A Tangled Web of Lies about Iraq

The United States government and corporate media claimed that weapons of mass destruction were in Iraq, as well as the means to deliver them long distances. No such weapons have been found. They claimed oil was not their goal, while US military forces seized the oil fields and the Oil Ministry, before securing other objectives in Iraq. Then, George W. Bush issued a directive that oil companies exporting Iraqi oil are exempt from any damage claims due to oil spills, pollution, etc. These actions indicate clearly that oil is the real objective.

It was said that the Iraqi people would welcome the American invaders and throw flowers at their feet because of Iraqis' gratitude to Americans for ridding them of Saddam Hussein. So far, over 600 American soldiers have been killed and over 18,000 have been evacuated because of wounds or illness. This is some flowery welcome. Not exactly equivalent to the GIs marching through liberated Paris during World War 2.

There were more lies and fabrications. Umm Qasr was captured. Then, it really wasn't captured. Then, it was captured again, only to find that statement had to be retracted. This went on for days. Supposedly a whole Iraqi division surrendered in the area of Basra, intimating that they had no desire to fight the Americans. That turned out to be another lie. In addition, the Pentagon staged the great photo opportunity of jubilant Iraqis pulling down Saddam Hussein's statue, surrounded by thousands of other cheering Iraqis. Only a long range shot proved it was nothing but a bunch of Iraqi exile Chalabi's men exulting to give the impression of a mass demonstration.

The seemingly heroic Jessica Lynch story turned out to be another fabrication. This was an absolutely stunning propaganda scenario for the Pentagon. A young, pretty, white, female American soldier fighting bravely against evil Iraqis, who could be collaborators with the terrorists who attacked America on 9-11 and then being rescued by macho Navy Seals or other special operations American soldiers. It simply doesn't get any better for quickening "patriotic" Americans' heartbeats. However, she was really injured in the vehicle accident and did not fight till the last second of consciousness against vicious Iraqi attackers, but was instead saved from death by an Iraqi doctor. This doctor attempted to return her to American forces, before the staged raid that "rescued" her. To her great credit, Jessica Lynch had the courage and integrity to deny the official story on her return home to the United States.

The corporate media insisted that the Iraqi resistance fighters were simply remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime, former Baathists and Republican Guard members. Once Saddam Hussein was captured, the resistance would vanish because the Iraqi people would no longer fear his return to power. Well, Saddam Hussein was captured and instead the Iraqi resistance has actually intensified in power dramatically. Not exhibiting any obvious signs of embarrassment over all these failed prognostications and not missing a beat, the US corporate media has now divided the Iraqi people into "good" Iraqis and "bad" Iraqis. Naturally, those collaborating with the US occupiers and accepting the fictitious democracy and freedom bullshit are the "good" Iraqis. Those who comprise the "bad" Iraqis are people who recognize that the occupation is all about oil and little different from the British occupation of 1917 and the British puppet governments which ruled the country until the revolution in 1958. Intelligence, courage, integrity and willingness to resist US domination of their country are "bad." Stupidity, servility, corruption, acquiescence and passivity are "good" because they facilitate the success of US occupation and exploitation of oil.

I wonder if Americans remember that we once fought against a colonial occupation and our resistance leaders were people like George Washington and Ethan Allen, who fought the British colonialists and gained independence for the United States. The British were taxing us heavily and exploiting our natural resources, just as they have exploited Iraq before and together with the United States intend to exploit Iraq again.

With the US corporate media altering its story line practically day to day and propagating such inconsistent and illogical rationalizations for the horrors of the war in Iraq, I would hope that the majority of Americans would soon recognize that these corporate media prostitutes and government officials lie like they breathe. However, maybe Americans have short term memory lapses and don't remember yesterday's excuses and the contradictions to the ones given today. It is one powerful propaganda machine when George W. Bush's poll ratings can still be so high, in spite of job losses, a bad economy, a plethora of lies attributable to him and his administration and a very evil, costly war in Iraq. I can only hope that Sir Walter Scott's line in Marmion is still applicable: "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."