From Colin Powell to the Christians of Iraq

[unhappycamper]

http://watchingamerica.com/News/244279/from-colin-powell-to-the-christians-of-iraq/

From Colin Powell to the Christians of Iraq
L'Expression, Algeria
By Zouhir Mebarki
Translated By Stuart Taylor
11 August 2014
Edited by Gillian Palmer

The American strikes currently taking place in northern Iraq are intended to save the Christians of the country, who have been living in this region for a millennium and are now under threat from “Islamists.” It is a boomerang effect. But why are they under attack all of a sudden?

Once upon a time, before 2003, the multifaith population of Iraq lived in peace. There were Muslims (Shiites and Sunnis), Christians (Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox), Yazidis (a monotheistic religion practiced by Kurds) and Mandaeans (a religion whose origin divides researchers). All of these people practiced their religion in harmony.

That was before then-American President George W. Bush decided to invade Iraq, in agreement with the United Kingdom. It was done without a United Nations mandate, but with lies to justify their intervention. Colin Powell, the American secretary of state who was put in charge of this task, resigned a year later and retired from politics. At the time, the opinion of the international community was “formatted” around the idea that it was necessary to put to an end to Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship that began in 1968. This led to the victory over Saddam and to his hanging on the day of the Festival of Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha) in 2006.

Today, the reality is incontestable. The Iraqis, regardless of religious or ethnic affiliation, must bitterly regret the American invasion. It destroyed the country and divided its population. Now, prior to announcing the strikes, President Obama said in his latest speech last Friday that the solution could only come from the Iraqi people (reconciled) and asked for a government of national unity. Thus, we are witnessing him take the opposite trajectory of his predecessor.