First Iraq War

It would seem the United States is again contemplating launching a war on Iraq, it is having some difficult drumming up support. The leaders of Arab countries have voiced strong public objections on attack on fellow Arabs in Iraq. The Arabs after being forced into the first War are now openly expressing opposition to military actions. They do not want thousands of Western troops running amuck in their own countries. An attack Iraq by the West would stregthen extremist groups in these countries. In many Arab countries, a U>S> military strike could in fact. produce horrible repercussions in the Arab world giving ammunition to Islamic extremist. This would lead to a weakening of moderate support in these countries. The United States first began to destroy Iraq because Iraq supposedly began a war with Kuwait, however, the Iraq invasion of Kuwait was justified and supported by a majority of the Arab world.

Gulf War vs Iraq War: Media Coverge

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/business/media/24press.html

The link above brings you to an article from the New York Times called "The War Endures, but Where's the Media?". This article points out the fact that after several years of being at war in Iraq. American's have almost forgotten the war is still going on. The media coverage of the Iraq War has diminshed greatly in the past several years. The war is no longer on the front page of major newspapers or lead stories on the news. It's no wonder this war has been nicknamed "The Forgotten War".

The media coverage of the Iraq War differs so much from that of the Gulf War. This war was constantly covered by many media outlets until it ended. Not once did the American public forget about the war in the Gulf.

Environmental Aftermath in Afghanistan

"It is estimated that ten thousand villages, and their surrounding environments were destroyed. Safe drinking water declined, because of a destruction of water infrastructure and resulting leaks, bacterial contamination and water theft."

Not only have numerous amounts of people been killed during this on going war but, the environment has taken on a huge toll as well. Drinking water became destroyed and contamination ruined many other sources for people. All of this contamination comes from bombs, humans, and poor placement of things like landfills. Air pollution from things like bombs, planes and other machinery have take a large toll on Afghanistan as well. The air quality has become more poor and has been know to cause harm to people in the certain parts of the country.

The wildlife and their habitats have become scarce as well. The Taliban destroyed a lot of the forest during the peak of the war because they needed the timber to illegally trade. The US troops destroyed most of the rest of the forests during bombings and when they were in need of firewood. "Less than 2% of the country still contains a forest cover today." The number of migratory birds through Afghanistan has decreased along with mountain wildlife. Some of the mountain wildlife, such as leopards, have found refuge but others are captured and traded for crossing country boarders.

Think again, the thousands of deaths caused due to the war as well as the finances for the war are not the only problems that have escalated. Afghanistan is now struggling environmentally due to pollution and deforestation from this prolonged war.


Source & Quotes: http://www.lenntech.com/environmental-effects-war.htm#ixzz1gHi4ugVZ

A Look Back- First Memories

I really enjoyed reading this article. It talks about the beginning of the war and what has become of it in this modern day. It discusses the difficulty America had when they first arrived. Most Iraqi's were unsure if they should be grateful for our help or if they should fight us away. We were a foreign country forcing our way into theirs whether they wanted the help or not. At the time of first arrival it is understandable as to why Iraqis would be nervous and uncooperative with Americans. They withheld information about where dangerous people were located and further information on possible whereabouts of possible Al-Qaeda members.

This article has conversations soldiers had with some Iraqis when they first got into their country. Many did not want to talk to the Americans because they did not know if they could trust them. One man asks an American soldier if his son can touch him. Befuddled, the man asks why. The Iraqi man tells him he wants his son to be able to say he touched the man who had brought him freedom when the war comes to an end. It is interesting to see the different mindsets Iraqis had towards these American soldiers. It is also disheartening to know that after 20 years children like this mans are still living in a very harmful place that is far from free.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/12/03/143090345/a-look-back-the-beginning-of-the-war-in-iraq?ft=1&f=1010

The End of The Iraq War

After all the time that has passed America is finally throwing in the towel on this ongoing battle. This article discusses the goals that were first initiated at the beginning of this war. It then discusses how America has fallen short of those goals. America tried its hardest to lend a helping hand all these years but the effort just is not worth it at this point. After nearly 4,500 Americans losing their lives, many people can now live with a little more ease knowing it will be over soon.

However, despite America pulling out, the Iraqis are still in a struggle to turn their country into a fully functioning democracy. One person reported that America has brought them about half way to reach their goal of freedom. They must now use their resources and what they have learned from America to try and make their country what it has desired to be. "America will not be abandoning Iraq. The U.S. will leave behind thousands of diplomats and security contractors, whose presence will influence the direction of the country for years to come. Still, the disappearance of uniformed troops will have a profound effect on Iraqis in ways that will take years to define." America is not completely releasing all there duties in Iraq. They have spent a lot of time there trying to make things right and even though soldiers are finally going to come home, our country is still making sure it can help out with guiding Iraq the other half of the way to reach their goal.

article source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=143503849

Waste, Fraud, and Abuse-61 billion dollars of American Spending

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=143532101&m=143532204

This is an interview with the special inspector for Iraq reconstruction. He has performed numerous amounts of audits looking in depth into the spending in Iraq. Even today, when he has recently been to Iraq, he speaks of other auditors still there conducting investigations. There are more cons than pros brought to the listeners attention of America's accomplishments after spending 21 years in this country. Now that the US is pulling out of the long Iraq War there is a discussion about how it will affect their reconstruction projects that still need more time and money to finish.

This is a very interesting interview. Recent news about Iraq is discussed as our country plans for the future. There is also interesting information about what has changed as these two decades have gone by. Something that caught my attention was when he states 6-8 million dollars was wasted just due to poor planning, management oversight, and the lack of clarity of who is in charge of the reconstruction project. What is our tax money funding? Is it being wasted or put to good use?

Potential Causes of Gulf War Illness: Environmental and Occupational Exposures

Many Gulf War veterans have experienced a variety of physical symptoms, collectively called Gulf War illnesses. In response to veterans’ concerns, the Department of Defense established a task force in June 1995 to investigate those incidents and circumstances related to possible causes of these unexplained illnesses. The Office of the Special Assistant assumed responsibility for these investigations on November 12, 1996, and continues to gather information on environmental and occupational exposures during the Gulf War and their possible effects on the health of the troops who served there. 

US military personnel who served in the Gulf War were not only exposed to chemicals in the environment; they were also exposed to chemicals associated with their occupational activities as described in this article. For example, pesticides were widely used to control insects, rodents, and other disease-carrying pests. These pesticides were applied where veterans worked, ate, and slept. Some members of the general military population, that is, applicators who were involved in the day-to-day handling and use of pesticides, and who did not wear personal protective equipment, may have been exposed to certain pesticides above levels considered safe for human health. This is a concern because if improperly used, pesticides have the potential to cause adverse health effects. In addition to pesticides, other occupationally related issues included chemical agent resistant coating (CARC) paint, retrograde contaminated equipment, and depleted uranium. Furthermore and along with the occupationally related issued were the environmentally related issues that included exposure to oil well fire smoke, particulate matter, and contaminated water. 

 

References: http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/story/envs.jsp