Dr. Dahlia Wasfi
Information Clearing House
April 26, 2008

During the build-up to our illegal invasion of Iraq, American mainstream corporate media failed to challenge the lies of our government. Serving more as a lapdog than watchdog of the administration, the media perpetuated the lies of Iraqi connections to Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and the events of September 11, 2001. In fact, the Iraqi people—suffering and starving during economic sanctions—NEVER posed a threat to the U.S. or anyone else. Five years into our illegal occupation, while the stories have now shifted from a context of international terrorism to sectarian strife, the misinformation continues.

As I continue to speak around the U.S. calling for the immediate, unconditional withdrawal of American forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, the response shaped by the media is: “we want to bring the troops home, but we’re afraid of what might happen when we leave.” My typical reply is sarcastic: “Like we have such a good thing going [in Iraq and Afghanistan] now, we don’t want to mess it up.” It simply does not make sense to predict that while Iraqis were better off before American and British soldiers illegally invaded (free healthcare, free education, better electricity and water services, and most importantly, the security of law and order), they will be worse off when the military occupation ends. Considering four of the major consequences of foreign troop withdrawal, it is clear that the first step in the right direction—for Iraq, America, and the rest of the world—is to bring the troops home.

…….full article here