Volume 3, No. 2, February 2002

The air attack of 11th September on the World Trade Center and Pentagon has sent cold a wave down the spines of US imperialism and its lackeys. Europe and the Asia have been devastated by two World Wars. Tens of thousands of their people perished and properties worth thousands of billions of dollars turned into rubble. The Second World War has even permanently changed the demographic pattern of a country like Russia where, even today, women outnumber man due to the widespread massacre of male soldiers.

But the USA, with its statue of Liberty, escaped the rough weather altogether. Except the incidence of Pearl Harbor (outside the US mainland and a naval base, not a civilian habitat) not a single war was fought on its land.

The USA always made aggression of foreign lands, causing rampant destruction of civilian lives; destroying cities and towns, schools, colleges, hospitals, factories and places of worship. It, as a policy to create unrest worldwide and to dismiss elected governments to establish US hegemony, has gone to every length against the people of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The CIA has undertaken all types of sabotages and clandestine operations to massacre democratic leaders of nations, and install military juntas and tyrants. In Chile, the USA killed President Allende to install dictator Pinochet, who has been brought to books recently for genocide. It backed the tyrannical rule of Alberto Fujimori in Peru to halt the progress of the ‘Shining Path’ movement. In Nicaragua, the barbaric ‘Contra’ killers were sponsored with arms and money to oust the popular Sandinista government under Daniel Ortega. It unleashed white terror in El Salvador to dismiss the elected regime. In Panama, when president Noriega (installed by the USA itself) failed to serve its purpose, he was "arrested" and tried in a "court of law" in the USA, forgetting that Panama is a sovereign state with its own legal system. In Columbia it sponsored the military junta, in excuse of curbing ‘Terrorism’ and drug trafficking. The situation in Cuba is well known. It has imposed a 40 years long economic blockade on Cuba and has made more than twenty futile attempts to kill President Fidel Castro by assassinators.

In Haiti, the USA backed autocrats like ‘Papa Doc’ and his son ‘Baby Doc’ killed thousands of people. It invaded Grenada. In Philippines Marcos was the US stooge and he dismissed thousands civilians to propagate his Tyrannical rule. In Indonesia, the CIA plotted a Coup-de-ta lead by Suharto, Nasutian and others, which killed about one million communists and their supporters. The military junta of Zia ul Haque came in power in Pakistan with its help. In Africa the former Portugese colonies like Angola and Mozambique were not spared, they came under renewed attack directly by USA or through surrogates like South Africa. In Zaire (Congo) the USA sponsored Mobutu Sese Seko and in Nigeria, many dictators to capture power through military coups. In Afghanistan the USA gave birth to the Taliban in the contention with the USSR. In Somalia (Horn of Africa) it unleashed a reign of terror in the name of peace keeping. The USA and its hand-in-gloves ally Britain bombarded Serbia to ruins and caught hold of Milanosevich to try him in their own Court, flouting all international norms.

Its barbarism in Indo-China (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) is history. It killed 30 lakhs people in Vietnam and another 12 to 15 lakhs in Cambodia with 20 million tonnes of explosives, almost double the amount of explosives used by the alliance forces in the entire Second World War. It destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic arsenals only to test the efficacy of their killer weapons.

The USA created the Zionist state of Israel and backed its illegal occupation of south Lebanon in 1948 & 1967, only to protect its ‘Oil Interest’ in West Asia. The occupation of the West Bank and Gaza strips, establishment of Jewish habitats in the Arab areas, creating strategic hamlets in Palestine and killing innocent people of Palestine off and on have been encouraged by the US devils.

The USA helped Saddam Hussein and its Baathist Party during its war with Iran. Since, the pro-US anti people monarchy of the Shah of Iran was thrown away by the populist Islamic Revolution, the USA tried to back-stab the new rule. In the Iraq-Iran war from 1980-1988, which killed more than one million people, the USA appeared as the biggest arm seller in the region. Later on when the local aspiration of Saddam Hussein caused the Kuwaiti invasion, the USA, to protect its ‘Oil interests’ jumped on Iraq and converted it into a country of the ‘pre industrialized’ era by carpet bombing including the use of low efficiency nuclear weapons. Since then, Central and Southern Iraq is being bombed every now and then, economic sanctions have killed more than one million people including 5 lakh children. Northern Iraq has been unilaterally declared as a ‘no fly zone’ apparently to ‘protect’ the Kurds. But this does not prevent the Turkish Army (US ally) to invade across the borders and kill the Kurds at their will.

While killing lakhs of people worldwide the USA did not spare the environment and nature. Truly speaking, from the early sixties "Ecological Warfare" became a part of their strategy, which the CIA named as a ‘wholistic approach’. Since 1962 the CIA is also pursuing a project of making Biological weapons. Let us see what it means to the invaded countries. The nightmare of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are mentioned. Even the rest of the story is no less horrifying.

In addition to the use of ordinary arsenals, armed cars, tanks or missiles, the USA is the father of the programme of chemical and Biological warfare worldwide. For the last fifty years the Pentagon and CIA are pursuing such projects.

During the Second World War Nazi soldiers made some use of ‘Sarin’, ‘Nitrogen Mustards’ and other nerve gases on enemy positions. But the credit for widespread use of toxic chemicals solely goes to the USA.

In the war of Indochina America unleashed an unprecedented level of firepower. During all of World War II, the united states has used a total of 7 million tonnes of munitions. By contrast, in its attempt to ‘pacify’ Indochina, the USA used almost 15 million tonnes in 1964-72 alone.

The Central component of the US strategy for wining the war was a new form of ecological warfare : DEFOLOCATION. Besides destroying the forest cover, the US aim was to create refugees, which would give the United State physical control over the peasantry. Herbicides were brought into the war for the first time in August 1961 : AGENT ORANGE – the major defoliant used in sprayings contained the deadly toxin DIOXINE – which not only caused widespread shedding of leaves, but also acted on the skin of animals and men to cause toxic epidermonecrolysis (chemical burn of the upper layer of skin) and death. Although there was some concern within the air force that this would lead to "charges of barbarianism for waging chemical warfare", President John F. Kennedy decided to push ahead. The sprayed area went for 6000 acre in 962 to 1.7 million acres in 1967, over a nine years period, 20% of South Vietnam jungles and 36% of its mangrove forest were sprayed. Destruction of food crops was part of the same program (called operation Ranch Hard). In 1964, 15,039 acres of crops (manioc, rice, sweet potatoes etc.) were sprayed; in 1967, 148,418 acres of crops were destroyed in a single year.

The damage from such chemical spraying was observed in 1984 by Arthur Wfestling (Herbicides in was) as –

(i) Death of millions of trees and their replacement by gasses has , to this day had created huge destruction by subsequent periodic fires.

(ii) Deep lasting inroads into the mangrove habitats.

(iii) Widespread site debilitation via soil erosion and loss of nutrients in solution.

(iv) Decimation of terrestrial wildlife primarily via destruction of their habitat;

(v) Losses in freshwater fish, largely because of reduced availability of fish species and a possible contribution to declines in off sore fishing.

(vi) The impact on human population has included long lasting neuro intoxications, as well as the possibility of increased incidences of hepatitis, liver cancer, chromo Sal damage and the adverse outcome of pregnancy from exposed fathers (especially spontaneous abortions and congenital malformations).

The indiscriminate use of barbaric Napalm Bombs (produced by Naphtha and Palmitro Acid) caused widespread wood fires and burning out of local flora. All these caused immesurable suffering for the people vis-à-vis abolition of almost 40 species of animals and birds in the tropical forests. Low efficacy nuclear weapons, Napalm bombs, biological and chemical weapons were applied at random on the ‘Strategic Hamlets’. Altogether 25 fertile villages of ‘Mekong Delta’ completely perished.

Even after 25 years of the war, the people of Vietnam are suffering heavily for the destruction of agricultural land and nature in an agrarian society, assault on public health by toxic chemicals and widespread destruction of infrastructure for public health, sanitation and drinking water.

The United States unleashed a reign of terror unprecedented in the human history from 1970 to 1975. the history is punctuated by the most brutal attack on this small country by imperialism, many genocides, carpet bombing and mass destruction. Only the US junta stopped short of using the Atom Bomb apprehending the mood of the world population. But all other weapons of mass destruction were used indiscriminately. In Cambodia, the area between the Mekong and its main tributaries adjacent to Vietnam was very fertile. So was the black soil of the Batambang Valley. Many agricultural scientists have compared this region with the Ukrain, the rice bowl of the world.

To ruin the fertility of this soil and to turn the peasantry into refugees, the US bombers (B2 and B12) continuously dropped thousands of tons of explosives on this densely populated area – at a stretch for 200 days. Side-by-side toxic chemicals were sprayed from helicopter gunship over the Rubber plantations. As a result all the trees of the area were burnt out and the superficial fertile layers of the soil were transformed to dust. In the next rainy season, the dusty soil was driven away by the rain water, leaving behind the underlying stormy and barren land. The ground water destroyed, so did the flora, fauna and soil microbes. Till today, most of such land could not be recovered for agricultural use.

The destruction of rubber plantation was well planned. It was designed to wipe out the competitor of the Comprador Rubber lobby of Saigon, the boss of the puppet government of South Vietnam.

By 1975, due to the US onslaught, the total area of paddy fields was reduced to only 50,000 Hectares, only 1/10th of the pre war position. As a result, this food-sufficient country became a beggar and had to depend on US dols. Consequently the US import business jumped to 5.8 crore lakh dollars by 1973.

The per capita food supply dropped precipitously. In a previously self-sufficient country, the per capita ration was only 270 gm./day in 1973 and 160 gm./day in 1974. The meal was completely devoid of milk, fruits and protein. Death due to starvation and malnutrition increased by leaps and bounds. Many people suffered from Berry-berry and vitamin deficiencies, consuming low quality US rice. The average body weight of a 2 years old baby was only 7-8 kg, only half the normal weight.

It is to be seen here that only 2 years after the liberation, by restoration of agricultural lands, water conservation by irrigation, the agricultural land area increased to 2.5 lakh hectare. Paddy production per hectare increased from 2 to 7 tons and per capita food supply increased to 700 gm./day. The supply of sweet water fish and meat also increased. By 1977, Cambodia could export 2 lakh tons of excess rice to Thailand and Singapore to procure industrial products.

When America left Phnom-pen in 1975, the city only had a stock of food for 6 days. The US monsters expected that country revolutionaries will be able to rally the common hungry people behind them and overthrow the Khemr Rouge regime. The water resources were highly polluted. The airports destroyed and there was no electricity and fuel. Malaria, Cholera, Typhoid and Plague outbreaks started.

The communists, under the leadership of Comrade Pol Pot, uniquely solved this problem by evacuating the ghost city of Phnom-pen. On the way back to the villages the people were adequately fed from the stockpile of food that the revolutionaries preserved beforehand foreseeing the situation.

In 1975, during US aggression, more than 1 million people were affected by Malaria, which is almost 30% of the whole work force. Many of them suffered and died of Drug Resistant Falciparim Malaria; the Lon Snol junta and their boss USA did nothing to combat this problem. Moreover after 1975, the USA caused blockades for the import of anti-malarials. But the revolutionary government could reduce the malaria cases to 50,000 a year only by 1977-78.

The US attack killed 12% of the population in Cambodia, only during 1970-75, 5.5 lakhs of tons of explosives has been thrown on this small country, 80% of the industry and rubber plantations have been destroyed. Thousands of domestic animals were killed. Besides dropping bombs, the US gun ships sprayed toxic gases and small broken glass pieces on the paddy fields so that the bare footed peasants and cattle were injured during ploughing. Barbaric napalm bombs were also used rampantly.

The US financed and directed the war on the Sandinista government in Nicaragua which cost the US treasury nearly $1 billion and resulted in an estimated $ 4 billion economic and environment damage to Nicaragua. The death toll was as high as 60,000 which accounts for 2% of the entire population of the country. The Sandinista government was the first to set up a revolutionary ecological program for the country and established the Nicaraguan Institute for Natural Resources and the Environment (IRENA) – which took responsibility for renewable and non renewable national resources like mining, fishery, forestry and wildlife preservation. They also concentrated on soil conservation, tropical reforestation, banning export of endangered species, shift from the use of pesticides to integrated pest management, improvement of water quality, extension of national parks and recovery and development of indigenous seeds. The public health initiatives by the Sandinistas curtailed malaria and other communicable diseases. Health expenses were increased from 3% to 14% of the national budget. Infant mortality dropped from 120 to 65 per 1000 live births and the average life span rose from 53 to 62 years.

The counter revolutionary "Contra" army backed and financed by the USA deliberately and categorically targeted the health system and ecology. They killed and kidnapped more than 75 ecologists. In 1983, retreating Contras set fire to a reforested pine plantation in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region. It burned, out of control, for a month, destroying more than 155 square miles of forest. In 1984, an attack destroyed the main seed storage warehouse, where indigenous seeds varieties designed to give Nicaraguan agriculture self-sufficiency were being developed.

The game plan of USA in "rouge" Nicaragua was to destroy its cultivable land as much as possible, to perish its beautiful greenery and to pollute the water and food sources so as to create a land of permanent drought and famine.

The same things being done at Columbia at present. In the name of fighting the revolutionaries, the US backed junta has already destroyed 3 lakh hectares of agricultural land.

The story of Iraq is unbelievably cruel. Hearing this, even the greater tyrants in human history are likely to turn in their graves.

As already mentioned, during the days of the Islamic Revolution against the Shah of Iran and blood soaked Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), Saddam Hussein was the blue eyed boy of the USA. But the US was not ready to allow Hussein to achieve his regional ambition particularly when it threatened US control over West Asian oil. So when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in August 1990, the US force, in the name of the "Joint Command", jumped on its prey. As horrific as the use of nuclear weapons against Japan was, perhaps five to ten times as many people have died in Iraq as a consequence of the brutal gulf war and the ‘economic sanctions’ adopted four days after Iraq’s invasion on Kuwait and which is invoke even today. As observed by an UN led delegation, the developed and prosperous country has been reduced to a state of the "pre-industrialized" era by the barbaric assault.

It is estimated that more than 2 lakh people died in Iraq during the gulf war. Carpet-bombing became a routine and civilian targets like hospitals, educational institutions and factories were attacked selectively. The New York Times, quoting government sources, said that the first mechanized armed brigade of USA. ‘The big red one’ has buried 5 thousand soldiers alive by cutting a 70 miles long trench by slow ploughs fitted with tanks.

In 1992, just after assuming office President Clinton unprovokedly charged 23 cruise missiles on densely populated downtown Bagdad killing many people including the famous artist Laila-t-Atar. While going to church with his wife Clinton commented: "This attack makes me cheerful and I hope that the US people also shares this feeling." Since then, the US military have routinely discharged missiles on central and southern Iraq in the name of protecting the Kurds.

According to official statistics, on the very first day of the gulf war 400 combat aircrafts made 1000 attacks and dropped 18,000 tons of bombs. On the second day 2,500 rounds were made to drop 40,000 tons of explosives, including the barbaric ‘glide bomb’, ‘daisy carters’ and ‘big buster’, which are actually low efficacy nuclear weapons. This attack continued for 5 months at a stretch.

The US ground forces fired between 5000 to 6000 rounds of advanced depleted uranium (DU) armor piercing shells. In addition, the US and Britain launched around 50,000 DU rockets and missiles. According to a report of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Administration (UKAEA), the 40 tons of radioactive debris left behind in the desert (in the form of U-238) is capable of causing 5 Lakhs death.

Since U-238 remains radioactive for millions of years, the entire region of Iraq and Kuwait may turn permanently uninhabitable.

According to estimates provided by friends of the Earth International the oil spillage resulting from US bombing reached 6.8 million barrels. In addition, the burning oil wells, ignited by allied air attacks left long lasting scars on the land. This caused loss of lakhs of tons of aquatic animals, fishes, birds and vegetations and brought enormous pollution in the region, unprecedented in human history.

The misery of Iraq did not end with the end of the gulf war. The economic embargo for the last 10 years has done catastrophic damage to its environment and public health. Since today, an estimated 12 lakh people have perished including 5 lakh children. UNICEF and WHO have found that the Iraqi mortality rate of children under 5 in the southern and central part of the country (actually under control of Saddam Hussein) has doubled as a result of sanctions. The main cause of death of children is diarrhea and dehydration. Destruction of medicinal plants and baby food factories on the outskirts of Bagdad caused lot of deaths. The causes are rampant destruction of the health infrastructure (Iraq had an advanced Medical, Educational and social infrastructure by the end of the 1980s), pollution of environment by the gulf war, destruction of sanitation and the draconian embargo which prevents procurement of medicines, baby food, milk power, stethoscopes, X-ray machines, scanners and other medical equipment, water purifiers, means of sanitation, ambulance and even chlorine.

Iraqis face widespread malnutrition and other diseases endemic like malaria, cholera and tuberculosis. All requests for the purchase of goods for cure amenities are turned down by the UN Sanctions Committee (a stooge of the USA) on excuse of "dual use" criteria. Thus any attempt of infrastructure rebuilding is systematically denied and Iraq is left out in a state of hunger, ailments and death.

According to pentagon figures the US has fired more than 1 million pounds of munitions tipped with radioactive Depleted Uranium. Since 1998, the UK has also dropped an estimated seventy eight tons of weapons in southern Iraq. The US and UK fighter planes have flown more than 2,80,000 sorties since the so called "no fly zone’ was established through arm-twisting methods.

The USA seems to be the headquarters of the worst terrorists of the world. To safeguard its economic and political interests, it has not hesitated to commit the worst and most ghastly crimes against mankind and nature. It polluted the water of Danube while attacking Serbia with ‘DU Bombs’ and left 3 lakh tons of aquatic creatures and plants dead. It charged missile on the medicine factory of Khartum in Sudan which led to the death of 50,000 people from malaria and tuberculosis due to lack of medicines.

The USA and its running dog Britain is enacting the same role in Afghanistan. Already they are targeting the civilian bases, including hospitals and depots of the International Red Cross. Their brouhaha for democracy is the most cruel joke of the millennium. But the USA and its lackeys are steadily heading towards their doom’s day. The worldwide hatred and rage against these monsters are rising day by day. The anti-US black lash will sooner or later leave them in a place between the devil and the deep blue sea.

<Top>