This is why I can't read novels any more.
By now everyone's seen the awful photos of American GI's gleefully humiliating and torturing their captives in Saddams' old dundgeon.
>From an Irish source:
Torture pictures 'the end' for USA in Iraq 30/04/2004 - 09:16:55
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=102568386&p=yxz569x9z
Natually Tony Blair’s human rights envoy to Iraq, Ann Clwyd, hastened to deny any comparasion with the Saddam regime:
“A small number of cases, horrible though they are – you cannot compare that with the tens of thousands of people Saddam Hussein was responsible for executing and torturing,” she said.
Ah but wait! Just give us more time! Saddam had decades, but we've only just begun!
What were these GIs thinking, PHOTOGRAPHING their exploits? I guess some people really are just plain idiots.
Does anybody realize the kind of reaction that the sight of a white woman, obviously enjoying the humiliation she and her mates were imposing upon a group of naked Arab men forced into a pyrimid-pile, will produce in the Arab world? A sexist reality, for sure - just another 'defect' of Arab and Islamic society in need of 'reform' by our neocons - but a reality that has nasty blowback potential for the US nonetheless. That one photo was worth a million new recruits to whatever organizations exist who want to kill Americans, now, no matter what.
Oh, and not to be caught short, our noble Brits join in the fun, though in less refined 'soccer fan' style - just beat and piss on your victims, please (this is an Irish paper, remember):
Shocking pics show British torturing Iraqi 30/04/2004 - 22:06:51 http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=102660166&p=yxz66x87z&n=102660926
“If proven, not only is such appalling conduct clearly unlawful, but it also contravenes the British army’s high standards." I suppose because Her Majesty's Armed Forces maintain standards that are above the law.
So that is why they don't need a constitution.
Interesting that these 'news leaks' are surfacing now - plus Ted Koppel, etc. Factions in play?
The latest Fallujah events are also potentially interesting. Until now, each media proclamation of a 'ceasefire' was to dimissed as an Israel-style propaganda ploy that in fact heralded a fresh US military offensive against the besieged Arab city.
But now we have the announcement of the selection of an ex-Saddam "Live Beginner" (what do you call recycled "Dead Enders"?) general, local to the region, as commander of a new "Fallajah Protection" force, without the Marines acomplishing the defeat and disarmament of the defenders, who, for all anyone knows, could end up in this new force!
If this in fact takes hold, it would be an significant setback for the U.S.
-Brad Mayer