By Bob Boldt

Somebody’s going to get the idea I don’t like Obama. Yesterday the world celebrated the President’s announcement of the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. This is not a new idea. Bush had a total withdrawal of troops planned on a similar timetable. 

Why am I still unhappy? I am curious to know how many private contractors will remain in country. Traditionally the number of these mercenaries, like the infamous Blackwater bullies, nearly equals the numbers of actual combat troops. Obama has a sneaky way of not counting contractors in troop numbers.

The deal breaker in the decision to withdraw was Iraq’s insistence our troops be held responsible for their atrocities in accordance with Iraqi law not the forgiving US military codes. 

If we brushed aside this request, our illusion of Iraqi autonomy would collapse. Of course private contractors are under no such sanctions, operating in effect with legal impunity in foreign countries and even within US borders. I am reserving my unqualified praise for Obama until I can determine exactly how many private contractors will remain employed in Iraq. 

Of course there is no longer any reason to continue to brutalize this defenseless population because Iraq has been sufficiently decimated. Besides there has been no talk of dismantling our city-sized behemoth of an embassy. 

That will give us a sufficient toehold if there is a need to redeploy.  Withdrawal will now allow us to move on to the more pressing Imperial actions in Yemen, Iran, Africa and don’t forget the continuing bleeding of our lives and treasure in Obama’s big folly, Afghanistan.

Now that we have finished raping that once proud land, Obama thinks he can zip up his pants with a “Wham, bam, thank you mam,” and walk away.
 
When a crime of the magnitude of the destruction of an entire country, the murder of thousands of its men, women and children, the exile of countless others, the eternal pollution of its environment by Uranium and the elimination of its infrastructure, don’t you think the criminals (US) should be held responsible for reparations? 

The destruction of that land has cost the US taxpayers nearly a Trillion dollars. Don’t you think that at least as much should be spent to repair our damage? For men like Obama, who actually brag about murdering his own citizens, my request will land on big deaf ears.