Against the Occupation
The death toll of American troops killed in Iraq has reached 4,ooo.
Peace activist Carmillo Bica has been accused of being unpatriotic, by those who carried American flags, and asserted their patriotism, love of country and support for the troops. He dismisses the criticism as a failure to understand the reality of war and the moral obligations of citizens in a democracy. He’s confident in his patriotism, love of America and concern for the troops.
Bica served honorably in Vietnam, but when fellow veterans began to denounce him, he considered the possibility that he had gone astray or violate some sacred trust. The following excerpts provide an introspective journey into the mind and motivation of a former Marine turned peace activist.
“Perhaps my first realization in this exercise was that I allow at least the possibility that war, under very specific circumstances not easily or often met, may be just, moral and necessary. Therefore, I am not an absolute pacifist and, in the strict sense, I am not antiwar.
“I realized as well that I believe in the Constitution, the rule of law, and support the fundamental purpose and mission of the United Nations, flawed though it may be, ‘to maintain international peace and security and to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace.’ According to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX), (international law), the unjustifiable and unwarranted ‘use of armed force by a State against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another State,’ is a crime of aggression. Therefore, I am anti aggression and unjust, immoral and unnecessary war.
“Further, I believe in the rights and dignity of all human beings. Rational analysis of the facts has convinced me that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake - unjustifiable and unwarranted - based as it was on false or distorted intelligence, deception and lies. Not even President Bush still believes, if he ever did, that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction or was linked to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. While the Bush administration has offered, after the fact, various other explanations for the war, e.g., removal of a tyrant, democratization, etc., none seem sincere nor constitute justification under international law. Consequently, the invasion of Iraq is aggression. I am anti the Iraq war.
“At this writing, many in our country are celebrating the ‘success’ of the surge and of the ‘new’ military strategy in Iraq. However, military success and improved strategy does not afford a moral and legal basis for continuing, even escalating, the occupation - the aggression against the Iraqi people. How could achieving ‘victory’ in such a scenario, i.e., the triumph of the aggressors over their victims, be legally and morally justified? I am anti the continued occupation of Iraq.”
More of Carmillo Bica’s introspective journey will be published tomorrow.
Peace activist Carmillo Bica has been accused of being unpatriotic, by those who carried American flags, and asserted their patriotism, love of country and support for the troops. He dismisses the criticism as a failure to understand the reality of war and the moral obligations of citizens in a democracy. He’s confident in his patriotism, love of America and concern for the troops.
Bica served honorably in Vietnam, but when fellow veterans began to denounce him, he considered the possibility that he had gone astray or violate some sacred trust. The following excerpts provide an introspective journey into the mind and motivation of a former Marine turned peace activist.
“Perhaps my first realization in this exercise was that I allow at least the possibility that war, under very specific circumstances not easily or often met, may be just, moral and necessary. Therefore, I am not an absolute pacifist and, in the strict sense, I am not antiwar.
“I realized as well that I believe in the Constitution, the rule of law, and support the fundamental purpose and mission of the United Nations, flawed though it may be, ‘to maintain international peace and security and to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace.’ According to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX), (international law), the unjustifiable and unwarranted ‘use of armed force by a State against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another State,’ is a crime of aggression. Therefore, I am anti aggression and unjust, immoral and unnecessary war.
“Further, I believe in the rights and dignity of all human beings. Rational analysis of the facts has convinced me that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake - unjustifiable and unwarranted - based as it was on false or distorted intelligence, deception and lies. Not even President Bush still believes, if he ever did, that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction or was linked to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. While the Bush administration has offered, after the fact, various other explanations for the war, e.g., removal of a tyrant, democratization, etc., none seem sincere nor constitute justification under international law. Consequently, the invasion of Iraq is aggression. I am anti the Iraq war.
“At this writing, many in our country are celebrating the ‘success’ of the surge and of the ‘new’ military strategy in Iraq. However, military success and improved strategy does not afford a moral and legal basis for continuing, even escalating, the occupation - the aggression against the Iraqi people. How could achieving ‘victory’ in such a scenario, i.e., the triumph of the aggressors over their victims, be legally and morally justified? I am anti the continued occupation of Iraq.”
More of Carmillo Bica’s introspective journey will be published tomorrow.
posted by Jim O'Leary | 12:54 AM
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