If our intentions were genuinely and ironically to "liberate" Iraqis, we would have seen "support Iraqis" bumper stickers.

From seeing how we are treating Iraqis, it is evident that we are not "liberators." When did we ever care for the Iraqis? According to UNICEF, over 1.5 million deaths resulted from U.S.-led sanctions, over 600,000 of which were under five years old. This was all a result of the U.S. embargo on vital medicines for children and the use of "depleted" uranium ammo during and after the Gulf War. It is no surprise that the Iraqis could not overthrow Saddam. This was "a systematic program . . . of deliberate genocide," according to former UN Assistant Secretary General Denis Halladay.

Any Iraqi would say to you: "If you are liberators, then why are you continuously supporting the Israeli occupation of Palestine from 1948? Israel is violating over 69 UN resolutions, Iraq violated only 3. Israel is the nuclear superpower terrorizing the region. Why the double standards?" In fact, Israel is a primary beneficiary from the occupation of Iraq. For more info go to: www.ifamericansknew.org.

Today in America, only two things concern us regarding the war: the probable humiliation from having the most powerful military defeated by "insurgents" and the accusation of being "unpatriotic," hence, the continued propagation of the slogan "support our troops." All polls point to American animosity towards Muslims. Ironically, we are there to "liberate" Iraqis. From whom? From themselves? From their oil? From their basic human rights and dignity?

The corporate media, "liberal" and "conservative," is never honest in reporting on news related to Islam and Muslims. It doesn't take much to search online for the documented evidence against the war or watch documentary films such as: "Control room" and "Uncovered — The Whole Truth about the Iraq War."

"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass" (1 Samuel 15:3). Contrary to myths, Biblical passages, not the Quran, citing Israelite ethnic cleansing of "gentiles" could be manipulated by the "conservative" and oddly "pro-lifers" to justify our state terrorism against the Iraqis and Israel's terrorism against the Palestinians.

When were the Muslims "jealous from our freedom?" When did they try to "change our way of life?" Bin Laden said: "If I opposed freedom, I would have attacked Sweden." He was clearly pointing out to our misguided foreign policy in Palestine and now more so in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The troops can refuse to commit war crimes. They can fight within our boundaries to regain our freedom hijacked by some, under the "war on terror" banner. We support them but not in killing the innocent. Do we need another bigger 9/11 to get the message? We need to be united on a genuine, objective, search for the truth to come to a solution to our quagmire.

Ehud Barak, former Israeli Prime Minister, warned Vice President Cheney that America had lost in Iraq and Israel "had learned that there's no way to win an occupation." The only issue, Barak told Cheney "was choosing the size of your humiliation."

Helmy Mostafa is a graduate student in the Dental School.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Feb. 22 2005.