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HumanitarianThis page was established in response to the humanitarian aid and relief goals promised to the people of Iraq by President George W. Bush on March 17, 2003. Click here for more information about the delivery of humanitarian aid to Iraq. |
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Background
On Monday evening, March 17, 2003, by the order of the President of the United States of America, every U.S. Citizen entered into an unconditional humanitarian aid contract with the people of Iraq. President Bush is the first and only president ever to make such a promise. The details of this historic declaration are below. The article below originally appeared in the March 2003 Resources for Life Newsletter, prior to U.S. military activity in Iraq.
THE PURIM PARADIGM AND IRAQ
"The greatest power of freedom is to overcome hatred and violence, and
turn the creative gifts of men and women to the pursuits of peace. That is the
future we choose." - President George W. Bush (20030317mo)
At first glance, you might think the above quote was from Gandhi, Mother
Theresa, or Martin Luther King. Yet, these are the words of President Bush from
his declaration delivered Monday evening (20030317mo).
According to the Biblical calendar, today is the 14th day of Adar 5763, the
first Day of Purim - a 48 hour festival that began Monday evening. This is the
same 48 hour period of time that President Bush has given Saddam Hussein to
leave Iraq - a declaration that was announced to the world yesterday evening -
on the Fast of Esther.
Esther is the Biblical heroine who became famous when
she put an end to a plot devised by a man named Haman who had intended to harm
the Jews. This is the time of year when Esther's victory over Haman is
remembered and celebrated by millions of people around the world. President
Bush, by aligning his timeline with that of Purim, is essentially stating that
he is a type of modern day Esther and Saddam Hussein is a type of Haman.
Finding such parallels are not unusual for a president who published and
publicly circulated his 'testimony of faith' during his presidential campaign.
In fact, Bush's commitment to religious expression is strong and his religious
affiliations are diverse. President Bush became the first president in the
history of the United States to light a Menorah in the White House in
recognition of Chanukah. The President, and other Christian leaders, also
observed the Islamic Festival of Ramadan in the White House with prominent
Muslim guests. President Bush is the first president in the history of the
United States to substantially use public funds to support 'Faith Based'
initiatives. The White House website is now used to inform the public about
various religious holidays and honor such holidays. Shortly after the President
took office, he declared a national day of prayer. Bible studies and prayer
meetings are conducted in the White House on a regular basis. Some claim that
such expressions of religious observance are inappropriate for a President and
suggest a blurred line of separation between 'Church
and State.' Bush seems to feel it is the obligation of the government to
support, promote, and defend religious expression. So there exist differing
viewpoints regarding the roll of government with regard to religion. However, it
is important to understand this context with regard to Bush's long-term agenda.
In his speech Monday evening, President Bush promised, on our
behalf, the following to the people of Iraq:
"We will deliver the food and medicine you need. We will tear down the apparatus of terror and we will help you to build a new Iraq that is prosperous and free. In a free Iraq, there will be no more wars of aggression against your neighbors, no more poison factories, no more executions of dissidents, no more torture chambers and rape rooms. ... The day of your liberation is near. . . . we believe the Iraqi people are deserving and capable of human liberty . . . they can set an example to all the Middle East of a vital and peaceful and self-governing nation. The United States, with other countries, will work to advance liberty and peace in that region. Our goal will not be achieved overnight, but it can come over time. The power and appeal of human liberty is felt in every life and every land. And the greatest power of freedom is to overcome hatred and violence, and turn the creative gifts of men and women to the pursuits of peace. That is the future we choose. . . . Good night, and may God continue to bless America." (Excerpts taken from official White House transcript. Received 20030317mo2023 CT)
Is President Bush a hawk or a dove?
This seems like a foolish question in light of the more than 200,000 armed
soldiers that are prepared for war just outside the borders of Iraq.
Yet, are the troops prepared for war, or, are they planning something else?
It's no secret that many who have been ordered to the front lines have been told
they should plan for a minimum of 9 months and perhaps years of service in the
region.
It doesn't take years to fight a war.
The fact is, that President Bush doesn't have a strong record when it comes to
"saber rattling." He's more likely to beat swords into plowshares than to engage
in a prolonged military conflict. In fact, beating swords into plowshares is
precisely what he has vowed to do in Iraq, and around the world.
In his own personal life, Bush chose not to pursue a military career and has
turned away from armed conflict. It's not surprising that our soon to be
disclosed national homeland defense initiative is called "Liberty Shield" rather
than "Liberty Sword."
President Bush has helped transform the U.S. Air Force into a socialist-funded
non-profit multi-billion dollar humanitarian aid organization that promotes
"careers, education, healthcare, research, and aerospace development." See
www.airforce.com
for more information.
Let's take a look at Afghanistan. One high ranking U.S. military leader was
asked about the training we were providing to the troops in Afghanistan. He said
that our military was teaching people how to get along with each other and
respect each other's differences as a way to avoid conflict. (This is almost a
word-for-word quote).
Regarding Afghanistan, General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, commented about the huge "flow of humanitarian relief supplies by rail,
road and across the river, as well as airlift to some of the airfields in
Afghanistan."
"We will continue to fly humanitarian airdrop missions," said Lt. Col. John
Zazworsky, commander of the 437th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. "We're using
the CDS method to deliver boxes of the humanitarian daily rations, in addition
to wheat, blankets and winter clothing." The CDS airdrop method uses parachutes
to drop large bundles (up to 2,000 pounds) of food and supplies.
To honor the end of Ramadan, Air Force airdrops included packages of dates in
the CDS bundles. Dates are a fruit that Muslims traditionally use to break the
fast of Ramadan, an Islamic holiday celebrated by fasting from sunrise to sunset
for a month. "By including dates in our airdrop bundles, we are showing our
respect for this significant Muslim holiday," Zazworsky said.
The C-17 Globemaster IIIs assigned to the 437th EAS have flown more than 180
humanitarian airdrop missions and dropped more than 1,200 CDS bundles of food
and clothing and more than 2.4 million daily rations. Total delivery of
humanitarian assistance via TRIADS and CDS is more than 3,800 tons.
Under the command of President George Bush, the Air Force is dropping blankets
instead of bombs.
Not only is Bush beating swords into plowshares in Iraq, he is retooling our own
multi-billion dollar military industrial complex into the largest global
humanitarian aid organization in the history of the world - all with public
funds. Those serving in the military are being trained like peace corps workers
rather than soldiers. In the Iraq campaign, media journalists are traveling
along to document the conflict live and uncensored. Plans are already underway
to deliver humanitarian aid to the region.
War may not even be necessary. Some intelligence sources suggest that Saddam
plans to leave Iraq in the 11th hour (or the 47th hour).
In which case, the 200,000 troops could begin working on humanitarian efforts
rather than war.
I think we should commend the president on his initiative to remove weapons of
war from the earth. We should do everything we can to support him by promoting
humanitarian efforts and following through with the long list of promises he
made, on our behalf, to the people of Iraq. We should also, to quote Bush,
"overcome hatred and violence, and turn the creative gifts of men and women to
the pursuits of peace."
I'd say Bush is 'misunderestimated' and misunderstood.
"They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore. " - Isaiah 2:4
Links
Article About Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan
http://www.af.mil/news/Dec2001/n20011217_1806.shtml
Air Force Website
http://www.airforce.com/
The Full Transcript of the President's Address
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030317-7.html
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