Circling the wagons

The Bushies came out strongly in Rummie's defense over the weekend, but that didn't stop even the Army Times from calling for his head on a plate in an editorial today, and senior ranks in the services expressing serious concern elsewhere over the wider conduct of the war, never mind the abuse scandal:

Army Col. Paul Hughes, who last year was the first director of strategic planning for the U.S. occupation authority in Baghdad, said he agrees with that view and noted that a pattern of winning battles while losing a war characterized the U.S. failure in Vietnam. "Unless we ensure that we have coherency in our policy, we will lose strategically," he said in an interview Friday.

"I lost my brother in Vietnam," added Hughes, a veteran Army strategist who is involved in formulating Iraq policy. "I promised myself, when I came on active duty, that I would do everything in my power to prevent that [sort of strategic loss] from happening again. Here I am, 30 years later, thinking we will win every fight and lose the war, because we don't understand the war we're in."

Even Fareed Zakaria, who was a bit hawkish following 9/11 and is always a tough one to read, has turned his full ire against the mismanagement of the war and the general incompetence and arrogance this administration shows in everything it does:

Leave process aside: the results are plain. On almost every issue involving postwar Iraq—troop strength, international support, the credibility of exiles, de-Baathification, handling Ayatollah Ali Sistani—Washington's assumptions and policies have been wrong. By now most have been reversed, often too late to have much effect. This strange combination of arrogance and incompetence has not only destroyed the hopes for a new Iraq. It has had the much broader effect of turning the United States into an international outlaw in the eyes of much of the world.

Whether he wins or loses in November, George W. Bush's legacy is now clear: the creation of a poisonous atmosphere of anti-Americanism around the globe. I'm sure he takes full responsibility.

With more abuse photos emerging daily, we have well and truly shot away all of our credibility. When did we turn into the bad guys?

More importantly, where is major gesture necessary to reassure the world that we take this seriously? Bush, for Pete's sake man, take the wheel of this country and at least start to steer it back on course! If I look at things from an election campaign perspective, then I would happily see Bush falter and flail as normal - but we're to the point now that he's inflicting lasting damage on our national security and standing in the world, and I'd rather he repaired some of that and came off looking good than damage our country even more than he has done.

Comments

[Luke]

And it just keeps on coming. This AP story about a Red Cross report is pretty chilling:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20040510/ap_on_re_eu/red_cross_prisoner_abuse

"The report by the International Committee of the Red Cross supports its allegations that abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers was broad and 'not individual acts' — contrary to President Bush's contention that the mistreatment 'was the wrongdoing of a few.'"

[j.j.]

keep dreaming, the only time Bush will admit a mistake is when one of his cabinet members dares to speak up. Then, suddenly, those individuals resign for 'personal reasons.' Paul O'Neill and Christine Todd-Whitman are the only one's whom Bush has fired, regardless of how many times someone (Rumsfeld) has failed us.

remember how, during the war, Rumsfeld (rightfully) was upset about videos of captured American soldiers being displayed by the Iraqi army? That was, indeed, against the Geneva Conventions and he was right when he became so upset. He doesn't seem to care much now. Granted, these are not american soldiers, but that doesn't make them any less human. Apparently, most of these people were arrested by mistake (see article above posted by Luke). If he knew so long ago about this, then how does he expect to win hearts and minds? Unless, of course, he doesn't really care.

jj

[Chrish]

Seems to me that before running out into the streets with your ropes and forming a lynch mob it would be better to wait and see what comes out of these hearings?

"the mistreatment at Abu Ghraib prison resulted from a "failure of leadership from the brigade commander on down, a lack of discipline, no training whatsoever and no supervision."

"A failure of leadership from the Brigade Commander on down" says
Major Gen. Taguba.

"A few soldiers and civilians conspired to abuse and conduct egregious acts of violence against detainees and other civilians outside the bounds of international laws and the Geneva Convention," Taguba said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4855930/

"Taguba's testimony pointed to Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski of the 800th Military Police Brigade. Karpinski, an officer in the Army Reserves who had command of military prisons in Iraq, has been suspended and issued an official letter of admonishment in connection with the abuse. She has not been charged."

"suspended", "official letter of admonishment", and "not charged"?
Say what? She's the friggin commanding officer of that prison and
a number of other prison's. If anything she should be charged, at
the very least, for derelicition of duty. That was her command, she
was responsible and accountable for what went on under her command.
So why is she getting off so easy while the lower rank are dragged through the court, as they should be, so why isn't she?

Is this Brig. General Karpinski really and truly representative of what women have fought for, struggled for, worked for, and, By God,
earned over the past number of decades as regards equality? Is this women's idea of equality?

What will be of interest is how the media and other's will react to this particular report: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4953015/

"A scream sounded as the men cut his head off, shouting "Allah Akbar!" -- "God is great." They then held the head out before the camera.

No doubt this will receive very little in the way of condemnation, rebuke, or protests. Nor will the holier-than-thou media say little
about this other than to perhaps give the act some kind of justification. And no doubt those on the Muslim side will say very little or will cheer it on. "Two wrongs make a right"? Keep in mind this isn't the first time they've done "Barbaric" things like this; recall the news journalist, the burning and mutilation?

But then, as I've been told before on this site, there is no point in protesting their actions because "they're only doing their jobs".
I wonder if they'll get a raise and promotion for cutting off the head of a civilian?

[Laurie Farr]

There is a Bush fundraiser on Tuesday,
18 May at 5 PM at London Landmark Hotel,
222 Marylebone Road. The invitation says
that Bush is attending the reception.

What is ExpatsAgainstBush planning?

[Chrish]

Laurie,

Refer to the heading "Anti-Bush Protest II" under
main of this site for your answer...

[Chrish]

Maybe they're just women overreacting to Jessica
Lynchs' alleged rape? The Lynch Mob mentality?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4953523/

No excuse, none whatsoever for their misconduct.

Of interest is that I have been scouring the Arab news sites to see how they view or if they've even reported on the recent "beheading of an American civilian" and haven't been able to find a thing?

[Daniel]

Chrish, FYI, I dont know what you are searching but I just took at look at only one site and right away found a link at the TOP of the main page with that beheading story.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C6F93CE0-8FCB-425E-BD40-672B38CF68B1.htm

[Chrish]

Thanks Daniel, I had just found it after my post.

[Jasmine]

+++Is this what women...?+++ Hey, let's just call a spade a spade: PC forbids that a woman be punished for her dereliction. Don't you KNOW she'd be howling "discrimination!!!!" all thru the halls of Abu Ghraib and the Pentagon? Nay, nay, maties, none dare call the Women Warriors to task. This is the legacy of the spineless male leaders who in the 70's caved in to the Feminazis.

And, just as with Nazism and Communism, again we see the results of the Bed-of Procrustes-Syndrome, viz. force reality into your silly paradigm (= put women in combat and into top brass positions), and then staunchly refuse to recant when the monstrous results manifest themselves. They've made their "bed," so now they have to lie in it. Pathetic.