Angelina Jolie Pens Editorial On Iraq For Washington Post

Angelina Jolie has been busy. The actress-humanitarian-UN ambassador recently returned from a trip to Iraq and revealed she's pregnant. She has now written an editorial for the Washington Post on her trip and the need for humanitarian aide:

My visit left me even more deeply convinced that we not only have a moral obligation to help displaced Iraqi families, but also a serious, long-term, national security interest in ending this crisis.

Today's humanitarian crisis in Iraq -- and the potential consequences for our national security -- are great. Can the United States afford to gamble that 4 million or more poor and displaced people, in the heart of Middle East, won't explode in violent desperation, sending the whole region into further disorder?

What we cannot afford, in my view, is to squander the progress that has been made. In fact, we should step up our financial and material assistance. UNHCR has appealed for $261 million this year to provide for refugees and internally displaced persons. That is not a small amount of money -- but it is less than the U.S. spends each day to fight the war in Iraq. I would like to call on each of the presidential candidates and congressional leaders to announce a comprehensive refugee plan with a specific timeline and budget as part of their Iraq strategy.

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[tumblewind]

I never heard her once mention that we are the ones who started this totally unnecessary war against the Iraqi people! We are the ones who are responsible for all the displaced people, the death, starvation and the misery. Does she or any one else who proposes we stay their indefinitely have any remote idea of the kind of money it's going to take to keep this going for years????? Or even care if this country is bankrupt???? Even then I think most of us might actually go for it if we could see some light at the end of the tunnel instead of the train that coming at us. She sounds like an advertisement for the Bush Administration. I still think the best thing we could do for these poor people is get out! Start minding our own business and stop this nation building BS!

[castlerider]

What nobody mentions or seeks to come to terms with is the fact that the neighboring nations, including nations in NATO, Russia, and from all over the world will very likely be happy to be a part of the restructuring, if they could be allowed to share in the rebuilding and structuring contracts that the Bush Administration greedily kept to themselves, which is one of the main reasons why they acted so careless and mindlessly to hurry up and invade Iraq.

The no-bid contracts given to Halliburton, KBR and Bechtel is something that is appalling and shows that this administration is nothing less then criminal in its objectives. The fate and concern for the people of Iraq is obviously the very last thing in their minds, and we all know what has been the first.- OIL.
Give up the oil, America. Give up the contracts, Cheney. It's that easy. Let's let the country belong to it's rightful owners, allow peace to come home, let the refugees come home, and for God's sake, let our brave service Men and Women come back home. NOW.

[mamacat]

I have the feeling that the U.S. does not want to spend money helping Iraqis, unless it directly benefits American corporations like Smith & Wesson or Halliburton. This administration would rather spend $1billion fighting Iraqis than $1million helping to feed and shelter them. Maybe I'm wrong; I hope so.

[shedances]

I don't think you're wrong, mamacat.

K

[jogger]

We owe the Iraqi people big time for destroying their country.

However, we do not owe any more American lives.

I would like Angelina Jolie to specifically speak to all we have accomplished in Iraq that makes it imperative to keep our troops there. That she speaks of accomplishment only enables those who continue to rape that country, and embezzle US taxpayer dollars.

Miss Jolie was too young, but we were told Viet Nam would be a blood bath. Today we do business with Viet Nam. Today we promote the communist country of Viet Nam.
How is that well intentioned people such as Jolie go on Iraq tours and suddenly they understand a very complicated and nuanced debacle that has been our policy in that nation?

Yes, these people have been taken advantage of by the United States, so why would they want an American presence to continue?

Once we have a new president who is not part of this failed policy, nor enabled it, we can then address the world community with at least an ounce of credibility on how best to serve the displaced Iraqi people, and end the corrupted American occupation while withdrawing the innocent US military men and women out of Iraq.

[VivaZapata]

good analysis, jogger. let me add that it was vietnam that helped bring about an end to the barbaric rule of madman pol pot in cambodia.

[BatedBreath]

And I say no more money for humanitarian relief from the U.S. until the shrub and his enablers are out of office. The money would just disappear into the pockets of the no-bid contractors or the inept Iraqi government or where ever the other billions have gone.

[GnitenGoodLk]

Obama made the statement during the last debate that once you drive the bus into a ditch, there are only so many ways you can get it out. A valid perspective on the situation. Angelina Jolie's op ed identifies one of the crucial steps needed to get the bus out of the ditch. No matter what you think of her, she is correct in her assertion that millions of remaining Iraqis living in post-"Shock and Awe" Iraq, many children, will be faced with the choice of joining insurgents just to survive. Many will die in these conditions. This is, and continues to be the worst humanitarian disaster of our generation. How we manage this will have political and national security consequences for generations to come. This is not an aspect of the cost of war any of us should relegate to the backburner of issues on Iraq. This is the forefront, this is what wins wars, mobilizing survivors and rebuilding. The priority of this administration is not political stability, that is a smoke screen completely unattainable now, or in the near future, the priority is population stability. Without a stable population you cannot have a stable government.

You want to shoot the messenger, cloud the issue with hollywood gossip nonsense, go for it. Doesn't change the truth on the ground. I would like to see this administration, and Congress, stop wasting time and money on bullshit like HGH in baseball and start developing a strategy/mobilizing NGO's to return to Iraq in force to begin stabilizing the population. Not after the elections, but NOW.

[GuyMac]

I realize that Angelina Jolie is a multifaceted person, but I doubt she is now an editor at The Washington Post.. Newspaper editors write editorials. She has no doubt written an op-ed -- a column -- not an editorial.

[THEINSULTEDANDINJURED]

I read somewhere that actors have an insatiable need for the spotlight. They cannot stand to be out of the public view for very long, their self esteem comes from the constant admiration and attention. If she wants to help everyone that's great but I wonder if she would do it if in some parallel universe she received absolutely no publicity and absolutely no one knew she was doing it. I think not, the cameras have to be rolling all the time for this woman. Photo ops and not philanthropy are her major motivation. Can we say Oprah, Bono, etc? Heaven knows what they would do if third world countries and poverty did not exist?

[dolphy]

Please, people. If she's doing something good for a group of people, just let her give whatever she gives and not try to read what's in her mind or try to guess what her motives are. If she gave a million, it's a million that can feed/clothe/house a lot of third world children. If she gave 10 million, then that's better. Just don't judge.

[Dandy12]

If one-tenth of the Pentagon Budget went towards the Peace Corps since its inception, we would be much better off today. Although people may think Brad and Angelina a bit kooky, they are doing a lot of positive things!

[curiousasheck]

Brad and Angelina

The new "Darlings" and Spokespersons of the New World Disorder.

[Alessan]

Angelina Jolie does donate so it has been written 1/4 of her salary to charity. I don't think what
she is suggesting is a good idea. The US is trillions of dollars in debt, we can barely pay for
programs here for the people living below the proverty line. Jobs have been lost to NAFTA
and companies are sending work that could be done here to other countries for cheap labor.
I feel for the poor people that have to endure the Iraqi war, this is why the US needs to pull out
of Iraq, let the political party there solve their own problems. Iraq is oil rich they can afford to rebuild their own country and help their own people. There is work to be done here in the USA, if the war ends there will be a lot more money to go around for different causes.

[NicoleAnonymous]

I keep hearing about her donating a substantial portion of her salary to charity but it's always "rumors" or "it has been written" but never facts. I provided facts and she doesn't appear to donate that much. Any accountant would tell someone who makes $100 million they need to donate money to charity for tax purposes. But I'm not surprised that people belive publicity from a celebrity without any facts.

The problem with Iraq is there are valid reasons to stay and also valid reasons to leave. The main reason we need to leave is obviously to bring our troops home and spend the money we spend in Iraq in this country where we need it. But then again it seems immoral to illegally invade a country and then leave innocent civilians there to deal with thugs and terrorists on their own. Their government doesn't seem capable of handling that yet.

[Alessan]

Right the Iraq is only half capable, there has been no political solution yet, the surge
has not helped to acheive a political solution the deal with that congress made with
Bush on the surge, was to be a political solution, as usual as anything with Bush has been a failure. It's immoral to continue the war, by funding the war.

[GrandyK]

Bill O'Reilly did one of his investigations -- probably trying to set-up a slam of AJ -- and BO said when her Dad was on his show that AJ is absolutely authentic and does 100% what she says.

What Angelina said is that she spends 1/3 of what she make, saves 1/3 and gives 1/3 away.

[AmericanNation]

The questionable reported donation by Ms. Jolie has never been proven by any tax filling or other formal record it was reported when she was trying to re-create her image from her earlier incarnation as someone with deep narcisstic tendencies and psychological problems but it was never confirmed. Just public relations spin. And, your statement that Iraq is oil rich is wrong as well, American contractors have been awarded rights to the pipelines, refineries, and crude production itself to pay Haliburton for its rebuilding of Iraq. It will take generations for the Iraqi people to use their only natural resource, oil, to pay for the American and allied war costs and rebuilding. And, sadly there is no money in America either, we have a three trillion dollar debt, which will take generations to pay, and if the Arabs, Chinese, or Germans ever demand payment on their loans to our government, we will be in default, and in jeapordy of losing our place on the world stage.

[NicoleAnonymous]

I think she started the "rumor" that she gives a substantial portion of her own money to charity around the time she stold Billy Bobb from his wife Laura Dern but I was still really surprised when I tried to find proof because the amount of money she actually donates is much less than I thought. But she is "associated" with many charities and has makes sure that she has lots of photo-ops with them so I understand why do many people are fooled by her.

I'm curious who negotiated the contracts for Haliburton and the other contractors and if it's possible to either cancel them or renegotiate with companies that give more back to the people in Iraq. I've always thought Rove and Wolfowitz and the other people who justified the war really only wanted the oil pipeline that runs through Iraq although only a very tiny percentage of the oil in the world comes from there. We don't seem to invade countries with evil leaders if the countries don't have oil in them.

[scottarino]

ANYONE can pen an editorial for the Washington Post. Just put pen to paper and mail it away, or better yet, e-mail them your opinion.

[AmericanNation]

As laudible as it is for Ms. Jolie to be concerned about the war in Iraq, it is wholly disingenous for her to be dressed in battle fatigues, a flak vest, and helmet for a purely fictious photo op which is likely going to net her a financial profit as do most of her supposed altruistic endeavours. She has been on the front page of every media avenue for the past few days, but the real heroes, the real altruists, the allied and US soldiers, the NGO's, and the Red Cross workers who have been working and dying under fire every day for years are nowhere to be seen, and I find that appalling. Ms. Jolie has a team of private and military bodygaurds which do not appear in any of the photographs or articles, I dare say that if US and allied troops had that much protection we would not have to be burying so many of our best and brightest in our native soil. In future, I would appeal to the media to place Ms. Jolie and her narsasstic scripted tour in the entertainment section where it belongs and put real soldiers, doctors, and other heroes on the front page as actual news.

[VOTER]

Now tell us what you have done.

[OverIt]

You do realize that the battle fatigues, vest, and helmet are for SAFETY REASONS right??? It's not just desert fashion.

[GrandyK]

I thought helmets and body armour were required by the DoD for ANYONE in the GREEN ZONE -- McCain and Lieberman were wearing the same get-up. This was a State Department trip -- probably using AJ to buff up Bush -- lost cause -- but this administration is as thick as a brick. Her guide was an under-secretary to Rice.

[cdnnewsjunky]

Heroes? Those that illegally invade a soverign nation and murder it's innocent women and children can hardly be called heroes.

[GhostintheMachine]

terrorist sympathizer

[sharmdun]

the young men in women in uniform for 200 plus years have fought many battles so you can be a jerk and call them something other then what they are. HEROES

[margotb822]

So you would rather that celebrities continue their lives of excess and debauchery? We should be happy that someone is using their fame for more than endorsement deals.

Angelina has been speaking out against injustice for years and her trip to Iraq was not her first or only trip to a war zone. McCain war all that gear and then called it "safe." Not only did she not do it for photo-op reasons, she was not speaking for or against the war, she was speaking for the refugees.

Your feelings should be directed towards the corporate media that cares more about ratings than news. This story happens to be both, imo.

www.serveoutloud.blogspot.com

[margotb822]

McCain war all that gear and then called it "safe."

Sorry, I meant 'wore' not 'war'. Must have been a freudian slip...


www.serveoutloud.blogspot.com

[wedgie]

You are evil.

**

[margotb822]

While these people are not the focus of her piece, many of the people who have fled are the educated and skilled workers; the people that Iraq needs in order to rebuild. NPR had a great piece with interviews from many people who would bring the change and the stability necessary.

The money that she is requesting is a pittance compare to what we spend in Iraq. I believe that we benefit more from "pre-emptive aid" than we do from any type of war. We have an opportunity to stem the growth of terrorism and paint a positive picture in the minds of the refugees.

www.serveoutloud.blogspot.com