Today, the 4th of July, we here in the States celebrate our "Independence", no need to go into an explanation, or give a link to read about, we're all supposed to know and understand what that means, and so are others who think they've achieved that.
This year there'll be alot less traveling to a further destination for relaxation or whatever, more home bodies, we all know the reasons, or we should.
There will be plenty of "Rockets Red Glare" and "Bombs Bursting In Air" with probably more attending the local festivities, along with the many neighborhood unsupervised inexperianced piro-techs.
We mass to watch these shows of loud noise and explosive display, cheering them on, just like we cheer on the "Shock and Awe's" on our TV's when we invade anothers Country, Owwwww and Awwwww!
Except for the possibility of a tragic accident these display's of dangerous explosives rarely hurt anyone, and especially do no damage, as to the numbers putting them on, or watching them.
There was, what supposedly should have been, a day of independence for others at the end of last month.
We are reminded of that "Independence Day" by Kelly Dougherty
Branch: Army National Guard of the United States (ARNG)
Home: Colorado
Eight-year veteran of the Colorado Nat. Guard where I served as both a medic and military police and was deployed to the Balkans and Iraq. I am a co-founder of IVAW and current executive director.
Of, as mentioned above, IVAW.
She reminds us of this Day of Independence in a short letter to the IVAW membership, and all of us, on the front page of their site. In her letter she gets right to the point in the opening:
Just a few days ago Independence Day came and went, and did anyone notice? June 28th was the day the US returned sovereignty to Iraq in 2004, and it should be a day of celebration, a day when Iraqis mark their equal status among nations, just as America did more than two centuries ago.
I read that and just Stopped. Than started thinking that I hadn't heard nor seen anything about this on any MSM outlet, nor was there even a short press speach in the Rose Garden, after all we brought them "Independence", "Freedom", and "Democracy", with over six years of "Rockets Red Glare" and "Bombs Busting In Air", you'd think the President would have that day marked on his calendar and remind the populace of this country of that important date, His Important Date.
After all the surge is supposedly working great
Not only wasn't there anything of note here in the states but apparently Nobody In Iraq felt like celebrating their day of "Independence", didn't see nor hear about anything from there also. Could that be because it's really hard to celebrate such a day while struggling to exist in your own country or in neighboring countries and for some in differant parts of the world. Or if your neighborhood became a cherished gated community to better control you, your neighbors and those throughout the city, You'd think many would want to get together to better know their new neighbors, who moved into houses purged of their previous neighbors because they were of the wrong religious sect or tribe.
Kelly touches on this as well:
Would we be celebrating if our Declaration of Independence had been edited by King George III? What if Britain maintained troops and military bases inside our major cities? Would we mark the day this "independence" began with fireworks and parades?
With a few other reasons it might make it tough to be in celebration mode.
Now they have their "Rockets Red Glare" and "Bombs Bursting In Air", on a daily basis, almost all over, for well over six years now, that may just make them abit hesitant to use that form of celebration. You see they don't have the few accidents like there are here, their "Rockets Red Glare" and "Bombs Bursting In Air" really do cause the intended, Death, Maiming, and Total Destruction, tearing a society and country apart. They've even killed and maimed tens of thousands of visitors? to their country, some visiting? a number of times, some getting extended visiting? privileges without even needing a visa.
Kelly adds these words of truth and what we are supposed to be about:
We need to do more than just celebrate our Independence Day this July 4th; we need to live up to the ideals it represents.
Now not all is lost as to celebrations for the Iraqi people, in their totally destroyed country and society, they really do have their days of remembrance from their long history, and they did hold a celebration of one of those which they celebrated at the beginning of this month, it celebrated the 88th year of their important date, and yes it was about "Independence", a hard fought for "independence" apparently.
The Iraqi province of Muthanna celebrated the 88th anniversary of the outbreak of Iraq's major revolt, known as Thawrat al-Ishreen, or the 1920 Revolution, against the British who were then occupying Iraq.
This may give you a better picture of that time in Iraq and their occupation than.
There apparently were the ussual nicie nice political speaches, and in the state the country is in now, probably made more so as not to piss anyone off during the celebration, thus stopping any blowback from. As well as a few about that time and not the present:
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hatim Rajouj, a local chieftain, gave a speech in which he highlighted the role played by Muthanna tribes in driving the Britons from the province and establishing the first national government in the country.
Not a puppet government under the thumb of the Brits.
The Iraqi revolt against the British started in Baghdad in the summer of 1920 with mass demonstrations of both Sunni and Shiite Muslims
Of that time the real important day, for the Iraqi's of that province, was:
On July 13, 2006, British, Australian, and Japanese forces handed over security responsibility for Muthanna province to Iraqi forces in the first such transfer of an entire province.
Now back than I'll bet the occupying forces left the provinces that were turned over. Today we are supposedly turning over some of the provinces to the Iraqi government and troops, trained and armed by us but it seems we can't trust them quite yet. As well as not leaving that which we turn over
Kelly said U.S. forces would stay at current levels in Anbar for now, but gradually reduce. He did not give details.
"Eventually, we will move into an overwatch posture, away from the population centres," he said.
(Differant Kelly than above)
Keep in mind, a Guerilla Insurgency doesn't end untill the Insurgents say it does!
Happy 4th of July folks, and be careful not to have any 4th of July accidents, the Iraqi's wish they could be so lucky!!!!
Oh and lest we forget the other occupation, Afganistan, the much forgotten till recently, they would like everyone to keep the promises made, giving them real choices and rebuilding a country that has been totally destoyed over and over!
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