Adam Porter, March 5, 2003
Nation building. It is often talked about in governmental circles at the moment. Of course it is repeated in the mass media. You know how it goes, the politicians unending desire to do good around the world. In Iraq the U.S. Administration claim they will "end the nightmare" of life under Saddam. (Pres. Bush Feb 26, 2003) Do not bank on it.
Because we have heard these words before. We heard them in Bosnia, in Kosovo and of course in Afghanistan. The much vaunted Afghan humanitarian drops (in fact, non-parachute high altitude drops that ended up killing people in Afghanistan in exactly the way they had done in Bosnia - AFP, Nov 29 2001) were a sham. One high altitude drop per day for the first few months. One transport aircraft per day for the whole country, two used in total, as outlined by Richard Myers and Donald Rumsfeld in September 2001. Total spend $55m. Compared to the cost of one unmanned drone, now $75m, it pales into insignificance.
After the collapse of the Taliban, much was made of `women's rights`. It would be a noble cause if the reality wasn't so laughable. Within months former Unocal consultant now U.S.-appointed (or rather appointed by personal friend Zalmay Khalilzad) Afghan leader Hamid Kharzi had restarted the feared Ministry of Virtue & Vice. Under Minister Wazir Razi Kabuli women were once again to be the targets of repression. "A woman can wear make up at home for her husband, but not in public," said Kabuli. As reported on BBCs Newsnight, Afghan women soon began filling jails once again. Rape, acid attacks, burns and sexual abuse are flourishing under the new government (Newsday, Miami Herald, Boston Globe July 30/02). Women's schools have been blown up, Marziya Basil one of the few Afghani women to get local judicial jobs in Kabul was fired for meeting Americans on a computer course without her Burkha. Meanwhile the so-called the Northern Alliance have been cleansing northern Afghanistan of Pashtuns using rape as weapon of displacement.
Of course nation building also allows in the rapist and predatory community from the west. Just take the wonderful Bosnian experience. Here Dyncorp the American private military firm were found guilty of unfair dismissal in the UK. This after employee Kathryn Bolkovac blew the whistle on how the west's nation builders, including UN policemen, were having underage sex, starting their own prostitution rings and raping minors (The Times, Aug 7 2002). Rather than investigate, Dyncorp sacked Ms Bolkovac for threatening their lucrative contracts with the United Nations. One UN officer took a minor captive, kept her in his apartment and used her both as his own sexual slave and as a pimped her to other men. Dyncorp, in the process of being found guilty, were forced to admit in court that they had dismissed three of their officers for involvement in prostitution. Eight others have been sent home. No legal proceedings have been taken against those men.
Then there are environmental considerations. America dropped huge quantities of uranium all over Afghanistan. The Uranium Medical Research Centre's report into the use of Uranium is damning, but generally ignored. Certainly inside the closed world of the U.S. media. Near Jalalabad the U.S. bombs have poisoned the entire population. Uranium radioisotopes of this concentration have "never been found in a population before." The population were in "between 400-2000%" over the recommended limits. All results appear due to the localised heavy bombing.
As well as the locals the U.S. grunts displayed the same traces. Their urine packed with radioactive materials. A little Thanksgiving present from their government. The UMRC team themselves experienced apparent radiation sickness, (nosebleeds, flu like symptoms, rashes) and drew reports of radiation sickness from the local population and serving U.S. military personnel.
"The UMRC field team was shocked by the breadth of public health impacts coincident with the bombing. Without exception, at every bombsite investigated, people are ill. A significant portion of the civilian population presents symptoms consistent with internal contamination by Uranium."
Whilst attempting every explanation possible, such as old materials left by the Soviets, natural contamination and so on it appears that not only have the USA been dropping nuclear material all over Afghanistan, but they have developed new weaponry using natural Uranium that they have, as yet, not declared. Then of course there were the thousands who died as a direct result of U.S. bombing. As the report notes, "people rush to look for survivors and pull out the bodies. Mr. Sahib Daad digs through the remains of their house to rescue his two young sons. They died in his arms as the sun rose over the mountains. Entangled in the remains of the neighbor's house are eight bodies - mother, grandmother and six little girls."
Well, so much for nation building. But what about the "scourge of drugs?" Tony Blair said before the bombing began that Afghanistan was producing "90% of the world's heroin." He was wrong. Of course the British favored junta in Burma produces a huge crop of opium every year, ("UN drug officials now estimate that most of the world's illicit heroin originates in this region" BBC Dec 12 2002) as well as enormous quantities of South Asia's favorite drug Ya Baa, amphetamines. It also has 800,000 in slave labor camps (UN), massacred the elected government and its supporters (3000 killed on August 8th 1988 alone) and has systemically attacked ethnic subgroups for decades. Of course what they do allow is British and American companies to do business with the generals. Over 300 companies are currently making hay while the smack shines.
As for the Taliban, they had two giant crops in 1998 and 1999. Don't see them as innocents, instead see drugs as currency. Thousands of tons of opium were produced. Then, rewarded by a $44m gift from the USA via Colin Powell (LA Times, May 2001, various) they eradicated their crop. The UN called it the most "effective eradication" ever undertaken. The UN figures for 2000/01 showed that in fact the Northern Alliance had become the main producers, putting out an estimated 85 metric tons from a tiny amount of NA-controlled Afghanistan. The so-called `Lion General` Masoud, killed by the Taliban on September 7th 2001, was just as involved in the heroin trade as everyone else.
Now in power his allies in the Northern Alliance have carried on their lucrative stance. The entire government and varied regional representatives are beholden to opium. Notably deputy defense minister and heroin trafficker Rachid Dostum. He works with "units of the Russian army" (Rand Organisation) to move heroin into Europe. He is not alone. The U.S.-backed government has presided over a giant leap in heroin and opium production. A 1840% increase according to the latest UN report. Now Afghanistan really is producing 2/3rds of the heroin that arrives in Europe. Trouble is that it is Hamid Kharzis government that is making it. A problem for Tony? Or the return of the drug economy to the `correct` hands? Tony hasn't mentioned that yet.
So, one wonders what kind of `nation-building` will happen in Iraq? The kind where humanitarian efforts are almost nil from the sole superpower and major bomber of the area. U.S. aid to Afghanistan is hard to figure out. Much had already been promised, little delivered. Figures vary from the $2bn mark down to just $75m. The international community has pledged various amounts, most quoted are the promised $5bn fleshed out in Tokyo, little has actually arrived. And $5bn? To rebuild Afghanistan? Are you really sure?
Because the reality is that there is going to be no effort whatsoever to rebuild anywhere. It suits the interests of the powerful to have chaos, it suits the powerful to remove anyone who acts outside of their interests. Like the U.S.-trained Noriega (another drug dealer) and Galtieri before him they are dispensable when they start to act independently of their American handlers. Like the U.S./Pakistani created Taliban once they serve their usefulness then bomb them, or bomb near them anyway. Like the U.S./Saudi created Bin Laden. Like the U.S./UK created Saddam Hussein. Just the same.
Nation building? Try the exact opposite.
Nation building. It is often talked about in governmental circles at the moment. Of course it is repeated in the mass media. You know how it goes, the politicians unending desire to do good around the world. In Iraq the U.S. Administration claim they will "end the nightmare" of life under Saddam. (Pres. Bush Feb 26, 2003) Do not bank on it.
Because we have heard these words before. We heard them in Bosnia, in Kosovo and of course in Afghanistan. The much vaunted Afghan humanitarian drops (in fact, non-parachute high altitude drops that ended up killing people in Afghanistan in exactly the way they had done in Bosnia - AFP, Nov 29 2001) were a sham. One high altitude drop per day for the first few months. One transport aircraft per day for the whole country, two used in total, as outlined by Richard Myers and Donald Rumsfeld in September 2001. Total spend $55m. Compared to the cost of one unmanned drone, now $75m, it pales into insignificance.
After the collapse of the Taliban, much was made of `women's rights`. It would be a noble cause if the reality wasn't so laughable. Within months former Unocal consultant now U.S.-appointed (or rather appointed by personal friend Zalmay Khalilzad) Afghan leader Hamid Kharzi had restarted the feared Ministry of Virtue & Vice. Under Minister Wazir Razi Kabuli women were once again to be the targets of repression. "A woman can wear make up at home for her husband, but not in public," said Kabuli. As reported on BBCs Newsnight, Afghan women soon began filling jails once again. Rape, acid attacks, burns and sexual abuse are flourishing under the new government (Newsday, Miami Herald, Boston Globe July 30/02). Women's schools have been blown up, Marziya Basil one of the few Afghani women to get local judicial jobs in Kabul was fired for meeting Americans on a computer course without her Burkha. Meanwhile the so-called the Northern Alliance have been cleansing northern Afghanistan of Pashtuns using rape as weapon of displacement.
Of course nation building also allows in the rapist and predatory community from the west. Just take the wonderful Bosnian experience. Here Dyncorp the American private military firm were found guilty of unfair dismissal in the UK. This after employee Kathryn Bolkovac blew the whistle on how the west's nation builders, including UN policemen, were having underage sex, starting their own prostitution rings and raping minors (The Times, Aug 7 2002). Rather than investigate, Dyncorp sacked Ms Bolkovac for threatening their lucrative contracts with the United Nations. One UN officer took a minor captive, kept her in his apartment and used her both as his own sexual slave and as a pimped her to other men. Dyncorp, in the process of being found guilty, were forced to admit in court that they had dismissed three of their officers for involvement in prostitution. Eight others have been sent home. No legal proceedings have been taken against those men.
Then there are environmental considerations. America dropped huge quantities of uranium all over Afghanistan. The Uranium Medical Research Centre's report into the use of Uranium is damning, but generally ignored. Certainly inside the closed world of the U.S. media. Near Jalalabad the U.S. bombs have poisoned the entire population. Uranium radioisotopes of this concentration have "never been found in a population before." The population were in "between 400-2000%" over the recommended limits. All results appear due to the localised heavy bombing.
As well as the locals the U.S. grunts displayed the same traces. Their urine packed with radioactive materials. A little Thanksgiving present from their government. The UMRC team themselves experienced apparent radiation sickness, (nosebleeds, flu like symptoms, rashes) and drew reports of radiation sickness from the local population and serving U.S. military personnel.
"The UMRC field team was shocked by the breadth of public health impacts coincident with the bombing. Without exception, at every bombsite investigated, people are ill. A significant portion of the civilian population presents symptoms consistent with internal contamination by Uranium."
Whilst attempting every explanation possible, such as old materials left by the Soviets, natural contamination and so on it appears that not only have the USA been dropping nuclear material all over Afghanistan, but they have developed new weaponry using natural Uranium that they have, as yet, not declared. Then of course there were the thousands who died as a direct result of U.S. bombing. As the report notes, "people rush to look for survivors and pull out the bodies. Mr. Sahib Daad digs through the remains of their house to rescue his two young sons. They died in his arms as the sun rose over the mountains. Entangled in the remains of the neighbor's house are eight bodies - mother, grandmother and six little girls."
Well, so much for nation building. But what about the "scourge of drugs?" Tony Blair said before the bombing began that Afghanistan was producing "90% of the world's heroin." He was wrong. Of course the British favored junta in Burma produces a huge crop of opium every year, ("UN drug officials now estimate that most of the world's illicit heroin originates in this region" BBC Dec 12 2002) as well as enormous quantities of South Asia's favorite drug Ya Baa, amphetamines. It also has 800,000 in slave labor camps (UN), massacred the elected government and its supporters (3000 killed on August 8th 1988 alone) and has systemically attacked ethnic subgroups for decades. Of course what they do allow is British and American companies to do business with the generals. Over 300 companies are currently making hay while the smack shines.
As for the Taliban, they had two giant crops in 1998 and 1999. Don't see them as innocents, instead see drugs as currency. Thousands of tons of opium were produced. Then, rewarded by a $44m gift from the USA via Colin Powell (LA Times, May 2001, various) they eradicated their crop. The UN called it the most "effective eradication" ever undertaken. The UN figures for 2000/01 showed that in fact the Northern Alliance had become the main producers, putting out an estimated 85 metric tons from a tiny amount of NA-controlled Afghanistan. The so-called `Lion General` Masoud, killed by the Taliban on September 7th 2001, was just as involved in the heroin trade as everyone else.
Now in power his allies in the Northern Alliance have carried on their lucrative stance. The entire government and varied regional representatives are beholden to opium. Notably deputy defense minister and heroin trafficker Rachid Dostum. He works with "units of the Russian army" (Rand Organisation) to move heroin into Europe. He is not alone. The U.S.-backed government has presided over a giant leap in heroin and opium production. A 1840% increase according to the latest UN report. Now Afghanistan really is producing 2/3rds of the heroin that arrives in Europe. Trouble is that it is Hamid Kharzis government that is making it. A problem for Tony? Or the return of the drug economy to the `correct` hands? Tony hasn't mentioned that yet.
So, one wonders what kind of `nation-building` will happen in Iraq? The kind where humanitarian efforts are almost nil from the sole superpower and major bomber of the area. U.S. aid to Afghanistan is hard to figure out. Much had already been promised, little delivered. Figures vary from the $2bn mark down to just $75m. The international community has pledged various amounts, most quoted are the promised $5bn fleshed out in Tokyo, little has actually arrived. And $5bn? To rebuild Afghanistan? Are you really sure?
Because the reality is that there is going to be no effort whatsoever to rebuild anywhere. It suits the interests of the powerful to have chaos, it suits the powerful to remove anyone who acts outside of their interests. Like the U.S.-trained Noriega (another drug dealer) and Galtieri before him they are dispensable when they start to act independently of their American handlers. Like the U.S./Pakistani created Taliban once they serve their usefulness then bomb them, or bomb near them anyway. Like the U.S./Saudi created Bin Laden. Like the U.S./UK created Saddam Hussein. Just the same.
Nation building? Try the exact opposite.