or those in on the carnage that is the Iraq War, the term Haditha tells it all.
Haditha is not a person, it is a place. A village in Iraq where American soldiers went on tilt, killing several dozen Iraqis: men, women and babies.
The Haditha Massacre happened 6 years ago, but it wasn’t formally ‘resolved’ until several weeks ago, when a U.S. Sergeant, Frank Wuterich, got off, virtually scot-free. Charges against most of those charged were dropped, and one soldier won an acquittal.
To call it a white-wash would be an understatement.
It seems that now that a formal U.S. troop withdrawal has been declared, there is no longer a need for the P.R. of seeming to have a fair trial when Americans kill innocent Iraqi civilians.
If anybody believed Americans went to Iraq to ‘help’ them, Haditha erases that lie.
Within weeks of Haditha’s ‘resolution’, an American soldier goes on tilt in Afghanistan, spraying civilians–going house-to-house–killing some 16 people (including 9 children!).
As in Iraq, so in Afghanistan. An Imperial army invades, armed with words like democracy, human rights, womens’ rights, and stopping torture.
Then Haditha happens
Then Abu Ghraib happens.
Then the Kabul Massacre happens.
In fact, empire happened.
And we are all watching its degeneration as we speak.
Afghanistan. Iraq.
Is Iran next?