After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, America has unleashed a global campaign of terror upon the Middle East in retaliation. America has invaded more than six countries in the last decade. In effect, the United States has declared war against an ideology: radical Islam. Yet ideology must combat ideology, not tanks and bombs. At World Future Fund, we are not pacifists. We understand that there is sometimes a time and place for violence in the case of national defense. Yet the endless drone attacks against third world countries is only creating more terrorism, not less. After invading a string of third world countries, America has recently antagonized a major world power (Russia) by intervening in the conflict in Ukraine. If the United States continues down this path of relentless military interference, we could unwittingly unleash a major global conflict from which we may not recover.
WAR CRIMES IRAQ AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN SYRIA LIBYA
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA IRAN ISRAEL CHRIS HEDGES
The Kuala Lampur Foundation:
The Malaysian Kuala Lampur Foundation has set up a tribunal to criminalize warcrimes and encourage peace worldwide. They are not afraid to take on the world's largest military super power, the United States of America. In 2012 they found former U.S. President George Bush as well as former Vice President Dick Cheney guilty of warcrimes. This Malaysian Foundation is an example of how other cultures in the world are beginning to doubt America's role as the "World Police," and are interested in finding an alternative form of justice.
War Tribunal Finds Bush, Cheney Guilty of War Crimes (Common Dreams, 5-13-12)
A tribunal in Malaysia finds former president George Bush, Dick Cheney and six other members of the Bush administration guilty of war crimes.
War crimes: Why should Bush, Blair and Obama be exempt? (First Post, 9-3-12)
The leaders of the free world are committing war crimes that would be considered terrorism if anyone else did the same thing. Bush authorized the use of torture, even though it is banned by the Geneva Convention. His invasion of Iraq was made under false premises (the weapons of mass destruction that were never there) and his war in the region has ended up killing more Iraqi's than Saddam Hussein killed himself. Obama has continued Bush's legacy by having a secretive kill list that violates international law and geographic boundaries.
Hunger Striking and Force Feeding at Guantanamo Bay (New York Times, 4-14-13)
A horrifying, first hand account of what it is like to be a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay. Many of the men in this prison have not been formally charged of a crime and yet have been detained for more than a decade. Now many of the prisoners simply want an exit strategy - even if that exit is death itself. There are at least 40 men in the prison who are hunger striking and being force fed in painful and humiliating ways.
Beatings, Attempted Suicides and Deliberate Starvation: The Dystopic Hell of Guantanamo Bay (Alternet, 4-12-13)
More on the mass hunger strikes in Guantanamo Bay. This strike is shedding light on the issue of indefinite detention without charge and the Obama Administrations failure to close the prison despite frequent promises to do so.
Human
Rights Watch Report on U.S. Use of Torture June 2006 (PDF)
An updated Human Rights Watch study documenting the use of
torture and renditions (secret detentions) against terror suspects.
UN
Condemns U.S. Human Rights Record in War on Terror
The U.N. Human
Rights Committee issued a strongly worded critique of the U.S.
government’s rights record at home and abroad, which reflects a growing
international consensus that the U.S. is violating basic human rights
norms. (Human Rights News, 7-28-06)
U.S. Government Official Statements on War Crimes
President
Bush Officially Admits the Existence of Secret CIA Prisons
After
denying their existence since 2003, President Bush admits in this speech
of September 6, 2006 that secret CIA prisons exist outside of the U.S.
(The White House, 9-6-06)
THE WEST'S FAILURE AT TRYING TO FIGHT ISLAMIC RADICALISM
Islamic
Militants are Defeating U.S. Technology Five Years after
9/11
An excellent article by respected Pakistani journalist
Ahmed Rashid on the ways in which the West's military response to Islamic
radicalism has been failing. High technology is no substitute for
ideas and the human element. (Washington Post, 9-11-06)
WAR CRIMES IRAQ AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN SYRIA LIBYA
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA IRAN ISRAEL CHRIS HEDGES
(See our more detailed report on Iraq.)
Current Death Toll in Iraq: Around 1.5 million (Just Foreign Policy)
The Count of Dead Iraqis Could Actually Be 2.7 Million (CounterCurrents.org)
Poll: Civilian Death Toll in Iraq May Top 1 Million (Common Dreams, 9-14-07)
How the Iraq war compares to the worst horrors in world history (Stop the War Coalition, 3-18-13)
As a percent of population, more people died in the Iraqi war (5% of total population) than in the American Civil war (2.5% of total population). 1.4 million are dead, 4.2 million are injured and there are 4.5 million refugees. The war has also cost the US 5 trillion dollars, enough by UN estimates to end all world poverty for the next 167 years.
Read the report: "Iraq War Among World's Worst Events" (PDF)
Anger, Disbelief as Obama Defends US Invasion of Iraq (Common Dreams, 3-26-14)
America helped direct the Iraqi gas attacks with its spy satellites. (The Guardian, 9-2-13)
Contractors reap $138bn from Iraq war (Financial Times, 3-18-13)
$138 billion is just what is reported. The actual amount is probably far greater. The US has hired more private companies in Iraq than in any previous war. There were more contractors on the ground than military personnel.
Saddam's Alleged Al-Qaeda Ties Were Disproved Before the War
In new major report U.S. intelligence analysts and members of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee found no links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda while senior Bush administration officials publicly asserted those links to justify invading Iraq. (Washington Post, 9-9-06)
WAR CRIMES IRAQ AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN SYRIA LIBYA
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA IRAN ISRAEL CHRIS HEDGES
The US now has more troops in Afghanistan than the Russians did during the Cold War and yet we are losing the war despite a massive technological advantage.
Defeated by the Taliban, Washington Decides to Take on Russia and China (Global Research, 12-4-13)
As the United States begins to withdraw from Afghanistan, Obama gives more speeches on his "pivot to Asia" policy. America is now planning to interject itself in every dispute that China has with its Asian neighbors. Yet America is not willing to admit that our campaign in Afghanistan has been a failure.
Drone Kills Taliban Chief Hakimullah Mehsud; Pakistan Accuses U.S. of Derailing Peace Talks (Washington Post, 11-1-13)
U.S. thwarts chance for peace talks by bombing the Taliban Chief, who had been planning negotiations with the Pakistani government. What is even more alarming, is the fact that Mehsud has been replaced by a much more ruthless leader with a hard-line position and a violent track record. Read about Taliban's New Leader (Dawn, 11-7-13).
More Than 2,500 Killed By Drones in Pakistan, Names of Victims Now Available (Truth-Out, 10-15-13)
Is the US maintaining death squads and torture militias in Afghanistan? (2-26-13, Guardian)
According to President Hamid Karzai and local residents, the answer is yes.
The west has lost in Afghanistan (3-26-12, Financial Times)
Five years ago, the US refused to speak with the Taliban. Now the Taliban is refusing to speak with us. That is a measure of how the balance of power has shifted in Afghanistan.
Triumph
of Free Market Economics: Afghanistan Leads the World Again in Heroin
Production
The triumph of free market economics in post-Taliban
Afghanistan has translated into that country once again becoming the
world's leading producer of heroin since the U.S. invasion in autumn
2001. Tight Taliban control over the country had led to an estimated
95% decline in opium cultivation by 2001 (See BBC
Report). However, since the overthrow of the Taliban opium
production has skyrocketed. U.S. officials blame the Taliban but
this is not at all clear and the majority of the money may be going to
political friends of the current government. (CBC News, 7-5-07)
WAR CRIMES IRAQ AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN SYRIA LIBYA
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA IRAN ISRAEL CHRIS HEDGES
Obama Plan for War in Syria (World Future Fund)
This article was written back in 2013 when the United States was considering a missile strike against Syria due to allegations of chemical weapons use. This situation was about to turn into another Iraq. Thankfully, America did not end up going this route, but it is important to still read about what could have been to understand future diplomatic policy.
Obama Plans to Escalate the War in Syria (The Nation, 2-18-14)
Top Western Backed Rebel in Syria is Forced to Flee (The Wall Street Journal, 12-11-13)
Now that the Western backed rebel commander has fled the country, Islamists have taken over the key warehouses holding U.S. military gear for moderate fighters. This is one of the strongest signs that the U.S backed FSA is collapsing under the pressure of Islamist domination on the rebel side of the war.
CIA Files Prove America Helped Saddam as He Gassed Iran (Foreign Policy,
8-26-13)
While this article may not relate directly to Syria itself, it does show the hypocrisy of the United States. Our key politicians are trying to gear up for a war with Syria based on accusations that the Syrian Government used chemical weapons on their own people (an accusation that has not been proven). Yet the United States has a lengthy history of using chemical weapons in its own wars.
U.S. Prepares to Attack Syria - - 60% of Americans Are Against It, Obama Has No U.N. Approval, and No Proof of Who Was Behind Gas Attacks (Alternet, 8-26-13)
Time to End Western Support for Terrorists in Syria: “Opposition” is Entirely Run by Al Qaeda (Global Research, 4-28-13)
"No where in Syria is there a secular opposition force to be found." Much of the opposition funded by the United States is actually fueling Islamic Fundamentalism in the moderate state of Syria. There have even been reports that the US funded opposition forces have connections to Al Qaeda .
Syria Behind The Lines (PBS Frontline, 4-9-13)
An impressive film that goes behind the front lines to explore the perilous realities of everyday life for both Syria's rebels and its regime.
How Obama Chose War Over Peace in Syria (Counter Punch, 3-29-13)
America had two options in this war: work together for a peaceful solution or plunge this country into a war-torn abyss. It can be said that President Obama has picked war from the very start. If it were not for US intervention, it is possible that the rebels would have been crushed a while ago and countless lives would have been saved.
WAR CRIMES IRAQ AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN SYRIA LIBYA
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA IRAN ISRAEL CHRIS HEDGES
Libya and the Big Lie: Using Human Rights Organizations to Launch Wars (Global Research, 9-24-11)
Libya War Lies Worse Than Iraq (Information Clearing House, 7-23-11)
U.S Ambassador Raped Before Murdered (Examiner, 12-13-12)
An indication of American popularity in occupied Libya.
How Obama Ignored Congress, and Misled America, on War in Libya (The Atlantic, 9-13-12)
Obama failed to secure a congressional declaration of war when he went into Libya, thus violating the War Powers Resolution.
If the Libyan war was about saving lives, it was a catastrophic failure (The Guardian, 10-26-11)
US forces claimed that they had to invade Libya and dispose of Gaddafi, or else he was going to cause a massacre in Benghazi - an armed city with 700,000 people. Yet new reports are now showing this supposed massacre would have had little chances of success - given that Gaddafi did not have the troops required for such a feat. The death toll when NATO intervened was around 1,000 - 2,000 people. Eight months later it is now ten times that number.
NATO Inflicted Libyan Deaths, Injuries Not ‘Propaganda’: Cynthia McKinney (The Information Clearing House, 6-10-11)
WAR CRIMES IRAQ AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN SYRIA LIBYA
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA IRAN ISRAEL CHRIS HEDGES
The conflict in Ukraine is a complicated situation. What many Western people don't understand is that this is not simply a situation about Russia fighting the Ukrainian people. This is a civil war between ethnic Ukrainians and ethnic Russians within Ukraine's borders. Yet America has chosen to get itself involved with this civil war and is taking steps to antagonize a heavily armed nuclear power - Russia. Russia has anywhere between 2,000 - 9,000 nuclear warheads, and yet the U.S is threatening them with economic sanctions over their actions in Crimea, an ethnically Russian state that voted to rejoin Russia by a vote of 95.7%. We are no longer living in the Cold War era. Modern day Russia is not the Soviet Union.
Russian natural gas and resources are interconnected with the global economy. The American space program itself also depends on Russian rockets; Without Russia, the U.S. would not be able to get its astronauts or spy satelites into space.
Russia is not another Libya, Iraq or Afghanistan. They are a heavily armed nuclear superpower that is an important player in the world global economy. Restarting a cold war with Russia will have devestating consequences for the U.S, as well as the world at large.
BARACK OBAMA'S EXECUTIVE ORDER
The Executive Order Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Ukraine (Whitehouse.gov)
U.S. CONGRESSIONAL VOTE TO SEND AID TO UKRAINE'S NEW GOVERNMENT
Tally of Congressional Votes: Yeas and Nays
Who Voted Against U.S. Aid to Ukraine? (Washington Post, 3-27-14)
CRIMEA
Ukraine crisis: Putin signs Russia-Crimea treaty (BBC, 3-18-14)
95.7% of Crimeans in Referendum Voted to Join Russia - Preliminary Results (RT, 3-17-14)
US Experts On The Crimean Crisis: 'We Shouldn't Threaten Putin' (Spiegel, 3-15-14)
RUSSIA
Russia's Actions in Crimea 'Completely Understandable' - German ex-Chancellor (RT, 3-26-14)
Prominent Germans Have Understanding for Russian Annexation of Crimea (Spiegel, 3-31-14)
America's Space Program Depends on Russian Rockets (US News, 10-8-13)
UKRAINE'S NEW GOVERNMENT
Ukrainian TV boss assaulted and forced to resign by far-right Svoboda MPs (EuroNews, 3-19-14)
Who's Who in Ukraine's New "Semi-Fascist" Government: Meet the People in the U.S. and EU are Supporting (Global Research, 3-8-14)
Russia May Halt Arms Inspection Following Ukraine Crisis (The Wall Street Journal, 3-8-14)
UKRAINE AND THE WEST
The Clumsy Greed of the U.S. and the West on Full Display in Ukraine Disaster (Alternet, 3-6-14)
Ukraine: One 'Regime Change' Too Many? (Michael Moore, 3-2-14)
Democracy Murdered by Protest: Ukraine Falls to Intrigue and Violence (Global Research, 2-24-14)
WAR CRIMES IRAQ AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN SYRIA LIBYA
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA IRAN ISRAEL CHRIS HEDGES
Iran and America 2014 (World Future Fund)
Now that Iran has a moderate leader, chances for building peace in the Middle East through a better U.S. relationship with Iran are very possible. Much of this hinges on the U.S. ability to negotiate the end of sanctions in exchange for Iran's cooperation in ending their nuclear program.
A Peril to the Iran Nuclear Deal (The National Interest)
This article details how the U.S. is unable to hold up their end of the bargain in the Iranian Nuclear treaty, due to the inability of the Treasury to unfreeze sanctions on Iran.
Iran: The Next War This article documents the manipulation of intelligence information in order to bolster a case for a U.S. invasion of Iran. (Rolling Stone, 7-24-06)
WAR CRIMES IRAQ AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN SYRIA LIBYA
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA IRAN ISRAEL CHRIS HEDGES
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN GAZA
Gilad Sharon, Son Of Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Writes Op-Ed: 'We Need To Flatten Entire Neighborhoods In Gaza' (Huffington Post, 11-19-12)
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Caught On Camera With Plans to Relentlessly Bomb Palestine (You Tube Video, 7-17-10)
Netanyahu, unaware of the camera in the room, states the following with his policy towards the Palestinians: "The main thing, first of all, is to hit them. Not just one blow, but blows that are so painful that the price will be too heavy to be borne. The price is not too heavy to be borne, now. A broad attack on the Palestinian Authority. To bring them to the point of being afraid that everything is collapsing..." He also discusses how "America is something that can be easily moved."
Eight British-Based Aid Agencies and Human Rights Groups has Described the Humanitarian Situation in the Gaza Strip as the Worst in 40 Years (Spiegel, 3-6-08)
Israel Creates
Humanitarian Disaster in Gaza (Counter Punch Web Site, 7-4-06)
Israel's invasion of Gaza in the
summer of 2006 resulted in tremendous damage to the area's already shaky
infrastructure. Electric power and supplies of drinking water have
been cut to hundreds of thousands of people in an area that is already one
of the world's most impoverished. A
Los Angeles Times article on this subject.
(Information Clearing House Web Site, 9-23-07)
Israeli
Bombing Creates Lebanon's Worst Environmental Disaster
When Israeli
jets struck a power plant in Beirut in July 2006, it resulted in the
dumping of 15,000 tons of oil along Lebanon's Mediterranean Sea. It
is the largest environmental crisis in the country's history.
(National Geographic News, 7-31-06)
Video on Gaza
Gaza's Reality - Video 5 minutes (Information Clearing House)
Keeping
Palestinians Poor and Without Electricity
During
Israeli-Palestinian violence in summer of 2006, the only electric power
plant in Gaza was bombed by the Israeli air force. This plant, which
supplied power to 65% of the population of the Gaza Strip, also drives the
desalination facilities that provide locals with their only potable
water. Tens of thousands of people were thus left without easy
access to either fresh water or electricity in the middle of the Middle
East summer. (Counter Punch Web Site, 7-3-06)
Desmond
Tutu Likens Israeli Actions to Apartheid
South African
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu compares conditions in Palestine to those
in South Africa under apartheid, and called on Israelis to try and change
them. (By Inter Press Service posted on Common Dreams web site,
10-29-07)
WAR CRIMES IRAQ AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN SYRIA LIBYA
UKRAINE AND RUSSIA IRAN ISRAEL CHRIS HEDGES
Chris Hedges in one of the leading journalistic voices today in questioning the current American Establishment as well as the "Liberal Left." In many of his articles and speeches, Hedges criticizes the Left for not doing their job: defending the poor, the working class, women, minorities and the environment. Hedges argues that instead, many of the prominent politicians on the Left have sold out, which has lead to a complete failure in attempting real government reform.
Chris Hedges has spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He has worked for a number of prominent news organizations, including National Public Radio and The New York Times. He even won a Pulitzer prize in 2002 for his coverage of global terrorism. Read his articles below.
Inverted Totalitarianism (You Tube Video)
Iraq and the Failure of the Liberal Elite (Truth Out, 4-1-13)
The Hijacking of Human Rights (Truth Dig, 4-7-13)
The Myth of Human Progress(Truth Dig, 1-13-13)
Stand Still for the Apocalypse (Truth Dig, 11-26-12)
This Time We’re Taking the Whole Planet With Us (Truth Dig, 3-7-11)