Google map and fuel to fire
Lasting News has created a Google Map in which Torture Awareness Month activities can be stored. If you are planning an event, or know of one, please add it to the map. I've started adding entries from the Calendar to it, but I'm not finished yet, so if anyone wants to try it out...
A few days ago, Bush was asked what his biggest regret was. Many blogs have covered the first answer he gave ("bring it on"), but I thought his second admission was interesting as well. Bush said:
It is interesting on two counts. First, because he admits what many of us have been saying for some time, namely that these tactics are more harm than they're worth. For example, ICG released a report earlier this year on how best to counter the insurgency. Four out of their 6 recommendations were about ending human rights abuses committed by the Coalition and their Iraqi allies. These suggestions were not made because it is the moral thing to do, but because the strategic price, in terms of good will and trust, is higher than the benefits derived.
Bush's response was also interesting because he asserts that the people responsible have been brought to justice. The Daily Irrelevant has a nice summary of why that claim is not accurate. To date, no commanding officers have been prosecuted.
Unfortunately, the innaccuracy on the second count exacerbates the unhappy truth identified in the first. If the mere fact of Abu Ghraib damaged the war effort, how much worse is it made by the continuation of these policies, and the lack of accountability from the higher-ups? What's done is done, but it is not done with. The Coalition will continue to pay for Abu Ghraib until this policy is ended, and the victims of these abuses and their communities are given justice and closure.
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Recommended video: Lifting the Hood- The Prisoners of Abu Ghraib, Dateline Nov 2005. Streaming video and transcript
A few days ago, Bush was asked what his biggest regret was. Many blogs have covered the first answer he gave ("bring it on"), but I thought his second admission was interesting as well. Bush said:
I think the biggest mistake that's happened so far, at least from our country's involvement in Iraq, is Abu Ghraib. We've been paying for that for a long period of time. And it's -- unlike Iraq, however, under Saddam, the people who committed those acts were brought to justice; they've been given a fair trial and tried and convicted.
It is interesting on two counts. First, because he admits what many of us have been saying for some time, namely that these tactics are more harm than they're worth. For example, ICG released a report earlier this year on how best to counter the insurgency. Four out of their 6 recommendations were about ending human rights abuses committed by the Coalition and their Iraqi allies. These suggestions were not made because it is the moral thing to do, but because the strategic price, in terms of good will and trust, is higher than the benefits derived.
Bush's response was also interesting because he asserts that the people responsible have been brought to justice. The Daily Irrelevant has a nice summary of why that claim is not accurate. To date, no commanding officers have been prosecuted.
Unfortunately, the innaccuracy on the second count exacerbates the unhappy truth identified in the first. If the mere fact of Abu Ghraib damaged the war effort, how much worse is it made by the continuation of these policies, and the lack of accountability from the higher-ups? What's done is done, but it is not done with. The Coalition will continue to pay for Abu Ghraib until this policy is ended, and the victims of these abuses and their communities are given justice and closure.
---
Recommended video: Lifting the Hood- The Prisoners of Abu Ghraib, Dateline Nov 2005. Streaming video and transcript
posted by elendil at 8:39 PM
8 Comments:
Is there a reason that the blogroll isn't displayed on this blog? I'd much rather link to here than put the blogroll on my own site.
Doh! I scrolled down far enough to see the blogroll. Someone more experienced with blogspot than I might be able to suggest the fix to get that up nearer the top of the site...
I just added a new post and now my blogroll has been pushed way down below the posts. May be a Blogger-wide problem.
Hi nell. When I look at it, I see it at the 'top' of the sidebar (i.e. below the 'Purpose' section, above the 'Further reading' section), although once I didn't load the page properly and it appeared to be down the bottom. Perhaps I'll check it out with a few different browsers to make sure it's working right.
I'm using IE 6.0. On my system, both here at at my blog the sidebar stuff doesn't begin until below all the posts. But, at least on my blog, it was fine this morning.
Blogger 'help' is no help, but I'm getting what I'm paying for.
Figured it out. The image I posted in my Memorial Day post was too wide, and it pushed the whole sidebar to the end of the posts.
I reduced it and things snapped back to normal. In IE, your sidebar material is still below the posts; I'm guessing it's the code window for the blogroll that's pushing it over. Not a huge deal, but it does make it hard for new visitors using IE 6 to see what blogroll you're inviting them to join.
Thanks for the help nell, I think it should be fixed now.
Interesting comment indeed. Considering that he will reserve the right to approve torture so evidently being too ignorant to buy into the 'tick tock' scenario or really ignorant about what torture is...it doesn't hold much water to me what he says..justice justice justice..it's just a nice catchy word these days but it means squat..
Ingrid
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