Isn’t an Iraqi Flag – Is US
Most of the world is neither a friendly nor appreciative place.
No matter what we in the United States do to help the rest of the planet – no matter how much for how many countries – we only continue to be hated and reviled.
A lot of it is not our fault. Because human nature.
Life is high school on steroids.
Most people in high school really didn’t like the varsity quarterback. He was athletic. And popular. And dated multiple cheerleaders. Most of the rest of the student body resented him much more than even those who liked him – liked him.
The United States – is the world’s high school quarterback. Our economic and military prowess – is going to be resented.
The rest of it – is our fault. Because human nature.
We do insist on sticking our enormous proboscis into all sorts of things and places – where neither it nor we belong.
We have a particular affection for armed invasions – for all the (publicly asserted) right reasons, of course.
We are now almost two decades into Afghanistan. Which started righteously – we were attacked on 9/11/2001 by Islamist freaks based out of there.
But what should have been at most a six-month endeavor – has dragged on and on and…. With no end in sight.
The things we were told prevented us from leaving in Year Three and Year Eight, and Year Twelve, and… – are exactly the same things we are told prevent us from leaving now. With no end in sight.
A sad, horrible, horrendous waste of blood, time and treasure – by any rational measure.
One of the many follies this Afghani folly’s proponents have incessantly put forward – since even before we invaded – is that our efforts would “win the hearts and minds of the Afghans.”
Ummm…they still have not.
“‘Green on blue attacks’ is the name given to a growing series of incidents where seemingly rogue Afghan security forces turn their guns on their NATO counterparts.”
Protestors Burn U.S. Flag in Pakistan and Afghanistan
In fact, we never will “win the hearts and minds.” In Afghanistan – or anywhere else on Earth. Most especially under arms.
As French politician Maximillian Robespierre knew:
“The most extravagant idea that can be born in the head of a political thinker is to believe that it suffices for people to enter, weapons in hand, among a foreign people and expect to have its laws and constitution embraced. No one loves armed missionaries; the first lesson of nature and prudence is to repulse them as enemies.”
Even when we do do a country a real solid – in exactly the right way – it doesn’t help or matter.
In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. The United States led a 35-nation coalition that rapidly expelled Iraq. After which we all got the heck out – and returned Kuwait to the Kuwaitis.
So we’re Kuwait’s eternal heroes, right? They love US forever, yes?
“Kuwait votes against the United States 67% of the time (at the United Nations).”
Which brings us to today.
Much of Kuwait’s economy – is business centered on and around raising oil from beneath their feet and selling it. A lot of help for doing a lot of internal things – comes from companies elsewhere on the planet.
One such company – is KGL Investment Company:
“A Kuwaiti investment fund is calling on the Kuwaiti government to clarify its position over close to $500 million of the fund’s assets which are currently stuck in a Dubai bank, after growing concerned about possible efforts by some Kuwaiti individuals to seize the money.”
Kuwait and Dubai had frozen KGLs half billion dollars – until they finally released it in February.
But it ain’t just coin – it’s personnel:
“This is just one part of a wider dispute which includes allegations of corruption and embezzlement involving Russian businesswoman Marsha Lazareva, managing director of KGL Investment (KGLI), which sponsored The Port Fund.
“Lazareva was handed a 10-year jail sentence by a court in Kuwait in May. Her lawyers, Washington D.C.-based law firm Crowell & Moring, say she was subjected to a ‘show trial’ and have started proceedings to set up an international tribunal to examine the case.”
Lazavera was released in June on $6 million bail – but Lazareva is still held captive in Kuwait. Her bail only gets her out of jail – not the country. All predicated upon a ridiculous conviction and still facing ridiculous fines. And her four-year-old son is – instead of starting school in Pennsylvania – also de facto stuck in Kuwait. So he can continue to be with his mom.
A great and growing group of people are calling for action – including from the Donald Trump Administration:
Lawmakers From Both Parties Request Action from Treasury to Help Businesswoman Stuck in Kuwait
Both inside and outside government – and the US:
“Among those advocating for Lazareva’s release are Neil Bush, the son of the late President George H.W. Bush, Louis Freeh, former director of the FBI, Jim Nicholson, former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, former U.S. Representative Ed Royce, Sergey Lavrov, foreign minister of Russia, British Barrister Lord Carlile and members of UK Parliament….”
Why all this Kuwaiti nonsense? Besides innate ungratefulness? Kuwaiti cronyism:
“Behold Agility Logistics. A Kuwaiti company – with close ties to the Kuwaiti government.
“Agility’s CEO, Essa Anwar Al-Saleh – is a former Chairman of Kuwait’s Gulf Bank. So he exercised significant power over Kuwaiti commerce and finance.
“And it appears Al-Saleh still does. Agility is a KGL competitor – with the home nation advantage. The Kuwaiti government appears to be (holding the Lazarevas and) freezing KGLs coin – to benefit Agility.”
“Agility, a Kuwait-based multi-billion dollar logistics company spawned by the U.S. invasion of Iraq….”
…we made Agility’s very existence possible.
Yet again – no appreciation. Only antagonism.
Oh: Agility has a long history of screwing its clients. Including US:
“The Defense Logistics Agency suspended Agility, which specializes in logistics, in November 2009 after its parent company Public Warehousing Company K.S.C. was indicted in Atlanta on $6 billion in fraud charges stemming from food services contracts for troops in Iraq, Kuwait and the Middle East region.”
Defense Contractor Resolves Criminal, Civil and Administrative Liability Related to Food Contracts:
“Agility Pays $95 Million and Gives Up $249 Million in Claims to (the US) DOD.”
So you have an ungrateful Kuwait – screwing a US company and its executive and thumbing its nose at US.
So as to benefit its crony, corrupt in-house company – that has already, repeatedly screwed US.
This cacophony of nonsense has dragged on, and on, and….
It is high time we bring it to an end.
Ingrate Kuwait has already held the advantage for far too long.
Please note: This piece has been updated. Mrs. Lazareva is still being held captive in Kuwait. She was bailed out of prison – but is still prohibited from leaving the country. Also: The KGL funds were released in February. Also: While KGL does handles a lot of US coin – they are not a US company. Please forgive the errors – my Kuwaiti sources are decidedly lacking.
This first appeared in Red State.