Millions displaced by US combat since 9/11

[Klaralven]

The wars the U.S. government has fought since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, have forced 37 million people — and perhaps as many as 59 million — from their homes, according to a newly released report from American University and Brown University’s Costs of War Project.

Until now, no one has known how many people the wars have displaced. Indeed, most Americans are likely unaware that U.S. combat operations have taken place not only in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, but also in 21 other nations since President George W. Bush announced a global war on terror.

Neither the Pentagon, the State Department nor any other part of the U.S. government has tracked the displacement. Scholars and international organizations, such as the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, have provided some data about refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) for individual countries at war. But this data offers point-in-time counts rather than the cumulative number of people displaced since the wars started.

In the first calculation of its kind, American University’s Public Anthropology Clinic conservatively estimates that the eight most violent wars the U.S. military has launched or participated in since 2001 — in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, Syria and Yemen — have produced 8 million refugees and asylum seekers and 29 million internally displaced people.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/09/08/millions-displaced-by-us-combat-since-9-11/

[Baked Potato]

1. The US conducts support operations worldwide.

From the article:

“The U.S. government is not solely responsible for displacing 37 million people; the Taliban, Iraqi Sunni and Shia militias, Al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and other governments, combatants and actors also bear responsibility.”

Should Americans not help other countries rid themselves from combatants or terrorists? For example, from the article:

“Pre-existing conditions of poverty, global warming-induced environmental change and other violence have contributed to driving people from their homes. However, the eight wars in the AU study are ones the U.S. government bears responsibility for initiating, for escalating as a major combatant or for fueling, through drone strikes, battlefield advising, logistical support, arms sales and other aid.”

And, lists the eight “wars” the USA bears “responsibility for”, including, for example:

“– 1.7 million Filipinos (2%) since the U.S. military joined the Philippine government in its decades-old war with Abu Sayyaf and other insurgent groups in 2002;”

Isn’t it a stretch to blame Americans for refugees from helping Filipinos get rid of terrorists?

[Klaralven]

4. The only legitimate action was helping the Northern Alliance defeat the Taliban

That only took a couple months, and the Taliban were defeated by December 2001.

We then screwed up by putting the Pashtun back into power in Afghanistan and by invading Iraq. Almost all of the military operations since December 2001 have been either unnecessary or even counterproductive. They have certainly caused multiple humanitarian disasters.

[Baked Potato]

5. Military operations by their very nature cause humanitarian disasters.

You can substitute many other countries in place of the US in the main gist of the article. I just don’t like the blame for all the refugees placed on the US. It’s very complicated, as I’m sure many know. There are forces that wish the US to fail and work hard to prolong suffering to prove our foreign policy flawed.

[Polybius]

2. This is why I still list W Bush as my worst President

I know most will disagree, but his insane warmongering does it for me.

[Aristus]

3. Social displacement is one of the biggest causes of terrorism.

So GWB shot us all in the foot with his stupid, catastrophic war for oil in Iraq.

Bastard...

Some people want to turn him into this cuddly old guy puttering away in his artist's studio.

He's still a monster. Never forget that...