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War and Propaganda (Part 2)

On September 11, 2001, a series of terrorist attacks occurred in the US mainland, killing 3,000 civilians. A war was launched, mainly by the US and NATO forces, to retaliate against the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, which controlled the perpetrators, and to destroy the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Due to the magnitude of the shock of the terrorist attacks, the world supported the "war on terror" advocated by the US, and it received overwhelming support from the media and public opinion.


In Afghanistan, where the Taliban regime was defeated, a hastily made "democratic government" was established by uniting the divided ethnic groups and warlords. Reforms such as freedom and equality, women's rights, etc. were introduced for a time. Meanwhile, the US military-led mopping-up operation and the terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists continued, resulting in many civilian casualties, and it took 10 years to kill the supreme leader of Al-Qaeda. The Washington Post exposed the fact that the US military's operational failures were whitewashed, the corruption of the government and the military, and the collusion over huge amounts of aid.


However, 20 years later, in August 2021, the Taliban re-captured the capital, Kabul, and the pro-American government quickly fled. The longest war in US history ended with the "victory" of the old regime that supported terrorism. The cause of destroying terrorist organizations by force and establishing democracy clearly failed. US President Biden's statement that "Afghanistan is no longer in the 'national interest' of the US" reveals the truth hidden behind the cause. If the source of the new "national interest" is another conflict centered on the US-Russia and US-China conflicts, the aims of the new "propaganda" being launched by both sides should be examined.


Propaganda of "false information"


In retaliation for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, the US military and others attacked Afghanistan. While American public opinion was intoxicated by the heat of the temporary collapse of the Taliban regime, the next Iraq war was planned.


The UN inspections were resumed to clarify the truth about whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. However, then-US President Bush claimed that "Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction and had ties with the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda," deepening the rift with the international community. In March 2003, without a UN resolution, the US conspired with the UK and others to recruit a "coalition of the willing" and launched an attack on Iraq. The US and UK forces alone deployed 230,000 troops, bombed major bases, landed combat forces from the Persian Gulf, and captured the capital Baghdad in just over 20 days.


US citizens protesting the Iraq War / United Nations Photo Archives
US citizens protesting the Iraq War / United Nations Photo Archives

The major US media, which see themselves as watchdogs of power, played a major role in spreading the propaganda for this war. The news that influenced the Bush administration's unilateral decision to go to war is remembered as the false report by Judith Miller of the New York Times. Miller, who had infiltrated the close aides of then Vice President Cheney, turned false information leaked by the authorities, such as "Iraq has acquired equipment used for uranium enrichment" and "importing uranium from Africa," into scoop articles, and was skillfully used by the Bush administration to manipulate information.


In the end, despite the war that was waged at the expense of many lives, no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq, and no connection to Al-Qaeda could be proven. In 2004, the New York Times verified Miller's false reports, corrected the series of articles, and deleted them. Meanwhile, the war continued, and former President Saddam Hussein was captured by the US military and executed by the new Iraqi government.


What is the war for?


The Iraq War, which was waged under the propaganda of the "war on terror," should be summarized as an "economic war waged by violent means." After the end of the Cold War, the reorganization of energy interests in the area of ​​Central Eurasia, including the Middle East, Central Asia, and Afghanistan, which had once been under the influence of the Soviet Union, was a vital "national interest" for the United States at that time.


Looking at the origins of the Bush administration, which was once called "Neocon," Vice President Cheney was the chairman of oil field developer Halliburton, White House Advisor Rice was an executive at Chevron, Secretary of Commerce Evans was the CEO of natural gas company Tom Brown, and President Bush was also an oil industry entrepreneur. If we examine the history of the US military's battles in Iraq, we can see that they skillfully captured important oil facilities and oil deposits. Before democratizing Iraq, most of these energy interests were placed under the capital of Western majors and the military-industrial complex.


According to the blueprint drawn up by the Neoconservatives, which can be said to be the truth of this war, "the reorganization of Iraq should make the United States a stronger, wealthier, and safer country." However, contrary to their expectations, new international terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State (IS) became active, and a chain of terrorist attacks occurred from Europe to Asia. The cumulative death toll in Iraq and Syria has reached 300,000, mostly civilians. Here too, attempts to control violence with violence have failed, generating much hatred and sacrifice, and damaging the democratic system of the international community. (to be continued)


*This text was taken from the author's Waseda University Extension College online course "Understanding the World from the Battlefield" published in January 2024.

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