I'd like to know how _accurate_ Hitchens' piece is, as far as actual events in Iraq are concerned. On this list, we've been discussing the attacks on American soldiers, and the occasional fuckup or two. Most of the mainstream media's been focusing on the hunt for WMDs, the attacks on American soldiers, and the bill for 87 billion samoleons. But has there been any extensive coverage of, say, the disinternment of mass graves, which Hitchens describes? Seems to me that such things ought to be considered when forming an opinion on the war.
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I believe the information about the mass graves is accurate.
I agree that this should be considered when making an opinion about the invasion but instead of edging me towards the 'support' column as might be expected, it re-affirms my original position of being against.
As every school child would know if schools taught comprehensive history, the US supported Saddam during the time when these crimes were being commited most aggressively.
Many of the administration faces we see on television today (certainly Rumsfeld) played a direct role in providing assistance. Everyone knew about these mass deaths and all the rest of the Ba'athist murders and repressions.
But of course they didn't care.
Just as I wouldn't send an arsonist to put out a fire or a dog to guard my cheeseburger I wouldn't expect people who demonstrated a high tolerance for their friend's use of torture and murder to deliver the victims from those horrors.
In large part, the failure of the US' invasion is caused by the fact that the motives are so transparently piratical. That is, if a new Saddam could be installed today (perhaps Al Chalabi?) and restored order by cracking open the heads of men, women and children - innocent or guilty - and establishing a new police state the US would take the opportunity and run like a gazelle.
Recent moves by Bremer and his henchmen to recruit former(?) members of the Mukharabat show which side of the fence these men stand on.
A new puppet would enjoy much praise so long as the necessary tribute was paid to Rome - crimes against the populace would be only a public relations irritant. Later, there would be mass graves again and this apparent deliverance would be revealed as merely a pause between dictatorships.
So yes, the discovery of mass graves is very important. It reminds us that Saddam is a monster. Viewed wholly, it should also remind us that the war to remove him was essentially a large-scale and bloody employer/employee dispute.
Saddam should be on the docket. Along with many people who ride in limos past the Lincoln Memorial on their way to work everyday.
DRM
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