Breaking Our Word, Again: Let's Tell the American People and the World the Truth
By Sam Hamod
Al-Jazeerah, August 30, 2004
Al Sadr and Sistani have kept their parts of the cease fire in Najaf, but the U.S. military and the Allawi gang have not kept their part of the deal. This is why I said in my recent article, “ peace, for the time being.” I was afraid the Allawi gang and the American occupiers of Najaf would double deal on this cease fire and it is coming to pass.
Fortunately, for the sake of justice, Al Sadr’s men left with the crowds, fading among them and up to this point there has been no more fighting. It is also clear that neither the US nor Allawi dares move on the Shrine of Ali or makes any major moves because it would bring international condemnation and the Shi’is of Iraq would come down on them like an eagle—even our American tanks and planes would not protect our men from this wrath if it came to this. One Muslim cleric who is a moderate, Ali Husseini, put it this way, “Only God sees all, he knows who is the liar and who is the honest man. God will punish Allawi and those with him who have attacked the house of the servant of God, the tomb of the Imam Ali.” Clearly, the Iraqis tie their sense of justice with their belief in God; they do not have the situational ethics of Allawi or the American commanders—the Muslims of Iraq have a sense of justice that is absolute and without fissure.
As an American, I am ashamed that our military is in Iraq to support a Vichy puppet; a man known to be a murderer and criminal, Allawi. What has Bush done to the morale of our men and of our armed forces by putting such a despot in charge? But this has wreaked havoc on the morale our military non-coms and grunts who have to carry out the brutal orders and do the dirty work for the Pentagon and the upper level officers who are part of the Bush game, this according to mental health people I have talked with from Camp Pendleton.
This support of a despot in Iraq does not speak well for American suasive influence in the world. Some in the Arab and Muslim worlds and in Latin America have joked that they should send monitors for the American elections this fall. Most of the Arab and Muslim world sees America as a fallen idol. After the American attempt to influence the election in Venezuela, the South Americans feel the same way. They see America as a plunderer, a despotic regime, the newest colonial power, with its teeth bared and hungry for the blood of any person or country that stands in its way.
As an American, I am ashamed of this. I always thought of our country in the way Lincoln, Eisenhower and Carter saw it, as a leader for good domestically and internationally. I have known that America didn’t always behave well toward our native people and the African Americans, so I was not naïve. Things are even worse these days, with the destruction of our domestic safety nets for our poor, for our homeless (see Census Bureau staggering statistics about unemployment, homeless and uninsured, with 40% of those in poverty are children!) and with the huge number of African Americans in our prisons, I know we have lost our soul domestically; in Iraq, by imposing a Saddam-like dictator on the people who are crying for democracy, and by applauding the Sharon brutality in Palestine, we have lost what remained of our soul in international affairs.
This behavior by the Bush regime puts many of us in a moral dilemma. We support our country in principle, we pay our taxes and we vote—but we see our taxes going to an immoral war, immoral leaders such as Sharon and into the pockets of such corrupt firms as Halliburton. Domestically, we have seen that the Bush team is doing all it can to stop fair voting again in Florida and in other places, by excluding people in minority areas through various deceptions, abuses of the law and by backing those who do not want a paper trail for voting machines.
President Thomas Jefferson said that if the government doesn’t represent the people, they must take it into their hands and if necessary, revolt in the streets. I am not in favor of people fighting in the streets, I still prefer the ballot box. But, as journalist and Chicago community leader Salim Muwakkil pointed out last night on NOW/PBS when talking with Bill Moyers, “Things may not change here in America until something cataclysmic occurs and it’s coming.” I hope our government will reform itself through the upcoming election; if Kerry does win, I hope he will correct our country’s ways. If not, then there is no telling what will happen to our nation.
It would be good if America could go back to taking care of its people and would stop trying to take over other countries. This adventure in Iraq is costing us almost a billion dollars per day, with little let up and nothing for the American or Iraqi people to show for it except profits for Halliburton and “security” firms. The American people deserve a better shake than they’re getting right now because most of their tax dollars and their domestic safety-nets are being given over to fight colonial wars that are making us less, not more, safe.
Internationally, it would be good if we initiated a fair foreign policy that favored democracy and not the dictators and butchers of the world. We need an even-handed policy vis-à-vis Israel/Palestine and a real push for democracy, regardless of its outcome, in Iraq. If we don’t do either of these things, then no amount of money spent on homeland security will make us safe. Those battles, if they are not solved in a humane and decent way, will eventually come to our shores, and we shall all suffer for our mistaken foreign policies.
American government could make a good start by telling the American people the truth about domestic and foreign matters; we should also learn to speak the truth and keep our word on foreign matters as well. For the sake of what is left of our democracy and our reputation, let us hope these things will come to pass.
Prof. Sam Hamod is an expert on the Middle East, a former advisor to the U.S. State Department; former Director of The Islamic Center in Washington, DC (ret.); editor of 3rd World News (D.C.); he may be reached at shamod@cox.net
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