Developments Overseas:
Occupation of Iraq, a growing burden to the Bush regime

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

It has not been long since the US attacked and occupied Iraq. But the US already reels from the growing problems and increasing burdens of sustaining the occupation of the country.

So far, over 400 US forces have been killed since the US attacked Iraq. Over 150 of them were killed after Bush declared the end of the war on Iraq on May 1.

The number of American casualties in Iraq in the last eight months has already exceeded the number of US casualties in the first three years of the Vietnam War. Aside from those killed, over 1,500 US soldiers have been wounded in the fighting in Iraq. The number excludes those traumatized by increasing and intensifying attacks by Iraqi guerrillas. Iraqi offensives against US troops now come to 25 to 30 a day.

The American people are now deeply troubled by the amount that the US spends each month to sustain its occupation of Iraq (over $4 billion).

As time goes by, the anger of the Iraqi people against foreign occupation troops intensifies and becomes more widespread. Iraqi guerrillas enjoy broad and deep support from the people who assert that the US must immediately be driven out of Iraq.

Even other US-led coalition forces are being attacked and have sustained casualties. On November 12, 18 Italian troops were killed and more than 80 wounded when a truck bomb exploded at their Multi-Specialized Unit (MSU) station. This is the largest number of Italian war casualties since the end of the Second World War.

Consequently, a growing number of Italians are shouting �A casa!,� or bring the troops home from Iraq. Italy has 2,400 soldiers in Iraq.

Meanwhile, because of their growing security fears and the negative effect on their country�s politics, the Japanese government has been further hedging on its long-delayed decision to send several hundred Japanese �non-combat� troops to Iraq.

The Bush regime is reeling from the increasingly heavier burden of sustaining the US occupation of Iraq. It is becoming the biggest factor in the American people�s negative perception of Bush and his diminishing chances of winning the US elections in 2004.

Consequently, Bush declared his decision to hasten the establishment of a puppet regime in order to reduce the number of US troops in Iraq. He came out with this decision shortly after an emergency meeting with Iraq Governor Paul Bremer, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Sec. Donald Rumsfeld on November 13 to assess the situation in Iraq. Instead of completing the original two-year timetable, Bush decided to hold elections for the formation of a puppet government in Iraq in June 2004. Bush wants to declare the �victory� of the US in Iraq a few months before the elections.

This is easier said than done. Bush continues to ignore the enormous problems long identified in forming a puppet regime in Iraq. Many of those hand-picked by the US to sit in the puppet transitory Governing Council had long been in exile from Iraq and returned only when the US occupied the country. They do not have sufficient links with the people and cannot expect support from them. Infighting among themselves is also quite intense. In particular, the question of how to form an effective Iraqi puppet army is a huge quandary.

21 November 2003
English Edition

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