Iraq's Water Crisis: Shocking Only If You Forgot US Intervention (Again)
The New Arab highlights Iraq's desertification and dying rivers, a tragedy unfolding in what was once the 'Fertile Crescent.' What it doesn't emphasize is how thoroughly the US-led invasion and occupation dismantled Iraq's infrastructure, turning sophisticated irrigation systems into ruins. General Tommy Franks famously declared the US didn't do 'nation-building' in 2003; turns out, they were
quite adept at nation- unbuilding , with agriculture collateral damage in the 'shock and awe' playbook. One might wonder if the 'freedom' delivered was for the rivers to run dry. Today, the same outlets that cheered on the invasion now furrow their brows over its ecological fallout. It's almost as if 'environmental collapse' sounds less like a war crime than 'unleashing biblical plagues on a
captive population.' Funny how selective historical amnesia functions, isn't it?