Abuse Charges at Bad Time for White House

[NVMojo]

WASHINGTON (AP) -

Allegations that U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan burned the bodies of Taliban fighters couldn't have come at a worse time for the Bush administration, already fighting legislation in Congress that would impose standards on the Pentagon's treatment of detainees.

Lurid television pictures of the incident also may further tarnish the U.S. image in the Middle East.

Senate Republicans said the alleged U.S. troop participation goes to the heart of why Congress must pass legislation to standardize techniques used in the detention, interrogation and prosecution of detainees in the war on terrorism.

"This is a very, very serious problem," said Sen. John Warner, R-Va., and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. If U.S. troops were, in fact, involved, he said, a question must be answered: "What was the command and control that allowed this situation to happen?"

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-wh/2005/oct/20/102006616.html

[YDogg]

1. The culture of life, writ large.

Where does the buck stop?

[Supersedeas]

21. the buck moves from Public Relations photo op to photo op...and the

Corporate Media bounces along with it.

[napi21]

2. This is another example similar to Abu Graib.

I don't know what to think. I don't think we can blame this one on outside contractors. Are there some low level superiors like sargents who are mental cases? Is it possible the mental effects of war on some soldiers causing this behavior?

I really don't know, and I'm not sure we'll ever find out.

[opihimoimoi]

3. Senator Warner has to even ask??? Dolt. ITS BUSH ya Dummy

He like torture, drools over it...threatens to veto the torture bill revealing his pervertive tastes...

[patrice]

4. Scot Ritter answered that question on AAR today.

He told Randi Rhodes they're " . . . making it up . . ." as they go along over there. I hope Senator Warner was listening (hah!).

[fooj]

5. When hasn't it been a bad time for these treasonous rat bastards!

Grrrrrrrrr...

[hippiechick]

6. 'further tarnish' ?

... really, can it GET any worse ?? :(

[marmar]

7. Seriously...

It's reached the ocean floor. There ain't no more bottom to be reached.

[Harrumph]

8. IF....

"This is a very, very serious problem," said Sen. John Warner, R-Va., and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. If U.S. troops were, in fact, involved, he said, a question must be answered: "What was the command and control that allowed this situation to happen?"

IF!! IF US troops were, in fact, involved, he said.

What? He hasn't seen the video? Of course they were involved, you putz!

[Jacobin]

9. "Where was command and control"?

Jeezus, fellow. The WH wrote memos approving torture and Rumsfeld is a fucking sadist.

Where the fuck do you think this came from? It came from the top

[goforit]

10. Yes...A Perverted Commander in Chief is a Major problem.

[Bonescrat]

11. I wouldn't say it's *'s fault...

He's just a monkey, not the one pulling the strings.

Of course that does not obsolve him. He is still culpable.

[powwowdancer]

12. ludicrous in the X-treme

Lurid television pictures of the incident also may further tarnish the U.S. image in the Middle East.

This is journalism at it's most inane for either (or both) of two reasons, viz:

(1) "May further tarnish?" Why the hell WOULDN'T it further tarnish our "image" in the middle east? What set of circumstances could possibly obviate this atrocity in Arab eyes? What would make it OK? Not just for Arabs, but for Americans as well? I mean even hypothetically? Obviously, there is not one single, rational circumstance which would compel any Arab to say, "Aw that's all right, just forget about it." This is why it's so important for journalists to have a rock solid command of the language as well as their sanity.

(2) It's kinda hard to get much lower than "the great satan." I mean, how could you realistically tarnish THAT? "The really shitty satan?" "That asshole satan?" "Big ol' gnarley-assed satan?" Please.

That ludicrous quote beggars logical comprehension. This is REPUBLICAN limbo, people, and we're all dancin'... "How low can you go?" Answer? Pretty damned.

:dem:
powwowdancer out

[TrogL]

18. You crack me up

(2) It's kinda hard to get much lower than "the great satan." I mean, how could you realistically tarnish THAT? "The really shitty satan?" "That asshole satan?" "Big ol' gnarley-assed satan?" Please.


:rofl:

[ClassWarrior]

13. Detainees!! Grrrrrrrrr!!!

They're fucking PRISONERS!!

NGU.

[interupt]

14. I saw the video last night on SBS news at 6.30

Lurid television pictures of the incident also may further tarnish the U.S. image in the Middle East.

I agree, it was a shocking video. I am glad my boys were playing in their rooms at the time. Stunned...just stunned, the way the soldiers were just milling around the fire, with legs and stuff burning, while commanders were talking about what to blast out next over the loudspeakers to get the Taliban even more irate.



It is going to inflame the Middle East, absolutely. I hope the investigation actually gets results this time.

Edited for word change.

[Tigress DEM]

15. Shouldn't have gone down torture road in the first place...

Not like the DEMS didn't scream that at them when the DSM showed up and they got the air time to talk about stuff. Remember that the opposition to Alberto Gonzales appointment was one of the first places the DEMs started standing together?

[Voltaire99]

16. This is where keeping an unnecessarily large imperial army leads.

After 100,000 civilians slaughtered, the miseries of Abu Ghraib and now this savagery, who can have confidence in a national army of mercenaries, accountable to no one but itself?

[NVMojo]

17. ...just like their imperialistic leaders ...accountable to no one but ...

themselves ...

[Spurt]

19. Where the hell are you?

I served.
A long time ago, in distant lands for a foreign force.
I have smelled burning flesh.
I have buried charred remains.

I shed a tear for them.
I spoke for them as best I could.
And I sent them to rest with dignity and respect.
We all did that, as best we could.
Friend or foe, no dead man is an enemy.
We recorded and reported them, friend or foe, as best we could.

They were burnt casualties of conventional ground battle.
They were never desecrated for perverted propaganda.

I am gutted.
In the time since this crime against humanity has been flashed around the world, I have wept like never before, my meals are eneaten and sleep is elusive.
(With some good people around me - thanks, my friends).

I am gutted even more deeply by the muted response.
If any dictator in the world (including Saddam) was responsible for those who perpertrated this most public abomination, within the first hour of it breaking "World Leaders" would begin bringing public condemnation. Their stream of pontificating drivel, would be rolling in waves around the world, following the clock.

Live on the world stage Rice would be babbling crap, Bush would be mumbling nonsense, Bliar would be sermonising, et al, and each would condemn this as barbaric and demand accountability.
Why isn't John Howards condemnation already sounding out loud at the top of google news? He must have heard it first.

I want to know where are the "World Leaders"?
WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?

The top 3 stories on this matter from google news right now....
-------
Pentagon probing taped burning of bodies

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Thursday it is investigating the videotaped burning of the corpses of two alleged Taliban fighters to see whether troops violated the Geneva Conventions.
----------
Corpse-burning video sparks Pentagon probe

CTV.ca News Staff
The Pentagon is launching an investigation into allegations that American soldiers deliberately burned the bodies of two Afghanistan fighters.
-------------
U.S. worried by impact of Taliban body burning in Afghanistan

Friday, October 21, 2005 at 07:50 JST
WASHINGTON — The United States on Thursday expressed concern about film of U.S. soldiers burning the bodies of two suspected Taliban militants which comes as a new blow to the image of the U.S. military.
-------------
Note all 3 are from the US Gov't.
The first 30 googled headlines contain no outrage other than from Afghan clerics.

I want to know where are the "World Leaders"?
WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?

The whole world knows about this.
Every president or Prime Minister.
Every NGO, every think tank and every charity.
Every world body or institution, and much of the worlds population.
We have all heard the voices and seen the film, what happened is grimly clear to all.
Dead PEOPLE where deliberately and knowingly desecrated as propaganda.
This is not a partisan nor political issue. This is hard core humanitarian. Real hard core.

I want to know where are the "World Leaders"?
WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?

And most importantly, where are Americas leaders?
Politicians, churches, judiciary, military, scholars and 1,000 others.
WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?

This is a new low, and one of the most vile abuses imaginable.
Who will step up and call a stop to it?
Who will point out the naked truth and immediately act on behalf of the people of the world?

If there is anybody anywhere who believes this behaviour is acceptable in any way, then I condemn them to be as guilty as the barbaric perpertrators.

[NVMojo]

23. they are busy worrying about their next campaigns ...

[maxrandb]

20. I Weep for My Country! and I Weep for the Media!

The Washington Post misses the point. What they "eff" does this "being a bad time" for the mis-administration have to do with this story??

Are they saying, if Bush was at 70% approval, this would be just "hunky-dorie"? Are they saying that the most important aspect of this disgusting event is "how it affects the pResident?"

and they call themselves Christians? I guess I missed the part in the bible where Jesus' Apostles stoned that woman to death, and God was concerned about how that affected his "image".

These people are sick. What does it say about our country that we allow them to stay in power?

[davsand]

22. This is like Night in Fog the movie about WW2 and the death camps.

I remember watching that movie and being horrified at the scene were the Nazis were bulldozing bodies into a mass grave. I was 16 at the time, in a High school History class, and sickened by my first view of how inhumane we can be to each other.

This is no different.

I only hope our fallen men and women in uniform do not suffer the same treatment that we inflicted on those in that film.



Laura

[RamboLiberal]

24. BTW - where are those videos and photos of torture

that judge ordered released a few weeks ago? What's the hold up?

When and if those come out Bush is going to go for the gallon jug.

[anitar1]

25. Give me a break! The news is out there for Dems to see.

They want to pretend that they had no idea these horrible acts could be happening.Are they all blind? I don't think so.After Abu Grahib, do they NOT know that the whole thing is a farce? I am sick of these lying people.