People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Vol. XXV

No. 41

October 14,2001

A DAMNING CHRONOLOGY OF ARROGANT AGGRESSION

History Of USA's STATE TERRORISM

As the United States launched its retaliatory attacks against Afghanistan which is a war ravaged, medieval country where overwhelming majority of people are living in absolute poverty, we feel it is pertinent to draw the attention of the readers to the numerous instances of such aggressions by America in the past. While announcing the launch of these attacks, US president George Bush had the gumption to state that " We're always a peaceful nation". A perusal of the various military interventions of US would show what "peace" means for America.

The following is a partial list of US interventions in various parts of the world. These include both overt and covert operations and the period covers from right after the second world war to till date. As such this history can be traced from 1890- when the American troops massacred 300 South Dakota Indians at Wounded Knee. However it would be too exhaustive. We stress this list is not a complete one and many instances of covert and overt operations would have been missed.

Among sources used, besides news reports, is a compilation done by Zoltan Grossman. He has relied on the Congressional Record(23 June 1969), "Instances of Use of United States Forces Abroad,1798-1993" by Ellen C.Collier of the Library of Congress Congressional Research Service and other sources. We grouped these interventions region wise.

MIDDLE EAST

1948: Israel established. U.S. declines to press Israel to allow expelled Palestinians to return.
1949: CIA backs military coup deposing elected government of SYRIA.
1953: CIA helps overthrow the democratically-elected Mossadeq government in IRAN (which had nationalised the British oil company) and puts Shah as the ruler of Iran. This results in a quarter-century of repressive and dictatorial rule by the Shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlevi.
1956: U.S. cuts off promised funding for Aswan Dam in Egypt after Egypt receives Eastern bloc arms.
1956: Israel, Britain, and France invade EGYPT. U.S. does not openly support the invasion, but the involvement of its NATO allies severely diminishes Washington's reputation in the region.
1958: U.S. troops land in LEBANON to preserve "stability". Under the cover of the Sixth Fleet, units of the Second Operational Marine Brigade landed on the Lebanese Coast near Beirut.
Early 1960s: U.S. unsuccessfully attempts assassination of Iraqi leader, Abdul Karim Qassim.
1963: U.S. gives the Iraqi Ba'ath party (soon to be headed by Saddam Hussein) names of communists to murder, which they do with vigor.
1967: U.S. blocks any effort in the Security Council to enforce SC Resolution 242, calling for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in the 1967 war.
1970: Civil war between Jordan and PLO. Israel and U.S. prepare to intervene on side of Jordan if Syria backs PLO.
1972: U.S. blocks Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat's efforts to reach a peace agreement with Israel.
1973-75: U.S. supports Kurdish rebels in Iraq. When Iran reaches an agreement with Iraq in 1975 and seals the border, Iraq slaughters Kurds and U.S. denies them refuge. Kissinger secretly explains that "covert action should not be confused with missionary work."
1975: U.S. vetoes Security Council resolution condemning Israeli attacks on Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
1978-79: Iranians begin demonstrations against the Shah. U.S. tells Shah it supports him"without reservation" and urges him to act forcefully. Until the last minute, U.S. tries to organise military coup to save the Shah, but to no avail.
1979-88: U.S. begins covert aid to Mujahideen (which comprised of recruits from many nations including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Sudan etc), in AFGHANISTAN, six months before the Soviet troops arrival in December 1979. Over the next decade U.S. provides training and more than $3 billion in arms and aid.
1981, 1986: U.S. holds military manoeuvres off the coast of LIBYA in waters with the clear purpose of provoking Libyan leader Qaddafi. In 1981, a U.S. plane fires a missile and two Libyan planes are shot down. In 1986, Libya fires missiles that land far from any target and U.S. attacks Libyan patrol boats, and shore installations, killing 72. When a bomb goes off in a Berlin nightclub, killing two Americans, the U.S. charges that Qaddafi was behind it and conducts major bombing raids in Libya, killing dozens of civilians, including Qaddafi's adopted daughter.
1980-88, IRAN-IRAQ WAR : When Iraq invades Iran, the U.S. opposes any Security Council action to condemn the invasion. U.S. soon removes Iraq from its list of nations supporting terrorism and allows U.S. arms to be transferred to Iraq. At the same time, U.S. lets Israel provide arms to Iran and in 1985 U.S. provides arms directly (though secretly) to Iran. U.S. provides intelligence information to Iraq. Iraq uses chemical weapons in 1984; U.S. restores diplomatic relations with Iraq. 1987 U.S. sends its navy into the Persian Gulf, taking Iraq's side; an overly-aggressive U.S. ship shoots down an Iranian civilian airliner, killing 290 people.

1982: U.S. gives "green light" to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, killing some 17 thousand civilians. U.S. chooses not to invoke its laws prohibiting Israeli use of U.S. weapons except in self-defence. U.S. vetoes several Security Council resolutions condemning the invasion.
1983: U.S. troops sent to Lebanon as part of a multinational peacekeeping force; intervene on one side of a civil war, including bombardment by USS New Jersey. They withdrew after suicide bombing of marine barracks.
1984: U.S.-backed rebels in Afghanistan fire on civilian airliner.
1987-92: U.S. arms used by Israel to repress first Palestinian Intifada. U.S. vetoes five Security Council resolutions condemning Israeli repression.
1988: Saddam Hussein kills many thousands of his own Kurdish population and uses chemical weapons against them. The U.S. increases its economic ties to Iraq.
1988: U.S. vetoes 3 Security Council resolutions condemning continuing Israeli occupation of and repression in Lebanon.
1990-91: U.S. rejects any diplomatic settlement of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (for example, rebuffing any attempt to link the two regional occupations, of Kuwait and of Palestine). U.S. leads international coalition in war against Iraq. 5,40,000 troops stationed in Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Israel.
Gulf War 1991-?: U.S. and allies launch air strikes against Iraq targeting infrastructure and civilian sites. Over 200,000 killed in these actions. In September 1996 U.S. launches cruise missile attack on Iraqi military targets in retaliation for Iraq's incursion into Kurdish enclave. Overall around 1.5 million Iraqis have been killed. Devastating economic sanctions are imposed on Iraq. U.S. and Britain block all attempts to lift them. Hundreds of thousands die, including 5 lakh children as a result of these sanctions. Though Security Council had stated that sanctions were to be lifted once Saddam Hussein's programs to develop weapons of mass destruction were ended, Washington makes it known that the sanctions would remain as long as Saddam remains in power. Asked about the horrendous human consequences of the sanctions, Madeleine Albright (U.S.ambassador to the UN and later Secretary of State) declares that "the price is worth it."

1993: U.S. launches missile attack on Iraq, claiming self-defense against an alleged assassination attempt on former president Bush two months earlier.
1998: Four days of intensive air strikes against Iraq after weapons inspectors allege Iraqi obstructions. This was done even as the Security Council was just then meeting to discuss the matter.
Cruise missile attacks on former CIA training camps in Afghanistan in retaliation of the bomb attacks against US embassies.
2000: Israel uses U.S. arms in attempt to crush Palestinian uprising, killing hundreds of civilians.
2001: Massive US mobilisation to attack Afghanistan amid signals from Washington that the war could expand to Iraq, Sudan and beyond. The first bombing began on October 7,2001 in which several Afghan cities came under attack. There are reports of civilian casualties.

LATIN AMERICA

To record the umpteen efforts and attacks of US government on Fidel Castro and CUBA will indeed take up a lot of space. Readers may refer to Sept.30, 2001 issue of People's Democracy for a detailed chronology in this regard.
1950 : In a Command operation the independence rebellion in PEURTO RICO was crushed by the Americans in Ponce.
The CIA engineered the overthrow of the elected government of GUATEMALA in 1953. An armed exile invasion took place in which US pilots took part to overthrow President Jacobo Arbenz, who had nationalised US company lands and pursued an independent policy.
In 1965 violating the Charter of the Organisation of American States, the US armed forces landed in the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC during the election campaign, with the aim of establishing "the American order" and of putting in power a government suited to US monopolies.
In CHILE the democratically elected government of President Salavado Allende was overthrown in an incredible and bloody putsch on September 11, 1973. The "leaders" of this bloody coup were right wing military officers organised by the CIA and backed by major US multinationals whose vice-like grip over the Chilean economy was threatened by Allende's socialist policies. More than 5,000 Chileans were killed in this bloody putsch during and after the coup. US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger justified this by saying "I don't see why we should have to stand by and let a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people".
1981-82 : In EL SALVADOR US commits its troops, advisors and over-flights to aid the anti rebel war being waged by the dictator regime. US soldiers are briefly involved in hostage clash.
1983-89 : U.S. troops in numerous manoeuvres help build bases near borders in HONDURAS.
1981-90 : America's relentless operations to dislodge the revolutionary Sandinista government in NICARAGUA. It armed and aided the rebel Contra invasions against Nicaragua. It was a "secret war" till 1982 but after that the aggression against the tiny but influential Central American state became blatant.
On October 25, 1983 5,000 strong U.S. Marines contingent invaded GRENADA. This attack on the Caribbean island, the smallest independent country in the Western Hemisphere, was christened "Operation Urgent Fury". It removed the Marxist government led by Coard and installed a new government that was friendly to U.S. interests.The then US president Ronald Reagan championed the invasion as another step toward ridding the world of Communism. Forty-five Grenadians died, and 337 were wounded. America also suffered casualties: 19 dead and 119 wounded.
1989-90: Around 27,000 American troops participate in action against PANAMA with the aim of ousting the Nationalist government. In accomplishing this aim, more than 2,000 are killed.

OTHER AREAS

China : 1945-49 A 110,000 strong expeditionary corps of the US in China occupied the main strategic centres in the country. The US Air Force directly supported the troops of Chang Kai Shek. The aim was to keep the Kuomintang regime in power and to supress the liberation struggle of the Chinese people.

Greece : 1946-49 Military intervention in support of the reactionary monarchist forces in the civil war. US military planes airlifted two British divisions supposedly for preventing a communist take-over of Greece, but in reality for supporting the reactionary forces in the country.

Korea : 1950 The US took part in the military operations of the South Korean regime which tried to occupy the Korean People's Democratic Republic. Mathew Ridgway, the US Commander in Korea, declared that the aim was to destroy as many Chinese and North Koreans as possible. In the course of American aggression over 1,300,000 Koreans died.

Vietnam : 1965-73 Wide scale military interference in Vietnam with the aim of suppressing the nation liberation movement in Indo-China. By 1973 US troops in Vietnam had reached 525,000. In South Vietnam alone about one and a half million peaceful civilians were killed or wounded in this bloody war unleashed by the Americans.

Angola 1975 : In order to overthrow the popular government of Angola the Americans organised an "Airlift" for the supply of arms to UNITA rebels. It gave an allocation of 14 million dollars per annum in military aid to the rebels.

Laos : 1971 The US waged active military operations in Laos with the aim of preventing the patriotic forces of their country from strengthening their ties with Vietnam. Large contingents of Saigon troops were moved into Southern Laos, which carried out the offensive with the support of US Air Force and artillery.

Somalia : 1992-94 US led United Nations occupation during the civil war in Somalia. The troops included naval forces and sporadic bombing was resorted to. Raids were conducted against one Mogadishu faction.

Bosnia : 1993-95 US jets bomb Serbs even as the civil war continues. No fly zone enforced.

Sudan : 1998 U.S. destroys factory producing half of Sudan's pharmaceutical supply, claiming retaliation for attacks on U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya and that the factory was involved in producing "terrorist nerve gas". U.S. later acknowledges lack of evidence for the chemical warfare charge.

Kosovo : 1999 NATO's intervention undertaken ostensibly to protect ethnic Albanians from persecution by their Serbian rulers. America led NATO forces attack Serbia. Air raids and cruise missiles are launched. 20,000 Yugoslavian people killed or wounded, one million Kosovars turned into refugees, and the devastation of the economic and social infrastructure of Yugoslavia.

Macedonia : 2001 NATO troops shift and partially disarm Albanian rebels.