*Ø* Blogmanac | Rumsfeld should resign
"The [new] pictures obtained by the [Washington] Post are part of a collection of around 1,000 digital photographs which also feature a soldier standing over a corpse and giving the 'thumbs up' sign, soldiers simulating sexually explicit acts and images of a cat's severed head.
"The images of abuse are similar to those broadcast by an American network last week. Those images led Mr Bush to appear on Arab television yesterday to express his outrage over the abuse of prisoners. He did not, however, formally apologise."
Source: The Guardian, Thursday May 6, 2004
I don't know how it's done in the USA, but in governments of the Westminster tradition, such as Australia and, of course, Britain, when people in a government department stuff up badly, the convention is that the minister should resign.
Surely Rumsfeld has to go now that the world has seen a glimpse of the culture of his military forces. Even if the recently exposed torture of prisoners was just an aberration, and that seems unlikely given the xenophobic hysteria promoted by the Bush administration, it is a grave enough indictment of the military to require that the biggest head should roll and not just those of the drongos who work for him.
An Iraqi man asked a Western reporter, "how would Americans feel if these things had happened to American soldiers?" That says it all. Go, Mr Rumsfeld.
In 1258 (February 10, to be precise), 800,000 citizens of Baghdad were massacred in a day or so by Hulagu Khan and his men. Such incidents burn into the soul of a people and shape their world view. Who can be surprised that such opposition to the US-led illegal invasion of their country now emanates from so many Iraqi people? Rumsfeld's Army just keeps fanning the fires of resentment and revenge, and it's high time that it stopped.
Withdraw all forces from Iraq now? I think not. The Coalition has killed maybe 50,000 Iraqis and destroyed acres of real estate. You don't invade your neighbour's house, trash it and walk away with impunity. We must not forget atrocities like the US soldiers guarding the Ministry of Oil buildings and watching while hospitals and the Baghdad Museum were looted. It's a matter of responsibility on the part of the guys who always tell us they're the ones wearing the white hats. No, they must not cut and run. They must negotiate, compensate and walk.
The US administration should find a way to negotiate with the people of Iraq a moderated but speedy withdrawal and establish significant reparations. Those who approved of the invasion might call this a naive solution, but I'm afraid that there is no alternative. Not now. A former US ambassador to Iraq has just said that the US should get out now and cut its losses.
My humble view: the Coalition must get out, and soon, but in complete openness with the victims of their aggression. A good start would be for the US to immediately commence "town hall meetings" across the country and make clear that withdrawal is imminent. Ask for the Iraqis' understanding and their help. Apologise. Mean it. Encourage United Nations involvement, and bankroll it.
It's not too late to call for goodwill, and I believe that on the whole it would be accepted. Because I'm a Pollyanna? I trust not; because Iraqis are human beings and respond to sincerity, reason and humility.
But the clock is nearing midnight.
New Iraq tortures photos emerge
"The [new] pictures obtained by the [Washington] Post are part of a collection of around 1,000 digital photographs which also feature a soldier standing over a corpse and giving the 'thumbs up' sign, soldiers simulating sexually explicit acts and images of a cat's severed head.
"The images of abuse are similar to those broadcast by an American network last week. Those images led Mr Bush to appear on Arab television yesterday to express his outrage over the abuse of prisoners. He did not, however, formally apologise."
Source: The Guardian, Thursday May 6, 2004
I don't know how it's done in the USA, but in governments of the Westminster tradition, such as Australia and, of course, Britain, when people in a government department stuff up badly, the convention is that the minister should resign.
Surely Rumsfeld has to go now that the world has seen a glimpse of the culture of his military forces. Even if the recently exposed torture of prisoners was just an aberration, and that seems unlikely given the xenophobic hysteria promoted by the Bush administration, it is a grave enough indictment of the military to require that the biggest head should roll and not just those of the drongos who work for him.
An Iraqi man asked a Western reporter, "how would Americans feel if these things had happened to American soldiers?" That says it all. Go, Mr Rumsfeld.
In 1258 (February 10, to be precise), 800,000 citizens of Baghdad were massacred in a day or so by Hulagu Khan and his men. Such incidents burn into the soul of a people and shape their world view. Who can be surprised that such opposition to the US-led illegal invasion of their country now emanates from so many Iraqi people? Rumsfeld's Army just keeps fanning the fires of resentment and revenge, and it's high time that it stopped.
Withdraw all forces from Iraq now? I think not. The Coalition has killed maybe 50,000 Iraqis and destroyed acres of real estate. You don't invade your neighbour's house, trash it and walk away with impunity. We must not forget atrocities like the US soldiers guarding the Ministry of Oil buildings and watching while hospitals and the Baghdad Museum were looted. It's a matter of responsibility on the part of the guys who always tell us they're the ones wearing the white hats. No, they must not cut and run. They must negotiate, compensate and walk.
The US administration should find a way to negotiate with the people of Iraq a moderated but speedy withdrawal and establish significant reparations. Those who approved of the invasion might call this a naive solution, but I'm afraid that there is no alternative. Not now. A former US ambassador to Iraq has just said that the US should get out now and cut its losses.
My humble view: the Coalition must get out, and soon, but in complete openness with the victims of their aggression. A good start would be for the US to immediately commence "town hall meetings" across the country and make clear that withdrawal is imminent. Ask for the Iraqis' understanding and their help. Apologise. Mean it. Encourage United Nations involvement, and bankroll it.
It's not too late to call for goodwill, and I believe that on the whole it would be accepted. Because I'm a Pollyanna? I trust not; because Iraqis are human beings and respond to sincerity, reason and humility.
But the clock is nearing midnight.
New Iraq tortures photos emerge
Pip Wilson posted item above at 11:42 PM | Permalink
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