Peeance, freeance! America leaves Iraq a toxic legacy of dumped hazardous materials

[Bluebear]

It's in the interest of — uhh — uhh, long-term peace in the world that we — uhh — work for a free and secure and peaceful Iraq. A peeance, freeance secure Iraq in the midst of the Middle East will have enormous historical impact. - G. W. Bush, Oct. 27, 2003

American troops going home from Iraq after seven painful years are leaving behind a legacy that is literally toxic.

An investigation by The Times in five Iraqi provinces has found that hazardous material from US bases is being dumped locally rather than sent back to America, in clear breach of Pentagon rules.

North and west of Baghdad, engine oil is leaking from 55-gallon drums into dusty ground, open acid canisters sit within easy reach of children, and discarded batteries lie close to irrigated farmland. A 2009 Pentagon document shown to The Times by a private contractor working with US soldiers mentions “an estimated 11 million pounds <5,000 tonnes> of hazardous waste” produced by American troops.

But even this figure appears to be only a partial estimate. BrigadierGeneral Kendall Cox, who is responsible for engineering and infrastructure in Iraq, told The Times yesterday that he was in the process of disposing of 14,500 tonnes of oil and soil contaminated with oil. “This has accumulated over seven years,” he said.

Iraqis who have come into contact with some of the material suffer from rashes and blistering on their hands and feet. They also complain of gagging and coughing. Rats near sites where waste was dumped have died and lie next to soiled containers.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article7149611.ece

[gratuitous]

1. The American wehrmacht will fuck up your shit

That's why we need all these armaments, weapons, fighter jets and nuclear bombs: To protect us from the righteous anger we've stirred up all over the globe. The payback is building, building, building, and no one will be spared.

[Catherina]

2. WTF. Rec'd. Still 0. Only an *Ugly American* would unrec this

[Bluebear]

4. Iraq is so yesterday.

:(

[Catherina]

5. I'm horrified Bluebear. Horrified n/t

[jimshoes]

3. That was one of his more memorable

mutilations of our language. He had a gift for it, as it were. I don't think he was even aware that he had such a gift, and even if he was aware of this gift he looked at it more like an entitlement, like it was his right to mangle and mutilate the English language just because he was a member of the "Lucky As Fuck Sperm Club". Now you'll excuse me while I go send some love to my OBGYN. No wait, I don't have an OBGYN, maybe I'll send some love to my dentist instead. Just as a side note, I'm really glad thatnumbnut is not in charge of anything right now.

[Bluebear]

6. fwiw