September 2007: U.S. Abuse of Iraqi Civilians
Annotation of
“The Other War: Iraq Vets Bear Witness” by Chris Hedges and Laila Al-Arian. The Nation, July 30, 2007.
~ The Editors
Wars against Civilians are Unjust Wars
by Richard A. Falk
"There is an intellectual gap that exposes the central flaw of the whole Iraq War. Instead of the illusionary slogan of 'mission accomplished,' a more accurate rendering would be 'mission impossible.'"
Occupational Hazard
by Michael Goodhart
“It is fairly easy to understand how this vulnerability...can lead the troops to engage in cruel and degrading treatment of civilians. That does not make such abuses or the policies that condone them justifiable—it simply makes them predictable.”
Facing Up to the Truth
by Susan E. Waltz
“War may be marked by acts of courage and heroism, but warfare also elicits the basest of human responses and actions.”
Bad Apples or Bad Policies?
by Daniel J. Whelan
“What should we expect of our soldiers when our institutions inspire reckless, blind fear and sense of the imperative of shooting first, and asking questions later?”
