WHAT DOES FREEDOM HAVE TO DO WITH OUR FOREIGN POLICY?

            I hope that I’m not the only person sick of hearing the word “freedom” abused with impunity by our leaders when referring to military actions in the Middle East. Our intervention in Afghanistan is called Operation Enduring Freedom while in Iraq it is called Operation Iraqi Freedom. Compare stated objectives and facts to the myth of protecting freedom.

            1] We’re in Afghanistan as a response to the 911 bombings and the fact that Bin Laden operated from there. We supported Bin Laden and the Taliban when they were using terrorism against the Soviets.

            2] We’re in Iraq because we suspected that Saddam was developing Weapons of Mass Destruction [WMDs] and that he would provide those to Bin Laden – someone volunteered to remove him from Kuwait.

            3] We have thousands of Iraqis and Afghanis in detention facilities [concentration camps?] – some for over 3 years -being held without charges filed. We fought a war for real freedom against England for similar – but lesser - abuses. The Bush administration promoted the idea that anyone captured in these countries did not merit the basic protections due to free people – then they shook their heads in disbelief at the Abu Graib abuses.

            4] We are insisting on elections for one government for that diverse country – despite the willingness of the groups involved to form separate autonomous provinces. The election process is now being threatened with boycotts from several of those groups.

            5] We passed the infamous Patriot Act that allows an unprecedented expansion of governmental power that threatens many freedoms in this country. Some people in this country have already been held longer than a week – without being charged with a crime. Expect problems with freedom to accelerate with all the hysteria generated by 911.

            Our soldiers are not fighting – and dying - for anyone’s freedom. However, it’s not their fault. Our leaders keep lying to us. Will they ever really support our troops? Will our foreign policy ever be about the best interests of our country’s citizen taxpayers? When will the lies stop?