War profiteers must be held accountable

Smedley Butler pointed out already in 1935 that war is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the very many. One of the clearest examples is probably the Iraq war. From start, this war of agression was illegal, although some tried to justify it based on false information. After over 100.000 deaths, 3 trillion US dollars spent and many other severe consequences, we are still waiting for justice for this huge crime against humanity. In this process, let’s not forget the war profiteers, who were obviously involved in creating the war. The war resulted in an enormous transfer of wealth to them. One well known example is the company Halliburton, with ties to former US Vice President Cheney.

In 2008, the Constitutional Litigation Clinic sued President Bush over the Iraq war, but this was dismissed by courts. A book has also been written on the subject of prosecuting Bush. This year, we have seen a new lawsuit started against key members of the Bush administration. Not surprisingly, the US Department of Justice has requested that the accused receive full exemption from being tried for the Iraq war. This is the way impunity works and a main reason why government-related crime can thrive. However, it is surprising to see so little reaction from US taxpayers on this giant rip-off.