uranium.

  • The most recent opinion polls show that more than half of the Iraqi population want us out ASAP, more than half approves of attacking our troops and more than half also feel our presence is the reason for the violence and that things will get better as soon as we leave.

So the only question I can think of is: Who will repeat the sentiment of elder Bush and say, "This will not stand. This will not stand, this aggression against Iraq"?


ZNetwork is funded solely through the generosity of its readers.

Donate
Donate
Leave A Reply

Subscribe

All the latest from Z, directly to your inbox.

Institute for Social and Cultural Communications, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit.

Our EIN# is #22-2959506. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.

We do not accept funding from advertising or corporate sponsors.  We rely on donors like you to do our work.

ZNetwork: Left News, Analysis, Vision & Strategy

Subscribe

All the latest from Z, directly to your inbox.

This is your article this month.

We’re glad you keep coming back. If Z’s work has informed, challenged, or inspired you, that’s no accident: there are no paywalls, no ads, and no billionaire owners here, and there never will be. Independent media survives because readers choose to support it.

Billionaires fund their own media. We fund ours. Help us reach 1,000 sustaining donors:

Number of donors684
Our goal1,000

Sustainers at $9/month or more receive the digital Z Magazine.

Already a sustainer? Click here and we won’t ask again. Thank you!

Your reading count is stored only in your browser and is never sent to us.

Sound is muted by default.  Tap 🔊 for the full experience

CRITICAL ACTION

Critical Action is a longtime friend of Z and a music and storytelling project grounded in liberation, solidarity, and resistance to authoritarian power. Through music, narrative, and multimedia, the project engages the same political realities and movement traditions that guide and motivate Z’s work.

If this project resonates with you, you can learn more about it and find ways to support the work using the link below.

Independent media is not disappearing because the ideas are weak.

It is disappearing because platforms reward speed, outrage, and algorithmic visibility over thoughtful analysis.

More than 100,000 people read Z every month, free of paywalls, ads, and billionaire owners. It takes fewer than 1 in 100 of them to fund all of it: 1,000 donors who keep Z independent, for everyone, and build what comes next.

Number of donors684
Our goal1,000

Sustainers at $9/month or more receive the digital Z Magazine.

Subscribe

Join the Z Community – receive event invites, announcements, a Weekly Digest, and opportunities to engage.

Exit mobile version