—ooo—

I published my last post watching the evacuation of Afghanistan. I have since written a short article on the evacuation of Afghanistan but I will not post it in full. My central theme was and remains that the Iraq War, renamed the War on Terror, in an effort to legitimize hostilities, was an intrusive armed conflict that took a life of its own. It had a domino effect. 

Strictly speaking, the attacks of 9/11 were carried out by al-Qaeda, a terrorist organisation then led by Osama bin Laden, its founder. Planes flew into the World Trade Centre, in New York, hit the Pentagon, and could have flown into the Capitol, had it not been for the brave passengers of Flight 93. The death toll was about 3,000 innocent Americans. (See Casualities of the September 11 Attacks, Wikipedia.) 

As for the Iraq War, which seems a continuation of the Gulf War, “[a]n estimated 151,000 to 1,033,000 Iraqis died in the first three to five years of conflict.” (See Iraq War, Wikipedia.) It also took the life of journalist Daniel Pearl who was beheaded in 2002. 

On 2 May 2011, United States’ Navy SEALS, an élite corps, assisted by a dog named Cairo, found and killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Osama bin Laden, a Saudi, was the leader of al-Qaeda until his death. The Iraq War ended in 2011, but hostilities in the Middle East continued beyond 2011.  

The Iraq War and the War in Iraq

The Iraq War (2003-2011) was followed by the War in Iraq (2013-2017). The War in Iraq opposed Iraq and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS or IS). The United States re-entered the Middle East.  

In 2014, the Beatles terrorist cell tortured and beheaded James Foley and Steven Sotloff, innocent Americans, as well as British aid worker David Haines. The Beatles terrorists made their victims blame the United States and its allies for their death. Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh and are in custody. Kotey has admitted involvement in the torture and death of James Foley. Between 2013 and 2017, retaliation led to terrorism, in and out of the Middle East. 

Between the period of August 2014 to January 2015, Jihadi John beheaded or participated in the beheadings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as British humanitarian aid workers David Haines  and Alan Henning, American aid worker Peter Kassig, Japanese private military contractor Haruna Yukawa, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, and 22 members of the Syrian armed forces. (See Beatles terrorist cell, Wikipedia.)

Full interview with Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh (cnn.com) 

Afghanistan

As for the war in Afghanistan, the coalition led by the United States was defeated by the Taliban. Two suicide bombers, members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (Isis K), struck at the Kabul airport, killing and wounding servicemen and civilians. US troops had been deployed on a humanitarian mission. Yet, Isis K attempted to thwart the evacuation of Afghanistan. It was nevertheless as successful as could be. Hostilities had lasted twenty years. The war had to end. Afghans must now shape their own future prudently and without recourse to punitive measures that would be an infringement of the United Nations Human Rights Declaration of 10 December 1948.

Conclusion 

Let us remember the Four Freedoms, as defined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his State of the Union address of 6 January 1941. These are:

• the freedom of speech,
• the freedom of worship,
• the freedom from want,
  and, most importantly,
• the freedom from fear. 

© Micheline Walker
11 September 2021
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