Posted on 12/09/2005 9:25:47 AM PST by Miami Vice
Michael P. Tremoglie is a writer who recently published his first novel "A Sense of Duty." His work has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, Human Events, Front Page and Insight magazines. E-mail him at elfegobaca@comcast.net -------------------------------------------------------
An incredible change of attitude towards the war in Iraq occurred when an unlikely person, in an unlikely place, effectively, if inadvertently, expressed his approval of the war.
Ramsey Clark, leader of the vehement Bush-hating antiwar group International ANSWER, has been approved as a defense attorney for Saddam Hussein. Clark has been an advocate for Hussein for years now. He has inveighed against the Bush administration for the war in Iraq and the Clinton administration as well for its continuation of economic sanctions. Clark also found George H.W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Colin Powell, Norman Schwarzkopf, and a host of others guilty of war crimes after the 1991 Gulf War.
Yet despite Clark’s vociferous antiwar protests, Clark revealed recently that he does not necessarily think people should protest a government’s policy. This revelation was made during a BBC interview with Clark about the Hussein trial, which is just starting.
The New York Times quoted Clark as saying in the interview, “….starting the trials for Mr. Hussein with the Dujail case "might have been a mistake" because Iraq at the time was fighting a war with the Shiite nation of Iran, and the would-be assassins in Dujail were Iraqi Shiites opposed to the war….’He had this huge war going on, and you have to act firmly when you have an assassination attempt,’ he said.” (Emphasis mine.)
Christopher Hitchens’ Slate magazine piece also cited this quote. Investor’s Business Daily did as well. However, an attempt to locate this quote from the BBC website was unsuccessful.
If this quote is true, Clark has not only contradicted himself about the validity of the war in Iraq he has also condoned the silencing of antiwar protesters here in the United States. This is incredible.
The Dujail case referred to by Clark – which is the first indictment of Hussein - concerns the 1982 massacre of 148 people from the town of Dujail, about 30 miles north of Baghdad. The massacre was in retaliation for an assassination attempt of Hussein by some residents.
Another BBC news piece, dated November 28 described the incident. What happened there in July 1982 was, “many of Dujail's men were away fighting in the war with Iran, which the Iraqi leader had started just 18 months before. ….the war was turning against Iraq and Saddam Hussein needed to drum up support….he decided to pay a visit….As the presidential convoy heads out of town…. A small group of men, hiding in the palm groves, opens fire. ….Saddam Hussein makes another speech promising to root out the "small number" of traitors in the town….He ( Hussein) is also seen questioning two suspects personally….the next few days, many more are rounded up and detained, in a full-scale military operation, involving tanks and planes….As the father of the gunman Karim, Kadhem Jaafar was one of those arrested. …’They took my whole family,’ he says. "Seven girls, and their mother and me. Nearly 150 of us altogether. They took us to the intelligence headquarters for a month or so, then to Abu Ghraib for two years and then they sent us to the desert." …unlike Kadhem, some of those arrested never came back to Dujail. Instead they were killed, possibly as late as 1985.”
This is what Ramsey Clark is claiming to be justified.
Not only does this mean that, according to Clark’s logic, President Bush would have been justified in preventing him from protesting at the Inauguration – as Clark and his followers did so viciously - it also means that the war was justified because, after all, Hussein and his Iraqi henchmen, plotted to assassinate President George H.W. Bush.
What does this say about Ramsey Clark and the group he leads – International ANSWER? Does this mean that Clark really does believe that the United States should have invaded Iraq because the Iraqis planned to assassinate a United States president?
Clark obviously considers the assassination attempt an act of war. Clark clearly states a nation and its leader has to “act firmly when you have an assassination attempt.”
Even more revealing is the fact that arresting people opposed to Hussein’s war against Iran was also justified. Imprisoning antiwar protesters and their families is considered warranted by Clark.
How ironic that the very people who proclaim their love of civil liberties the loudest are the very same people who believe civil liberties apply only to themselves and people who believe as they do. This is manifested time and again among groups like the ACLU, People for the American Way, People United for the Separation of Church and State, and the NAACP.
When Ramsey Clark endorses Saddam Hussein’s slaughter of assassins and anyone related to the assassins, without trial, or imprisoning without trial anyone who protested his policy you get a good idea what America would be like if people like Clark were controlling the government. You get a good idea what America would be like if International ANSWER and Not In Our Name and the ACLU were the leaders of this country.
You also get a good idea of how hypocritical and hollow the protests - by these very same people - about the policies and procedures for imprisoning captured terrorists are. The Bush administration is providing more due process for POW’s and captured terrorists than Hussein did for those suspected of attempting to assassinate him and for those family members of the suspected assassins. All of which is perfectly fine with Ramsey Clark.
Who do you want to govern our country?
Oh, wow. Relevant Ramsey has found a way to get his name in the papers again.
See the nitwit playing pocket pool.
Clark and Kerry shoulda faced the firing squad
the first time they betrayed this country.
Now we're going to allow it again.
do you have a link for this?
You just don't understand there MV. Clark means it's OK for a dictator to act in this fashion, not the elected leader of a free country. Sheeesh, get with it!
Good find, MV.
Prediction: You won't find it on CNN.
Oooohhh so that's it. I knew there was something I didn't understand :)
It's not my find it's Tremoglie's. he is a pretty good writer. I'm going to get his book see how he is writing fiction.
I'm sorry I forgot to enter the link. I thought that was required.
Here it is: http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/t/tremoglie/2005/tremoglie120905.htm
Men's News Daily has some good articles. I 'm not crazy about some of their gambling and sex advertisments though. If you can ignore them it's a good read.
Maybe... Clark is merely saying to his followers (ANSWER): "Back off! I'm the star..."
Send your kudos to Tremoglie. I think he is a member of Free Republic. I think he is William Tell 2
As usual, Mr. Tremoglie -- you do excellent research. THANK you. And Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Thank you Alia, for the kind words.
Thank you Miamivice for posting it to FR.
Alia and Miamivice my book has finally - after many false starts - been published. You can purchase it through me if you want.
It won't be available from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com until after I get an ISBN number and a barcode. This won't occur until a few weeks after Christmas. So if you want it for a Christmas gift let me know. It will make an excellent gift :)
Besides it'll be cheaper from me anyway. So let me know if you are interested.
Thanks again both of you
Mike
I am interested. Please let me know when the ISBN number is available. Thank you!
Ramsey "I hate America" Clark never ceases to amaze and offend.
The guy is a disgrace.
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