In five years, a proud country and its vibrant population has been reduced to a desolate killing field.
Ellen Weinstein - Camouflage, 2007 Collage Lies, hundreds of them, that led up to the war in Iraq have been revealed. Five years later, the liars are still busy crafting the Iran propaganda.
Tony Auth - Roots, Unpublished Pen, ink, and wash In 5 years, the American military has put down roots. At least 75 permanent bases have been established in Iraq.
Koren Shadmi - Tasting Victory, 2007 watercolor, ink and digital In 5 years, countless Iraqis have been killed and wounded. (We've lost count, you see, since each Iraqi life is not precious enough to concern ourselves with an accurate count. Estimates are as high as a million deaths due to the war.) One in five displaced (around 2.7 million Iraqis). A generation traumatized. A cycle of violence set in motion. The economy and infrastructure of the country destroyed. 3,987 dead American soldiers.
Yes, a lot can happen in five years.
All images from Artists Against the War
2 comments:
Asia Times Online has an assessment of Baghdad 2008. It shows the surge is anything but a success for the Iraqi people. Deaths are down, to be sure, but a lot of that reflects the completion of neighbourhood ethnic cleansing and, even now, 28-bodies are recovered every day. That's about 40-fewer per day than before but it's still pretty horrific. 24-hr. a day electricity for Baghdad is still 10-years off, there is no fix coming for the water and sewer systems, the professional classes have left, Maliki is entrenching Shia power and the Sunni resistance has brought the spread of American influence to a standstill. AT best this is settling in for a long, unwinnable war.
Hey Jenny...great post to mark this horrid anniversary...concise, powerful words, and powerful images. Thanks.
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