Insurgentjg

In the war trodden zones opium is the only choice farmers has to turn to earn their living. Cultivation of opium poppy is the only choice Iraqi farmers are left with as they can no longer earn a living by growing traditional crops.  In Diyala province of Iraq, Afghani poppy farmers have been helping farmers to plant and grow poppy. North east of Iraq has been famous for its fertile land and orchards of  pomegranates. According to a local source in the town of Buhriz, poppy is been grown between the orange trees. So that the plantation is not visible to the authorities.  Iraqi news agency al-Malaf reported that opium is been heavily harvested in the areas around towns of Khalis, Sa’adiya, Dain’ya and south of Baladruz. Opium growth is a rather new phenomenon; farming is being funded by the group of drug smugglers who were supplying opium to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf from Afghanistan. Opium is being heavily grown in the Dyala, North east of Iraq.  Part of the country where al-Qaeda is still holding its position strongly resisting the Iraqi government and US army. This is the region which is also deeply divided between Sunni, Shia and Kurd. All the war and unrest in the country does not allow authorities to focus their attention towards drug dealing and growing. According to a local agricultural engineer Al-Azawi; local farmers do not have any support from the government which makes it even harder for them to compete with the cheap imported fruits and vegetables and in such a scenario growing opium seems to be a viable solution.It also reported by the local agencies that many of the opium farms are being cultivated under the supervision of Al Qa’ida, who confiscated thier land from the rightful owners. Opium farms are heavily guarded so no one can get inside, most farms are located in the Diyala which is still smaller than that in southern Iraqi states of Amara and Majar al- Kabir. Opium form Diyala is transported to Ramadi in Western Iraq. Cont..

The article “Horror at Guantanamo” written by Andy Worthington who is the author of The Guantánamo Files, the first book to tell the stories of all the detainees in America’s illegal prison, is about a Libyan detainee Abdul Hamid al-Ghizzawi who is infected with AIDS. Mr. al-Ghizzawi already had tuberculosis and hepatitis B which he contracted while imprisoned at Guantanamo.

He wasn’t given any proper medication at the prison and the Chief Medical Doctor at Guantanamo claimed that Mr. al-Ghizzawi  “does not want to be treated for his life threatening illness{es}”, although Mr. al-Ghizzawi denied this claim.

Candace Gorman, lawyer for Mr. al-Ghizzawi approached the Department of Justice attorney to look into the matter who stated “We are not privy to the particulars of what your client may have been told by his doctor, if anything, but Guantanamo provides high-quality medical care to all detainees.”

Mr. al-Ghizzawi health deteriorated at the prison over the years. He was devoid of proper medical care and later was shifted to Camp 6 with severe conditions that is mental and physical isolation and “blunt and barbaric conditions”.

The irony of the situation lies in the fact that Mr. al-Ghizzawi ended up in the prison without being involved in any crime as he was innocent.

A former meteorologist Mr. al-Ghizzawi was living peacefully with his family in Afghanistan. In 2001 as the news that US authorities are paying handsome bounties to the suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban members spread some armed men came to his house and captured him who sold him to the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance and he was further sold to the US military.

Mr. al-Ghizzawi was alleged of meeting al-Qaeda members in Pakistan, additional allegations included that he stayed in LIFG house in Jalalabad and was a security leader for Osama bin Laden during a trip to a guest house in Jalalabad.

Though Mr. al-Ghizzawi countered all allegations he was finally proved guilty an “enemy combatant” by the military tribunal whose legitimacy and authenticity is criticized by former officers who served on them.

After reading this article by Andy Worthington we wonder whether Mr. al-Ghizzawi is dead or alive. This is not a single incident there are many in that illegal prison known as Guantanamo suffering at the hands of powerful.

The Human Rights Watch brought forward the case of Omar Khadr, now 21, and a detainee at Guantanamo Bay since he was 15 years old who was appeared before the usual tribunal. This shows the lack of juvenile justice. “Human Rights Watch notes the United States’ failure to incorporate juvenile detention and juvenile justice in military commission proceedings standards, and urges the US to not compound these violations by prosecuting Khadr before a military tribunal that is not equipped to meet these standards as well as other fair trial requirements, and in a manner inconsistent with its legal obligations to assist in rehabilitating former child soldiers within its jurisdiction. Accordingly, if the United States is not prepared to prosecute Khadr in a judicial system that incorporates fundamental standards of juvenile justice and other fair trial rights, it should promptly release Khadr and repatriate him to Canada for appropriate rehabilitation.”

The appeals put forward by the Human Rights organizations are put down every time by US and the number of detainees is still living prolonged solitary confinements and torture.

It’s high time that these methods of countering terrorism should be changed as it will only deteriorate the situation. As Martin Luther King said “Peace is not the absence of war but the presence of justice.”

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This article is a rephrased version of the artcle bt Andy Warhington, “Horrors of Guantonamo”, retrieved from www.counterpunch.com. And is based on the group discussion lead by Anum Gill. 

Hoshyar Zebari in a statement said that US military forces will not stay in Iraq as long as some American politicians are demanding. A statement by the republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, caused anger amongst Iraqis. In an interview to The Independent in Baghdad, when asked that if the American army would be in Iraq in 10 years, he said: “Really, I wouldn’t say so.”
A year ago Mr. Zeberi was more confident about that Al-Qaeda has been crushed, if not completely but it is been network been shattered badly.  He says that it is important for Shia-kkurdish government to absorb into its security forces 70,000strong Sunni awakening movement which is fighting Al-Qaeda. He says that it is essential to involve Sunni Awakening movement as it is relatively new and immature political party which makes it more vulnerable to be manipulated by Al-Qaeda, He also added that not all the Sunni political leaders represent the Iraqi Sunni community.
Mr. Zebari started his career as a spokesman and foreign representative of the Kurdish government Party , those were the years of resistance against Saddam Hussein, He is one of the successful ministers in Iraq, Ever since his first appointment in 2004,he initiated goodwill with US and Iran. He has been surviving and dodged several assassination attempts by the insurgents.
Mr. Zebari is optimistic about the future peace in the country, but so far the socio political conditions of a country are not favourable for any peaceful developments. Iraq remains a violent country, recently a suicide bomber killed Brigadier General Salih Mohammad Hassan, who was chief of police of Mosul, largest city in the Northern Iraq. Brigadier Salih was inspecting the ruin s of buildings in which 20 people were killed, just a day before his assassination, in a bomb explosion. 
The Iraqi nation along with its political leaders are looking forward to sign a bilateral treaty with US which will determine that who would rule the nation. This bilateral treaty aims at settling issues such as Iraqi sovereignty, command and control of Iraqi security forces, and the immunity of foreign troops and private security companies. The Iraqi intelligence service, at present controlled and financed by the CIA, will be brought under Iraqi government control.

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1 Patrick Cockburn,  US Troops Will Be In Iraq for 10 More Years,www.counterpunch.com 

Josh Karpoff has analysed the soldier’s point of view about the current war. In his report, he has spoken about the issues related to America’s war in Iraq and people’s protest against it. The antiwar movement meeting opened the issue that the Pentagon has hidden the actual number of soldiers dying in the war. Many activities agreed with this “crazy theory” but this failed to make sense to Karpoff. The assumption was made on the basis that considering the previous wars, in the Americas history. Had a higher number of dead soldiers like in Vietnam, so should this war. Now in this war 75% of the troops are command personnel and changes in the war tactics have lowered the risk of danger as well. Moreover, due to the technological advancement the troops have modern armour, better medical facilities and few actual conventional combats which have resulted in lower death rate. There have been more injuries but lesser deaths. However, Karpoff has not diminished the value of deaths of these soldiers but in fact has stressed upon the significance of losing even a single life to this unworthy cause. Although majority of American’s are against these wars, there is a lack of proper strategies in the antiwar movement crucial for the success of the movement and end of the war. Karpoff maintains that there is critical need to find practical solutions rather than to question the lack of reaction ion the people.

Freedom of speech – is a civil liberty. It is one of the basic rights in democracy. The basic rights are the common threads of a democracy. Freedom of speech is the concept of the inherent human right to voice ones opinion publicly without censorship or punishment.

Terrorism – in the modern sense, is violence, the treat of violence, or other harmful acts committed for political or ideological goals. Acts which are intended to create fear (terror) are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a lone attack), and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians).Counter – terrorism or counterterrorism refers to the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that government, militaries. Police departments and other groups adopt in order to prevent or mitigate specific terrorist acts.Counterterrorism is not specific to any one field or organisation; rather, it involves entities from all levels from society. For instance, businesses have security plans and sometimes share commercials data with the government.The article by Joanne Miller is in fact an effort to regain the freedom of expression which many of us lost after 9/11. War on terror has directly affected the freedom to express, write, creativity and speech. Anything written about the terrorism is considered to be taken as an action on. “Attempts at the justification or glorification of terrorist acts that may incite further terrorist acts”UUN Security Council 2005 The above statement tells about the incitement. However, even indirect incitement is considered and goes against the counterterrorism laws. Anything that encourages terrorism is a crime. Whether it’s done directly or indirectly.There is no need for the message to directly encourage terrorism, and rather than having to be “likely” to result in criminal action, its enough that the message may “cause a danger” of such action. - Joanne Mariner.The problem arises because of the board language used while making a counterterrorism law. Rules are expansive. The objectivity is lost. And the punishment is given judgmentally. The government “over reacts” to the situation. And exploits the freedom of expression which indeed, is the cover stone and benchmarks of the modern European civilization. Their over reaction on the war of terror has escalated over a number of countries. A person carrying a map of a country may be accused of being a terrorist if he/she dose not have a solid point to prove him innocent. A person visiting an AL Qaeda website, or collecting information about it may be accused guilty. A young woman is now known as “lyrical terrorist” because of her poems that are written on terrorism. Isn’t this all just over rated? Over dramatized? Judgmental? What does ne have to say about Guantanamo bay? Innocent souls were being tortured as they were just considered as terrorist without any proof.

We do not totally blame the government. They have to take actions before the terrorist attacks actually take place. But there are these expansive rules that we blame at. By making such laws, government are doing more harm then good. Freedom of expression has to grain back. Freedom of speech is not something that can be easily controlled or stopped. It is everyone’s prior right to have the liberty to express them.

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This article is rephrased version of Joanne Mariner’s article, “How anti-terror laws threaten free speech”

In this article Ray McGovern has openly criticized the policies of American government regarding invasion in Iraq. He has described the after maths of war and the condition of the people who suffer in it.In the beginning he says the truth has finally been revealed, George.W.Bush has admitted that the invasion and occupation of Iraq was aimed simply to have control over Iraq’s oil resources which is contrary to his previous justifications of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and links with AL Qaeda.In the eyes of America oil and military bases are well worth the indignity of troops casualties. It’s a truth acknowledged by majority of them that a few soldiers killed every week is a very minor price to pay for oil the need. He says that it is easier for them to parrot the administrations dishonesty than to confront the reality that they are bringing death and destruction not only in Iraq but to their own fellow citizens as well.The war not only affects common people but also veterans as soldiers are retarded physically and mentally. Veteran’s administration documents show that nearly 264,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have been treated to VA hospitals also including 100,000 mentally disturbed. The expenditure on such treatments is estimated to $700 billion for the next 40 years.The iniquities of war have been widened the inequalities in the society. According to Manuel Garcia, JR,” War is a Racket”.“War is just a racket”. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small group inside know what it is about. it is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.I believe in adequate at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we’ll fight. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and soldiers follow the flag.There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defence of our homes and the other is Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.There isn’t a trick in the racketeering bag that military gang is blind too. It has its “finger men” to point out enemies, its “muscle men” to destroy enemies, its “brain men” to plan war preparations, and a “big boss” super-nationalistic-capitalism.”Writer has also described the whole process of surgery and his medical treatment which underwent on the New Year’s Eve. The only one question was grabbing his mind was “why he was privileged to have an access to the best in medical treatment, when many other veterans were deprived of such medical assistance. No one can feel others misery unless he feels and experiences it in the same or different manner.He had himself in his knapsack the health insurance card, with its help he was able to get sophisticated, million dollar technology treatment. The writer has in a very sarcastic way criticised war against terror in which many bitter experiences have been related with the conditions of Prisoners of Guantanamo.

• Condition in stress test which was done to induce stress before surgery has been related to the circumstances of the prisoners in Guantanamo, whether they would survive deliberately induced stress which they encounter.
• Experience on narrow gurney for 20 minutes with two technicians and nurses for look after, whereas the strapped-in-prisoners of Guantanamo neither able to move nor can protest with apathetic physicians and consultants who their best to inflict injury rather than to alleviate pain.
• Two dozens Guantanamo detainees who tried to starve themselves to death for this was their only hope for release. According to many military official detainees this act is taken as “an act of asymmetrical warfare against us”.
• The writer wonders how would Graffy, deputy assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy, comment on suicides of 6,256 veterans who took their lives after waiting a long time medical treatment.

Talking about the reason of his disease he says that he cannot blame his disease on someone’s negligence or the consequences of highly toxic weapons but thousand s of Iraqis and those troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan can. Most of the U.S serviceman and woman blame their cancer due to the infect from reduced quality uranium us in large guns and other poisoned chemicals in populated areas of Iraq that lead to cancer. Thousands of U.S troops in Iraq are likely to have been exposed to DU to some degree, absorbing it either by inhaling contaminated dust or ingesting it from contaminated water, food and soil. Initial estimates are that between 100 and 200 tones of DU munitions were used in Iraq and that at least 17 incidents took place during the combat phase that would most likely have resulted in U.S and British personnel being exposed to high concentrations of DU particles.

Conclusion:

War against any country whether Iraq or Afghanistan has far reaching effects on not on the country involved itself (America) but rest of the world is not safe from its horrible consequences. Iraq war proved to be a trillion dollar war of America, their treasury has bankrupted, economy is shambling and infrastructure has crumbled. The only things on an upward swing are the profits of oil companies…and suicides in their military!!

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This article is been rephrased from the article by ray Mcgovern, “The iniquities and inequalities of war”