Reflecting on 21 Years Since "Shocking and Awful:" the Invisible Wounds of Warfare

Making the Invisible, Visible

Mar 20, 2024

Reflecting on 21 Years Since Shocking and Awful: The Unseen Wounds of Warfare

A dossier released by Iraq Body Count, a project of the U.K. non-governmental non-violent and disarmament organization Oxford Research Group, attributed approximately 6,616 civilian deaths to the actions of U.S.-led forces during the "invasion phase", including the shock-and-awe bombing campaign on Baghdad.

On this 21st anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, marked by the sinister campaign known as "Shocking and Awful," we reflect upon the scars left by the atmospheric river of bombs that rained down on Baghdad and the destructive power of reprehensible U.S. imperialism that destroyed yet another nation. U.S. imperialism certainly has racked up an impressive (not in the good way) body count and 21-years later we are arguing about such things as pronouns and which bourgeois candidate will be best to steer this dilapidated and leaky ship of state to total collapse.

A Chronicle of Deception and Devastation

The pretext for this conflict was a proven hoax, orchestrated by the war criminal regime of George W. Bush, bolstered by a complicit media environment that broadcasted (without questioning) the falsehoods that Saddam Hussein held hands with Osama bin Laden in the 9/11 attacks and that Iraq was a sanctuary for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and terrorism. These claims, as many of us would later fully expose, were unfounded and led to a chain of devastation not merely for Iraq but for global geopolitics. Remember when talk show host Phil Donahue dared question the rush to war and was fired by NBC?

It’s also worth mentioning that four-years ago, another hoax of massive proportions was being foisted on the planet by the same global servants of Empire that worked out the “problem” of Saddam Hussein: the Corona scam. Jesus, to quote, or misquote, Lincoln: you can fool most of the people most of the time. Countless numbers of my former friends/colleagues who rejected the hoax of Iraq, opened their arms and lives wide enough to embrace the Shamdemic. It’s my policy to never be fooled at anytime. If that makes me cynical, it also allows me to be un-jabbed, happy, and healthy.

The Graveyard of Imperial Ambitions

The wrath of these war crimes in Iraq left behind a nation in ruins, its infrastructure shattered not just by bombs but by the further breaking of its societal and historical continuity. Beyond the immediate rubble and smoke, the profound impacts of “Shocking and Awful” continue to haunt Iraq:

Decimated Infrastructure: Essential services and the quality of life for Iraqis deteriorated with the demolition of bridges to water treatment facilities that were targeted.

Casualty of Innocents: Conservative estimates suggest over one million Iraqis lost their lives due to direct or indirect consequences of the invasion, manifesting a human tragedy of immense proportions.
American Lives Lost: Thousands of U.S. soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice, among them my son, Casey Sheehan, on April 4, 2004, a personal loss that embodies the national tragedy shared by countless families.
Environmental Catastrophe: The use of depleted uranium and other toxic weaponry has seeded a legacy of illness, leaving a population to grapple with surging cancer rates.
The Breeding Ground for Resistance: Despite claims to the contrary, the chaos post-invasion offered a fertile ground for resistance to flourish, both within Iraq and as an ideological beacon for extremism globally. Isn’t it ironic that the imperial terrorism of U.S. military policy doesn’t actually prevent violence, but, enhances it? Damn Orwell and his prophecies.

Lessons Unlearned? (“They” also lied when they said there was no such thing as a “dumb question.”)

It’s interesting to me that we, as a global community, just passed the 56th anniversary of the war crime of My Lai, which proves that history may be written, but it is never heeded. The echo of the Bush regime’s “Shocking and Awful” campaign resonates in current international policy and attitudes. The abominable display of military might and its aftermath became a cautionary tale that seems implicitly ignored when new conflicts arise or old ones persist. Millions of people marched around the world on February 15, 2003 as millions are marching around the world in opposition of Israel’s display of “Shocking and Awful” in Gaza. Does anyone think that Garbage People give any sh!ts about protest?

On this tragic 21st anniversary, it is crucial to unravel, and recall, the uncontested lies that were spun to both understand and antidote the continued and escalating impulse for imperial conquests. For the loss of life—each an unfathomable blow, the grief of which pours through generations—should be a guiding light to illuminate the perils of aggression and the virtues of restraint and diplomacy.

My grandchildren never met their Uncle Casey, but, his loss to our family is a living-breathing entity with a life of its own. Even the specter of my never-born grandchildren show up at holidays, birthdays, other family gatherings, and in my dreams.

While we do count our secular blessings and the boundless love that only keeps growing, there are holes in our hearts that can never be filled: multiply this by the millions murdered by imperialism and the well of despair seems bottomless; but not without, dare I say, the possibilities for love and joy. I just want to make clear that even though loss over-shadows my life, love and joy sustain me through it. I can never get over the death of Casey, but, I have learned to live with purpose through it. Does this make sense?

**Casey Sheehan (29 May 1979 to 04 April 2004) Not Just a Number to His Family**

While remembering my son, and all those who have been captured into war's unforgiving prison, may we tirelessly work towards a world where peace and justice are the pillars of international relations rather than domination and diabolical force.

Iraq—a testament of history's ironies—stands as a witness to both human frailty and resilience. And as we look back on these tumultuous two decades since “Shocking and Awful,” may we commit to nurturing our wounds into wisdom and our memories into enduring peace.