~ Cross-posted from European Tribune ~
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An excellent article written upon the release of new Pew Opinion Poll and US hatred in the world.
Pictures and links added are mine – Ed
NEW YORK June 29, 2005 — The world hates us more than ever, according to a new Pew Research poll of 16,000 citizens in 15 countries. Most Canadians think Americans are exceptionally rude. The Chinese say we’re violent and greedy. Nearly half of Turks–up from 32 percent a year ago–say they dislike Americans as individuals and America as a nation, according to the survey. Muslims have a “quite negative hostility toward America,” says Pew president Andrew Kohut. Even among our traditional allies the United States “remains broadly disliked”.
The reason for our declining popularity is no mystery: Bush’s unjustified, illegal war against Iraq. But Iraq, Bush’s doctrine of preemptive warfare and instances of prisoners being tortured and even murdered aren’t completely unprecedented.
More below the fold …
Many Americans, still taking pride in the memorable image of “Gift of USA” flag logos on bags of grain being tossed to starving Africans, find it difficult to accept the role of international pariah. But the truth is that many people are as scared of us as they were of Germany and Japan in 1939.
Ah, irony. Our reputation has gone down the toilet with the Koran, but things are looking up for the Axis powers we defeated in World War II.
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Now the U.S. is the sole, charter member of its own Axis of Evil: invading and threatening invasions, breaking arms treaties willy-nilly, kidnapping and murdering foreign citizens without cause, refusing to abide by the Geneva conventions. But that will change someday–whether we’re forced to change, as were Germany and Japan, or whether we choose a different path on our own. What’s daunting is how much time – and humility – it will take for the rest of the world to trust us as much as they trust Germany and Italy.
[Pictures and links added are mine – Ed]
- When war was fought out of necessity, not by choice or adventure.
- American supporters of the European Fascists 1920-1940
“Greed, Militarism, War – this is fascism.
Unite to destroy it.”
Memorable image of “Gift of USA” flag logos on bags of grain, has been replaced by “USAID” and before that “USCARE”. Apparently the latter was often read as U SCARE. USAID has been politicised and often combined with hostile acts in Afghanistan and now in Iraq.
In Afghanistan rural areas, the commitment of local leaders to cooperate with US forces has been set as a prerequisite before contact with NGOs and aid is made possible. This led to the conclusion by the Taliban supporters that these aid workers and organizations are legitimate targets to hit at the USA.
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It’s been clear to me from the many casualties and the circumstances during the past year in Afghanistan, most military assets have been pulled out. Flying AWACs, A-10 Gunships, Apache helicopters, F-16 fighter support have been lacking or had taken too much time to be engaged in battle when the Special Forces had requested assistance. Result is unnecessary loss of valuable life of our men and women performing an impossible mission.
The region south of Khandahar to Pakistani border and north-east to Khost and Jalalabad have been cleared of Al Qaeda and Taliban troops. The even more rugged area beyond Jalalabad is where the US Special Forces went missing and the Chinook heli was shot down.
Contrary to the ArmyTimes.com report, I understood that in the rescue mission allied forces were involved, without further specifics given in the news item.
Asadabad is located in the northeastern province of Kunar. It is a mountainous region, and Asadabad is about five miles from the Pakistani border.
CIA Contractor Indicted for Abuse of Afghan Detainee
June 17, 2004 — A 38-year-old North Carolina man has been indicted for assaulting an Afghan detainee while working as a contractor for the Central Intelligence Agency at a U.S. military base in Asadabad, Afghanistan.
APPENDIX – Further reading
- U.S. Soldiers Still Missing ◊ by susanhu
- Iraqi UN Ambassador: US Marines Murdered My Cousin ◊ by catnip
- Gitmo Terrorists For Hire! ◊ by Oui
- The Newsweek Denial: Why? ◊ by susanhu
USA WELCOME: Make Yourself Known @BooMan Tribune and add some cheers!
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Recognize it – Fight it – Destroy it or else
Fascism Will Destroy Our Society!
See excellent comment today by vbo –
Srebrenica – 10 Years Later
EU Peace ◊ Vote Oui!
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in US history that were absolutely necessary: th Revolutionary War, the Civil War and WWII.
The Mexican War was based on a lie and pursued for the purpose of territorial conquest.
The Spanish American War was ginned up by McKinley and the Hearst papers in pursuit of American Empire. Just ask the Filopinos who lost their lives in the brutal counter insurgency operations our forces conducted after taking possession of the Phillipines.
Wilson more or less took us into WWI for no other reason than to improve America’s influence in the world. There was no strategic rationale or national security interest to be gained from participating in that war. As a sidelight, our mass troop mobilization led to the incubation and propagation of the flu pandemic of 1918 which killed between 20 and 100 million people worldwide. The flu started in the US, exploded in the Army camps because of the close quarters and large numbers of soldiers and was spread to Europe and the rest of the world by our troops as they were deployed.
The Vietnam and Korean wars were both ideologically driven, though arguably the Korean war had some strategic importance to the security of Japan, and since we didn’t want a re-armed Japan that war at least thta war had some rationale other than ideology.
Gulf War I was all about the oil in Saudi Arabia.
Gulf War II . . . well, we know its based on Cheney and Rumsfeld’s faulty vision of using military power to enhance our strategic position at the expense of our economy and strategic alliances.
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In his program of June 27, the contradictory quotes from Cheney – Rummy – Abizaid on insurgency, hostilities, and last throes. Rumsfeld’s vision on length of Gulf War II – March 2003: “Could be 6 days, … 6 weeks, but certainly NOT 6 months!”
Compared to quote this week for time needed to subdue the insurgency: “… 6 maybe 8 years, could be 12 years!”
As Jon Stewart exclaimed: “Six months … 12 years!”
NCTimes – Real problems dwarf Iraq
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Dylan said it best: “A Hard Rain is Gonna Fall”
WHY the Netherlands is sending three F16s to search the waters off Aruba for Natalie Hollaway?
For chrissakes, if she’s been in the water since the end of May, there’s NOTHING LEFT. The fish have eaten her.
OMG. And how much is this costing the Dutch?
And I meant to add that I’m very sorry for asking this. I realize it’s OT. But I can’t stand it.
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Aruba has been bashed in the US MSM for not solving the mystery of the Alabama teen, Natalee Holloway who may have been murdered. Aruba is a small community and its economy is fully dependent on US tourism.
Decades ago the refineries on the Island shut down, land sold to Aruba government for a token fee, until it was soon clear the installations lacked maintenance and were run down. The only surprise left behind was the pollution and waste in the soil.
The three F-16’s left air base in Twente with hundreds of spectators looking on at the departure. The fighter planes were accompanied by a KDC-10 tanker for refueling en route to Aruba via the Azores Islands (Portuguese). The unit will be stationed at HATO airfield on Curaçao where the Dutch have a Marine support station.
The F-16’s will do the search with so-called Mars-pod – Medium Altitude Reconnaissance System – with daylight and infrared high-resolution cameras. The unit will be accompanied by 40 specialists involved in the minute read out of the data and detail view of the photo blow-ups. It’s their profession, has been done with success for Department of Justice in the Netherlands in search of a single grave in rural areas.
It’s just a mission for the men, otherwise there would have been token exercises or target bombing elsewhere.
But your statement is correct, these assets are not used in the daily disappearance of persons within The Netherlands or the hundreds of unsolved murders throughout the years.
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