Month: May 2004

Recent days have been hectic ones for the Supreme Rulers in Washington, D.C. President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld have ceased their accustomed swaggering, put on their most somber faces, and issued one apology after another for the mistreatment of prisoners by U.S. soldiers and mercenaries at Abu Ghraib prison. Although … Continue reading “The Crimes at Abu Ghraib Are Not the Worst”

Contrary to US President George Bush’s recent statement that electricity in Iraq “is now more widely available than before the war,” Iraqi officials say the power supply in their country has not yet been repaired to pre-war levels. Bush made the claim in his May 1, 2004 speech commemorating the one-year anniversary of the “mission … Continue reading “Electricity Production in Iraq Remains Below Pre-War Levels”

We ain’t seen nothing yet, the congressional censors warn. The pornographic pictorials from Abu Ghraib prison, starring some sadistic and slutty servicemen and women, are soft core compared to the X-rated fare that has yet to go public. The members of the 800th Military Police Brigade have so far been captured by digital cameras in … Continue reading “GI Joe Meets GI Ho”

George W. Bush The White House Washington, DC 20500 Re: Inhumane treatment of prisoners produces blowbacks and backlashes Dear Mr. President: The reported widespread abuse of prisoners by your Administration adds another condition that reflects on your failure of leadership. Anticipation and prevention of such tragedies should have been routine by the top officials whom … Continue reading “Creating Blowbacks and Backlashes”

Statement on H. Con. Res. 398: Expressing the concern of Congress over Iran’s development of the means to produce nuclear weapons, 6 May 2004. I rise in strong opposition to this ill-conceived and ill-timed legislation. Let’s not fool ourselves: this concurrent resolution leads us down the road to war against Iran. It creates a precedent … Continue reading “Don’t Start a War With Iran”

If you have any sense of justice, do not allow the United States government to make scapegoats out of a few enlisted people at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. That, of course, is exactly what Washington has in mind, and it has already begun the process. When this story first broke, I said it … Continue reading “End Self-Delusion”

As U.S. military actions continue to raise the staggeringly high toll of dead Iraqis, Sunnis and Shias appear to be uniting against the occupation. The number of Iraqi dead in Fallujah last month in the so-called Sunni triangle is estimated by doctors to be more than 800. Fighting involving Shia Muslims in the south has … Continue reading “Sunnis and Shi’ites Uniting Against US”

The Abu Ghraib Prison Photos I believe low ranking enlistees are trained to follow orders and not act on their own. I am a former Naval Officer and that’s the way I experienced it during my 2 tours of duty. From the misguided pride on their faces, the photos are trophies of orders carried out … Continue reading “”

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld quietly left Washington yesterday, flying first to Kuwait, and then on to Baghdad. Rumsfeld was accompanied by only a few reporters, Pentagon lawyers, and Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After arriving in Baghdad, Rumsfeld immediately met with the commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez. … Continue reading “Rumsfeld, Sanchez ‘Pow-Wow’ in Iraq”

When lawmakers emerged from their private viewing of the Abu Ghraib photos – a screening arranged under conditions of high security on Capitol Hill – they were at great pains to come up with synonyms for “Ewwwwwwwww!” “Appalling,” said Senate majority leader Bill Frist. “Disgusting,” said Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.). “Horrible,” exclaimed Sen. Lincoln Chafee … Continue reading “Abu Ghraib and the Pornography of Power”