GEORGE MCGOVERN: the Way out of War

[yurbud]

This isn't available on Harper's website yet, so no link.

All of what McGovern says is simple common sense, but it shows the level of disfunction in our media, government, and our democracy itself that the last excerpt I post here about the real reason for the war is effectively censored from the mainstream press, even when a Democrats are brave enough to bring it up or dare suggest it as an amendment to some new looting bill of the Republicans.

As much as I appreciate McGovern honestly addressing the oil issue, I wish he had gone further: until the real reason for the war elbows its way into the debate, the Bush administration will be free to lie and spin. But the last shreds of credibility they have will be gone when their excuses for war stand side by side in the cold light of day with the prize of Iraq's oil, worth tens of trillions of dollars, that they gave to their cronies.

The heart of the war is no different from the no-bid contracting and profiteering on the surface. They came, they privatized, they stole. It is not ideology, but simple squalid corruption.

THE WAY OUT OF WAR

George S McGovern, William R Polk.

Oct 2006.

<snip>

Withdrawal of American forces must include immediate cessation of work on U.S. military bases. Nearly half of the more than 100 bases have already been closed down and turned over, at least formally, to the Iraqi government, but as many as fourteen "enduring" bases for American troops in Iraq are under construction. The largest five are already massive, amounting to virtual cities. The Balad Air Base, forty miles north of Baghdad, has a miniature golf course, 2 PXs, a Pizza Hut, a Burger King, and a jail. Another, under construction at al-Asad, covers more than thirteen square miles. Although secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated on December 23, 2005, that "at the moment there are no plans for permanent bases.... It is a subject that has not even been discussed with the Iraqi government," his remarks are belied by action on the ground, where bases are growing in size and being given aspects of permanency. The most critical of these are remote military bases. They should be stood down rapidly. Closing these bases is doubly important: for America, they are expensive and already redundant; for Iraqis, they both symbolize and personify a hated occupation. With them in place, no Iraqi government will ever feel truly independent. It is virtually certain that absent a deactivation of U.S. military bases, the insurgency will continue. The enormous American base at Baghdad International Airport, ironically named "Camp Victory," should be the last of the military bases to be closed, as it will be useful in the process of disengagement.

<snip>

Mercenaries, euphemistically known as "Personal security Detail," are now provided by an industry of more than thirty "security" firms, comprising at least 25,000 armed men. These constitute a force larger than the British troop contingent in the "Coalition of the Willing" and operate outside the direct control-and with little interference from the military justice systems-of the British and American armies. They are, literally, the "loose cannons" of the Iraq war. They should be withdrawn rapidly and completely, as the Iraqis regard them as the very symbol of the occupation. Since the U.S. pays for them either directly or indirectly, all we need to do is stop payment.

<snip>

Property damage incurred during the invasion and occupation has been extreme. The World Bank has estimated that at least $25 billion will be required to repair the Iraqi infrastructure alone-this is quite apart from the damage done to private property. The reconstruction can be, and should be, done by Iraqis, as this would greatly benefit the Iraqi economy, but the United States will need to make a generous contribution to the effort if it is to be a success. Some of this aid should be in the form of grants; the remainder can be in the form of loans. Funds should be paid directly to the Iraqi government, as it would be sound policy to increase the power and public acceptance of that government once American troops withdraw. The Iraqis will probably regard such grants or loans as reparations; some of the money will probably be misspent or siphoned off by cliques within the government. It would therefore benefit the Iraqi people if some form of oversight could be exercised over the funds, but this would tend to undercut the legitimacy and authority of their government, which itself will probably be reconstituted during or shortly after the American occupation ends. Proper use of aid funds has been a problem everywhere: America's own record during the occupation has been reprehensible, with massive waste, incompetence, and outright dishonesty now being investigated for criminal prosecution. No fledgling Iraqi government is likely to do better, but if reconstruction funds are portioned out to village, town, and city councils, the enhancement of such groups will go far toward the avowed American aim of strengthening democracy, given that Iraqis at the "grass roots" level would be taking charge of their own affairs.




The United States should not object to the Iraqi government voiding all contracts entered into for the exploration, development, and marketing of oil during the American occupation. These contracts clearly should be renegotiated or thrown open to competitive international bids. The Iraqi government and public believe that because Iraqi oil has been sold at a discount to American companies, and because long-term "production-sharing agreements" are highly favorable to the concessionaires, an unfair advantage has been taken. Indeed, the form of concession set up at the urging of the CPA's consultants has been estimated to deprive Iraq of as much as $194 billion in revenues. To most Iraqis, and indeed to many foreigners, the move to turn over Iraq's oil reserves to American and British companies surely confirms that the real purpose of the invasion was to secure, for American use and profit, Iraq's lightweight and inexpensively produced oil.

[yurbud]

1. anybody not know who McGovern is or don't people care about

actual specifics about how to get out and why we are there in the first place?

[MISSDem]

2. I assume that this is THE George McGovern.

All of these things should be done but I won't hold my breatth.