Owen Jones: The West's escape from the destruction of Iraq paved the way for the erasure of Gaza and the extermination of its

In a new article, commentator Owen Jones highlights the Western failure to hold itself accountable for the destruction it caused in Iraq, arguing that this failure has contributed to the enabling of the crimes occurring today in Gaza. Jones explains that the West's failure to confront the consequences of its actions in Iraq has made genocide in Gaza a possibility.

Jones draws on his experience in Iraq, recalling a conversation with an angry man on Haifa Street in Baghdad, who expressed his disappointment with the American-British occupation. This man, who suffered from kidnapping and torture, represents the voice of many Iraqis who witnessed the chaos that followed the invasion.

The article reviews how the streets that witnessed atrocities in Iraq, such as Haifa Street, have become symbols of suffering. Jones recounts how journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad witnessed real tragedies, where civilians were shot at by occupation helicopters, resulting in the deaths of many innocents.

Jones points out that the failure to hold the West accountable for the crimes committed in Iraq has enabled the Israeli occupation to commit atrocities in Gaza. He argues that history clearly shows how the bloody path from Iraq to Gaza is a direct result of the lack of accountability.

The article cites statements from Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, who described the war on Iraq as illegal, reflecting how this war led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, most of whom were civilians, at the hands of occupying forces.

Jones emphasizes that the absence of accountability for the crimes in Iraq has had dire consequences, as none of the officials have paid for their actions. He notes that the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya ended in disasters, raising questions about how to hold those responsible for the crimes in Gaza accountable.

In conclusion, Jones calls for the necessity of holding politicians and media accountable who colluded in erasing Gaza from the map of the world. He stresses that modern history shows that if perpetrators are not held accountable, future crimes will become inevitable.