The Common Ills: The US must continue to help Iraq fight IS? Must?

Wednesday, July 08, 2015

The US must continue to help Iraq fight IS? Must?

Iraqi Spring MC notes 10 dead civilians in Falluja (including children) as a result of the Iraqi government's continued bombings of the residential neighborhoods.

Brian Francisco (Journal Gazette) reports:

Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., said Tuesday that the United States must continue to help Iraq fight Islamic State militants even if many Iraqis appear unwilling or unable to fend for themselves.
The Islamic State “has said repeatedly that they want to attack the United States in our own country. I have to take them at their word. I have to believe they mean what they say,” Donnelly said in a conference call with Indiana reporters.

Must the US continue to help?

Because the bombings of Falluja's residential neighborhoods qualify as collective punishment which is a legally defined War Crime per Geneva as well as treaties the US has signed off on. This means that the US must not continue to help.

The Leahy amendment also means the US must not continue to help. The Leahy amendments bars this 'help' when the government in question is using the assistance to attack its own people.

So, no, the US is under no obligation to help the Iraqi government.

In fact, per US domestic law and international law, the US government is obligated to stop supplying the government of Iraq with military aid and assistance.

As for Donnelly's assertion that the Islamic State says it wants to attack the US, it was Iraq's Minister of Transportation Hadi al-Amiri (also head of the Badr militia) who publicly threatened the US over a proposal in the US Congress.

If Donnelly's forgotten that, someone might need to check his memory retention because we're going back to May 4th, not the start of the Iraq War.

Meanwhile, AP notes that 24 people have been sentenced to death by an Iraqi court for the killing of Shi'ite soldiers dating back to June of 2014.

AP fails to note that there have been no arrests in any of the murders of Iraqi journalists throughout the Iraq War.

The following community sites -- plus Dissident Voice, Jody Watley and Jane Fonda -- updated: