Iraq Today: America's Imperial Legacy

by Stephen Lendman

US imperial wars reflect mass slaughter, widespread destruction, ecocide, resource theft, exploitation, unspeakable human pain, suffering and misery, as well as permanent occupation.

Washington came to Iraq to stay. US military and other security elements infest the region. It's the oil and unchallenged Middle East dominance, stupid.

The price of imperial arrogance is unconscionable. Ordinary people bear the cost. Countries are laid waste. Victims suffer most. Iraqis understand.

America's war remains one of history's greatest crimes. Iraq was the region's most developed country. The cradle of civilization no longer exists. A militarized giant free trade zone replaced it.

Raping and plundering Iraq continue daily. Ordinary Iraqis have no say. They're victimized, exploited and shut out. They've lost all rights. They're aliens in their own country.

Imperial priorities matter most. Washington's a scourge on humanity. No others historically approached its savagery. It reigns terror globally. It plans doing so from space.

Iraq is lawlessly occupied. It's balkanized. It's victimized by genocide. Vital infrastructure is absent. Millions are on their own out of luck.

Poverty is extreme. So are unemployment, malnutrition, repression, fear and human misery. Iraq represents the worst of new world order dystopian harshness.

From August 1990 to today, millions died. Millions more were externally and internally displaced. Refugees International estimates around 2.8 million currently.

Tens of thousands seeking refuge in Syria returned home. "Internally displaced Iraqis are extremely vulnerable and live in constant fear, with limited access to shelter, food and basic services."

Obama's US combat troop drawdown was more subterfuge than real. Most redeployed US forces shifted to Kuwait and other regional locations. Permanent occupation is policy. Four super-bases remain.