REMEMBERING THE FIRST 9/11: Chile 1973
In Chile, on September 11, 1973 the United States government orchestrated and overthrew democratically elected president, Salvidore Allende and helped install a dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Under Pinochet, gross human rights abuses on the citizens of Chile would last for over a decade and included being tortured, beaten, hanged, raped and shot. It is noted that 40,000 citizens were taken to a stadium to be tortured and killed while loud music played to drown out their screaming and cries for help.
President Allende believed in redistributing the wealth to the citizens by nationalizing resources. He wanted to improve the education and provide health care as well as redistribute land in his country.
This, however, was not in the best interests of US corporations, mainly ITT whose profits and power in the Chilean economy would be affected. ITT conspired with the CIA, Nixon and Kissinger to rid of Allende, a democratically elected president. They orchestrated and funded a coup d’état that would place Pinochet, a dictator, in power.
The U.S. helped its corporations maintain their power and profits at the expense of innocent lives…and continues to do so. Studies and official reports exists that document US encouragement and direct permission to leaders in other countries to violate human rights of its citizens. This makes the US the longest running and most dangerous terrorist regime in the world.
It is important that we begin to learn and investigate US foreign policy and how it affects those beyond our borders. Why?
- It allows us to initiate discussion and inform others.
- It will cause us to question our government and its interests abroad.
- It will prompt us to petition our government and formulate actions to prevent and end abusive measures, as well as hold them accountable.
- And mainly, as human beings and citizens of the world, we have a duty to help mitigate the pain and destruction of lives of others. If you know what pain and hurt caused by the lost of a loved one feels like, know that somewhere in the world – whether nearby or far away – has or is experiencing the same…and in some cases worse. When you hurt, I hurt.
So on this day of 9/11 remembrances, we acknowledge those we lost due to terrorist acts on our own soil as well as lives lost due to the terrorist acts of the United States.
#UnitedStatesTerroristRegime
SOURCES & RECOMMENDED READINGS:
“THE CULTURE OF TERRORISM” by Noam Chomsky
http://www.amazon.com/Culture-Terrorism-Noam-Chomsky/dp/1608463982/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1441974342&sr=1-1&keywords=culture+of+terrorism
“HUMAN RIGHTS IN LATIN AMERICA: The Politics of Terror & Hope” by Sonia Cardenas
http://www.amazon.com/Human-Rights-Latin-America-Pennsylvania/dp/0812221524
“IDEAL ILLUSIONS: How the U.S. Government Co-Opted Human Rights” by James Peck
http://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Illusions-Government-Co-opted-American/dp/0805083286
“THE INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY AND CHILE, 1970-71: Report to the Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate By the Subcommittee on Multinational Corporations”
http://www.naomiklein.org/files/resources/pdfs/itt_report.pdf
“COVERT ACTION IN CHILE 1963-1973” by U.S. Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities (Church Committee)
https://archive.org/details/Covert-Action-In-Chile-1963-1973
