I’m old enough to remember when the U.S. insisted Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
I’m old enough to remember when it invaded the country without the approval of the U.N. Security Council.
I’m old enough to remember when Baghdad fell and chaos rose.
I’m old enough to remember when civilians became “routine” collateral damage.
I’m old enough to remember when the country fractured into civil war.
I’m old enough to remember when violent extremist groups began to emerge and fill the vacuum.
I’m old enough to remember when displacement became a way of life for millions.
I’m old enough to remember when black sites became common and torture was normalized.
I’m old enough to remember when Iraqis — and anyone Black, Brown or Muslim — were seen as potential terrorists, stripped of rights, detained without trial.
I’m old enough to remember when people were sent to Guantanamo Bay without ever committing a crime.
I’m old enough to remember when too many American soldiers died fighting a war they were lied to about.
I’m old enough to remember when Hollywood turned these wars into blockbusters, depicting Americans as heroes and Arabs, Muslims and South Asians as the villains.
I’m old enough to remember announcing — live on air, as a radio news presenter — the execution of Saddam Hussein on Dec. 30, 2006.
And I’m old enough to understand now: There was no threat. It was about eliminating a leader who would not align with U.S. interests. Just like what we are seeing with Iran today.
I’m old enough to remember that there was no exit plan. Only destruction, disillusionment and decades of devastation.
And I’m old enough to see, today, the same playbook unfolding again.
As I read the U.S. president’s threats to Iran and as I watch the skies over Tehran lit with bombs, I’m reminded: They have not learned.
The Middle East and South Asia have become endless war projects, designed to be destabilized, divided and dominated.
The people continue to be stripped of their right to live in peace and turned into data points in war reports.
History is repeating itself. And still, we are expected to accept the lies, to stay silent, to forget.
With too many lives at stake, our voices must be used to deconstruct false and misleading narratives and say “no” to another deadly war.
