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WHY WE SHOULD NOT SUPPORT SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING BILL
Quite simply ~ this bill gives President Bush another $100 billion to continue the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And it doesn't end the occupation or prevent expansion of the war to Iran: Allen L Roland
Amid the political posturing and rhetoric regarding the Supplemental funding bill ~ two key points should be emphasized 1. The supplemental bill does not prohibit an unprovoked attack on Iran. 2. The supplemental Bill does not end the occupation of Iraq.
The stage is set for more preemptive mayhem by the Cheney/Bush administration and this bill does nothing to diminish that threat.
Here is a point by point breakdown ( courtesy of Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies ) on what the supplemental bill does and, more importantly, what it doesn't do.
Allen L Roland http://blogs.salon.com/0002255/2007/03/31.html
THE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING BILL
By Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies
United for Peace and Justice
March 26, 2007
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3564
The Democratic leadership in the House claims the $125 billion supplemental is the way to end the war. Something passed in the Senate may include some of the same claims. Aside from setting a date for bringing home troops, the House version included a number of items many in the peace movement would ordinarily support ~ veterans' health benefits, Katrina survivors' assistance, children's health insurance . . . So if there's a timeline, what's the problem with the supplemental?
Why shouldn't peace activists support it?
Because it gives President Bush another $100 billion to continue the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And it doesn't end the occupation or prevent expansion of the war to Iran.
WHAT IT DOES:
It calls for pulling out some troops from Iraq by August 2008.
BUT:
It exempts whole categories of troops from the withdrawal . . .
Troops "training the Iraqi military" can stay -- currently 6,000, perhaps as many as 20,000 (no limit in the supplemental).
Troops engaged in "special operations" can stay -- the Marines say they want 20,000 for Anbar Province alone, perhaps as many as 40,000 for the whole country (no limit in the supplemental).
Troops "protecting diplomatic enclaves" like the huge Green Zone and the U.S. Embassy, the largest in the world, and maybe including the numerous U.S. bases established in Iraq, can stay -- 20,000 is a conservative number (no limit in the supplemental).
That means Bush could keep unlimited numbers, perhaps 60,000-80,000 troops, permanently in Iraq -- and still be in compliance with the bill.
And the bill does not require that the troops withdrawn from Iraq be sent home; they can be immediately deployed to Afghanistan, or to bases in surrounding Arab countries, or to ships in the Persian Gulfor ~ be used to attack Iran.
WHAT IT DOES:
It imposes restrictions on Pentagon deployments, prohibiting the deployment of troops not fully trained, not adequately equipped, and not adequately rested between deployments.
BUT:
It includes a waiver for President Bush to simply state his intention to override those restrictions, allowing him to send in as many untrained, badly equipped and exhausted troops as he wishes.
WHAT IT DOES:
Prohibit construction of new permanent bases in Iraq.
BUT:
It does nothing to close the existing permanent bases the U.S. has built across Iraq and includes billions for "military construction" presumably for those existing bases.
WHAT IT DOES:
Require Iraq's government to pass a new oil law.
BUT:
The law being debated in the parliament abandons Iraq's long history of maintaining control of its oil resources in favor of allowing international (especially U.S.) oil companies to take control of large sectors of the vital oil industry.
WHAT IT DOES:
Cut 10% of the funding for private military contractors.
BUT:
It allows 90% of the 100,000 or so mercenaries who fight alongside the U.S. military to remain in Iraq.
WHAT IT DOESN'T DO:
The supplemental does not prohibit an unprovoked attack on Iran.
The supplemental does not end the occupation of Iraq.
Dauntless OpEd columnist Allen L Roland is available for interviews. ( allen@allenroland.com )
Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on Conscious talk radio www.conscioustalk.net
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