Posted on 06/26/2004 5:05:36 AM PDT by Clive
Increasingly, many Americans (and others) are distressed at media reports from Iraq, that they feel are distorted and create a false impression.
There's some truth to this -- witness CNN jumping uncritically to report that Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld okayed the use of so-called waterboard torture that simulates drowning in order to extract confessions.
This subsequently turned out to be untrue -- although Rumsfeld okayed a number of interrogation techniques, but nothing that violated the Geneva Convention. What he okayed was interrogators yelling at prisoners, offering inducements, the use of multiple interrogators, using lies to get info, deceit, false documents, but nothing injurious or life-threatening.
Prisoners may be denied hot food and "condemned" to eat MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), which, horrors, are what American soldiers eat in the field. Oh, the inhumanity ...
President George W. Bush is on record vowing that the "principles" of the Geneva Convention will apply to all prisoners.
As for the despicable (but not lethal) abuse of Iraq prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison, the U.S. now has footage of Iraqi guards slowly and imaginatively killing prisoners bit by bit to reassure Saddam Hussein and his perverted, homicidal sons.
Frankly, I'd argue that these films be widely shown, if only to put "torture" into perspective -- such as Muslim militants decapitating hostages. How are such people reformed or re-educated into cultural decency?
In truth, they can't be. Putting current events into perspective is never easy and rarely appreciated. But it's sometimes necessary.
Different perspective
I received the following from Simma Holt, former Liberal MP under Pierre Trudeau and a News Hall of Fame journalist from B.C.
Where Simma -- no fan of the Bush family -- got this I've no idea, but it's a perspective that often differs from what we get from media reports:
Last January, there were 39 combat-related killings in Iraq. In the city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the same month. That's just one American city -- about as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq.
When some claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war because Iraq never threatened America, it could be recalled that in 1941 President Franklin Roosevelt went to war with Germany, which never attacked America. Japan did.
From 1941-1945, 450,000 American lives were lost -- an average of 112,500 per year.
President Harry Truman concluded the war against Japan ... and started one in Korea. North Korea never attacked America as al-Qaida did, but from 1950-1953, 55,000 U.S. lives were lost, an average of 18,334 per year.
Vietnam 'quagmire'
John Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked. President Lyndon Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost -- an average of 5,800 per year.
When he was president, Bill Clinton went to war in Kosovo, without UN or French consent. Serbia never attacked America. Clinton was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked the West on multiple occasions.
In the two years since 9/11, Bush has liberated two countries. Crushed the Taliban. Crippled al-Qaida. Put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.
The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but it took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound -- a 51-day operation.
We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time that it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose law firm billing records.
It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.
It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida.
From this perspective, President Bush as commander-in-chief is doing a great job, with military morale high.
Some people just don't see all the facts.
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Nicely put.
bttt...when you see it spelled out plainly, it makes you think the debates in the fall should be a cakewalk. I am dreaming of election night, going onto the scum left msg board I troll and mocking their loss gleefully.
The best thing to do with people who are wrong and are stubbornly persistant in their arrogant ignorance is just to ignor them...There are only about three that protest in town now and it's still "Blood For Oil" and no one, I mean even the maggot-infested libs pay any attention to them.
And using he Dems' own criteria, Kosovo.
Great post..thanks..I'm gonna "borrow" one of those for my tag line..if it fits..
I'm emailing this great article to my brother who has been critical of Iraq from the beginning.
That's good stuff.
Put them naked into a room where the temperature is about 60 degrees for a few hours. Cold is a mighty demoralizer.
Why is it wars only start when we Americans get involved. In both these cases, a war was already on. North Korea invaded South Korea; we went to help the invaded. In Vietnam, same thing.
I don't get it . . .
BUMP!
For example, al Sadr declares a former funeral parlour a "holy mosque" plays up to western cultural sensitivity via the media, makes threats about "angering the arab world" then they use that site to attack Americans. No outrage from our side at this incredible hypocracy.
Likewise his terrorists use children to haul ammo, a win-win situation for the moslems for either they will get their ammo, or they will have a maimed "innocent victim" to broadcast on al Jazeera. No outrage on our side, only guilt feelings.
I've heard Americans justfy the insurrection by saying "they are only defending their country." Well, they don't believe in a country, they are fighting for their mullah. And furthermore they have no qualms about killing their own countrymen.
The Pentagon ought to have a much better propaganda mill to compete with CNN.
Great point!
I've come to the same conclusion. Just ignore them. Bombing Germany and Japan into liberation literally saved lives but these people could never understand that. President Bush has done an excellent job by telling the military the job he wants done and then letting them figure out how to do it. Has there been problems? Yes, but in History plans for war always start changing the minute D-Day comes. Our wonderful people in uniform led by President Bush have done an excellent job and when and if these socialists who are protected by our guys ever come to their senses maybe we can have an intelligent conversation with them.
I've seen this info before, but it can't be repeated enough - particularly in light of two bipartisan Congressional committees finding that the lamestream media has focused almost entirely on the negative aspects of the Iraq War.
Copy and paste to all your friends. Give them some perspective to think about.
This is typical of leftists--no capacity to think beyond the slogan. Life is simple for simpletons.
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This article is a keeper.
"Last January, there were 39 combat-related killings in Iraq. In the city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the same month."
This is how it looks to me; that the Iraqis will be in gang warfare similar to Detroit - Chicago - Oakland for many years, that we will still have deaths in those cities for many years to come, and lastly unless either place really wants to become peaceful there will be no peace.
My son who got back from Iraq in October he was in Nasariah and when his unit pulled out the Italians move in and suffered pretty bad loses from suicide bombers. My point is that lawlessness is a very hard cycle to break unless you are willing to be ruthless. Also you need to get rid of liberal judges in the courts who reward victimhood.
In the two years since 9/11, Bush has liberated two countries. Crushed the Taliban. Crippled al-Qaida. Put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.as always, it was a pleasure pingin' ya.
The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but it took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound -- a 51-day operation.
We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time that it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose law firm billing records.
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
Thanks Civ.
I especially enjoyed the line about Hillary's missing law firm records.
I hope it is thrown into her smug face real soon.
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