The Cincinnati Beacon - Clinton-Obama Plans Would Keep US Mercenaries, Troops in Iraq for Years to Come

Friday, February 29, 2008

Clinton-Obama Plans Would Keep US Mercenaries, Troops in Iraq for Years to Come

According to The Nation, Obama will not “rule out” using private military companies like Blackwater in Iraq. Obama also has no plans to sign on to legislation that seeks to ban the use of these forces in US war zones by January 2009. Despite antiwar rhetoric, both Obama and Clinton have adopted the congressional Democratic position that would leave open the option of keeping tens of thousands of US troops in Iraq for many years.

Private contractors are increasingly taking over the war machine. These private contractors are more expensive and less accountable than our traditional military. And according to Jeremy Scahill, this is a bipartisan industry.

“Bill Clinton really gave rise to this phenomenon of the military contractors. We know that Dick Cheney was running Halliburton in the ’90s. Who was giving Dick Cheney all of those contracts? Well, it was Bill Clinton. And the Democrats have long been good for the war contracting industry. There’s a reason why Hillary Clinton is the number one recipient of campaign contributions from the defense industry. Number two is John McCain. Obama is number four. Chris Dodd is ahead of him. It’s very interesting. It’s a bipartisan phenomenon. Bill Clinton really gave rise to this phenomenon of the military contractors. We know that Dick Cheney was running Halliburton in the ’90s. Who was giving Dick Cheney all of those contracts? Well, it was Bill Clinton. And the Democrats have long been good for the war contracting industry. There’s a reason why Hillary Clinton is the number one recipient of campaign contributions from the defense industry. Number two is John McCain. Obama is number four. Chris Dodd is ahead of him. It’s very interesting. It’s a bipartisan phenomenon.”

The Democrats use different rhetoric, but their foreign policy is basically the same. All you have to do as look at the Clinton-Gore record of genocide in Iraq.

You can read this interview with Jeremy Scahill at http://www.democracynow.org to find out more on this subject.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. -Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Friday, February 29, 2008