CODEPINK Profile picture
Mar 19 13 tweets 3 min read
20 years ago, a US-led coalition invaded Iraq, under the false claim that Saddam Hussien’s government was manufacturing weapons of mass destruction🧵

CONTENT WARNING: torture, violence, death.
Over 1,000,000 Iraqis were killed, another 9,000,000+ were displaced, and some 2,000,000 were disabled. People were killed directly by violence, and others by stress-related heart attacks, ruined sanitation, or lack of healthcare because of war.
The US tortured thousands of Iraqis as part of the “War on Terror,” killing many. The lucky survivors face lasting physical & psychological damage. It was authorized by the highest levels of Gov. They recognized torture use but have never formally apologized or paid reparations
The daily lives of Iraqis are still tormented by the invasion and occupation. The US abandoned some 11,000,000 pounds of toxic waste in Iraq. Depleted uranium and dioxin pollute the soil and water. aljazeera.com/news/2010/8/12…
Above all of this, Iraq is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. A tragic but perfect example of how #WarIsNotGreen: unep.org/resources/repo…
Babies in Fallujah are born w/ birth defects at a higher rate than those in Hiroshima & Nagasaki after WW2 nuclear bombings. Most die in the first 30 mins of their life. The US used depleted uranium & toxic chemicals like white phosphorus, which is illegal domestically in US.
A month after the invasion, Hussein was overthrown and replaced by the Coalition Provisional Authority, made up of US officials. They dissolved the Iraqi Army, banned Baath members from govt, privatized 200 state companies, allowed foreign firms to retain 100% of Iraqi assets...
& allowed US multinationals full access to exploit Iraq’s resources. This was one of the most audacious crimes of theft in modern history. In 2011, when the official occupation of Iraq ended, the country was left decimated, murdered, and looted. opendemocracy.net/en/north-afric…
From 1991 until the invasion, US and UN sanctioned Iraq, severely restricted ability to import food, medicine and essential humanitarian supplies. People suffered the most. Between 500,000 and 1mil Iraqis died, millions of others were afflicted with disease and malnutrition.
Oil was the motivation for invasion. Former head of the US Central Command Military Operations John Abizaid said so: “The Iraq War is largely about oil.” In 2000, Big Oil (Exxon, Chevron, BP and Shell) spent more money to get Bush & Cheney into office than any previous election.
Paul O’Neill, Bush’s First Treasury Sec, said in 2001 the talk was not why to invade but how and how quickly.
edition.cnn.com/2013/03/19/opi…
US always wanted Iraqi oil with international oil companies, but it had to get rid of Hussein and the nation’s legal system. The War on Terror and WMDs have always been the lies to manufacture consent for war.
But this isn’t history and there has been no justice for what the US has done. Many leaders who lied us into the Iraq War are still in government today, and still taking us to war.

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More from @codepink

Mar 18
TODAY IS THE DAY! Hundreds of organizations are coming together for #PeaceInUkraine and against endless US wars!

If you’re in DC come join the CODEPINK contingent! Just look for our team by the big pink wheelbarrows. Watch this space for live updates throughout the day…
Runners, walkers and drivers agreed with us this morning.

If you do, join us in the streets TODAY to call for an end to all wars, $$$ for people & planet, #PeaceInUkraine #ChinaIsNotOurEnemy #Iraq20YearsOn, & more!
SPEECHES HAVE BEGUN
"No more war machine! No more imperialist wars! And certainly no to the proxy-war going on in Europe!" @EugenePuryear
#PeaceInUkraine #FundPeopleNOTWar Image
Read 24 tweets
Feb 18
B*rthright is propaganda🧵
B*rthright is a free, 10-day trip offered to young Jews (18-32), to visit Israel and the Golan Heights. The goal is to manufacture a connection and a sense of ownership over the land.
Birthr*ght produces an idealized image of Israel as a project for the self-determination of Jewish people, effectively erasing the occupation from the narrative.
Read 4 tweets
Oct 26, 2022
Starting yesterday, 10/25, the US-funded National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is co-hosting the “Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy (WMD)” in Taiwan. Let’s take a look at what the NED’s presence in Taiwan means for democracy and peace. (spoiler: it’s not good)
First, some context.
China has been a founding member of the United Nations since 1945. At the time, the country was also in the midst of a civil war at that time. At the end of the war, the Kuomintang government, Republic of China (ROC), faced defeat and retreated to Taiwan.
The Communist Party of China established the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC was soon recognized by many countries in the Global South as the victor in the civil war. However, the US and many in the West took their time recognizing the PRC.
history.state.gov/historicaldocu…
Read 12 tweets
Oct 14, 2022
Why do weapons companies have more power than working people in the US?

In the latest from @stephensemler in @jacobin, he explains how the military-industrial complex gets its power. Here are some of his key points: 🧵

jacobin.com/2022/10/pentag…
Currently, military spending continues to reach all-time highs, with Biden's Pentagon budget topping Reagan's. 2/

jacobin.com/2022/10/pentag…
Of the enormous war budget, most of it is going to private companies. This means taxpayer money is being continuously funneled away from public goods and into the pockets of war profiteers. 3/
jacobin.com/2022/10/pentag…
Read 9 tweets
Sep 22, 2022
The bravery of Kurdish and Iranian women demanding justice for #MahsaAmini is remarkable. We stand with them as they fight for equality and freedom for the women of Iran.
leftvoice.org/say-her-name-p…
As we witness this struggle continue, it is imperative we resist any and all moves from the US and other Western powers to unilaterally intervene to secure their own interests. Women bear the harms of sanctions and war more than anyone else.
There is a long history of US-backed state violence in Iran that protestors are acknowledging and resisting. Now is not the time to settle geopolitical battles, but to prioritize justice and peace. Image
Read 6 tweets
Sep 22, 2022
This week at the UN General Assembly, leaders from across the Americas made strong stands with the people of Cuba and Venezuela against US economic and political warfare.🧵
"The only legitimate sanctions are those imposed by the Security Council to enforce decisions taken to maintain international peace and security... Argentina calls for the lifting of the blockades imposed on the people of Venezuela and Cuba"
- @alferdez 🇦🇷
"Today, the war punishes the world's poorest... We proclaim a return to respect for the self-determination of the peoples rejecting the infamous and brutal blockade... It is time to seriously discuss the multipolarity of the world."
-@XiomaraCastroZ 🇭🇳
Read 7 tweets

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