Arabs slam abuse reprimands

Arabs slam abuse reprimands
From correspondents in Cairo
05may04
ANGER and indignation were evident across Arab capitals today amid calls for US soldiers suspected of having taken part in humiliating abuse of Iraqi prisoners to be tried by an international tribunal.

In Beirut, 50 human rights activists protested outside the UN building carrying signs calling US President George W Bush an "assassin" and blasting a lack of democracy and human rights in the new Iraq.

Egypt's opposition newspaper Al-Wafd splashed four pictures on its front page showing what it said was Iraqi women being raped by soldiers. The pictures could not be authenticated and Al-Wafd did not reveal its source.

"The democracy of the American empire of evil and prostitution: mass rapes by US occupation soldiers of Iraqi women under the threat of arms," Al-Wafd said in a banner headline.

more

http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,9475818%255E1702,00.html

Has anyone else noticed how the media framed one of the charges as "US soldier having sex with female detainee" rather than "US soldier raping Iraqi female"?

We'd better address these charges ASAP, yesterday!

What fraternity are they pledging? Phi Sigma Auschwitz?

:grr:

RAPE ROOMS!?!?

http://www.alwafd.org/front/index.php



INTERVIEW: RABBI ARTHUR HERTZBERG
Sharon and Bush `Will Fry in Hell'

Rabbi Hertzberg, former president of the American Jewish Congress, and former vice president of the World Jewish Congress, was interviewed by Marjorie Mazel Hecht on April 15, 2004.

<snip>

Both of them will fry in hell ((for what they did yesterday)). And I want you to quote me on "fry in hell," because what they have done is that they have permanently put the United States at war with the Arab world. They have left no negotiating room. The only tactic that Arabs have left is to send in more suicide bombers.

<snip>

http://www.larouchepub.com/other/interviews/2004/3116arthur_hertzberg.html

"Rape" is "Sex"
"Torture" is "Abuse"


Man, when will they start talking about freedom being slavery and knowledge being ignorance?

much as I hate to see what some soldiers and their commanders are doing to Iraqi prisoners, why weren't Jordanians, Egyptians, and Lebanese people lined up at the UN building in Beirut when Saddam was torturing people. are they saying that it's ok for arabs to torture arabs, but not Americans?

Well, actually, that was the excuse used after no WMD's showed up. We killed thousands of Iraqis, destroyed much of their country & continue the occupation. But there's an excuse: "We're better than Saddam. No more torture. No more rape rooms".

Also, you managed to mention three mostly Islamic countries that are not on our hit list. Iran & Syria have a special interest in their future invaders.

I haven't seen any photos of torture by Saddam's people (not that I want to, if they exist). Maybe they were smart enough not to take pictures, or maybe most of what we heard was propaganda. Also, there is something about foreigners invading, killing, and oppressing that troubles people more than domestic oppression. It must be something deep in human nature - it seems like it has always been that way. Think about Kent State - had that been Russian soldiers it would been seen as infinitely more outrageous.

I posted this in another thread, but thought it related here as well since the Iraqis are calling for an international tribunal.

It ain't gonna happen at the Hague without a fight.

http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/08/aspa080302.htm

(New York, August 3, 2002) A new law supposedly protecting U.S. servicemembers from the International Criminal Court shows that the Bush administration will stop at nothing in its campaign against the court, Human Rights Watch warned today.

U.S. President George Bush today signed into law the American Servicemembers Protection Act of 2002, which is intended to intimidate countries that ratify the treaty for the International Criminal Court (ICC). The new law authorizes the use of military force to liberate any American or citizen of a U.S.-allied country being held by the court, which is located in The Hague. This provision, dubbed the "Hague invasion clause," has caused a strong reaction from U.S. allies around the world, particularly in the Netherlands.

In addition, the law provides for the withdrawal of U.S. military assistance from countries ratifying the ICC treaty, and restricts U.S. participation in United Nations peacekeeping unless the United States obtains immunity from prosecution. At the same time, these provisions can be waived by the president on "national interest" grounds.

"The states that have ratified this treaty are trying to strengthen the rule of law," said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch. "The Bush administration is trying to punish them for that."

Thank you for that reminder.

I am absolutely blown away by the resourcefulness of people on this board!!!!

I LOVE DU!!!! :loveya:

In its first punishments in the case involving the abuse of detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, the US military has announced the reprimand of seven people. The seven officers and non-commissioned personnel were not demoted or discharged, nor did they participate in the abuse, but officials said they were responsible for setting standards.

At the same time, President George W Bush has urged Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to ensure that those involved are punished, and a White House spokesman said Bush "wanted to make sure appropriate action is being taken against those responsible".

Within Iraq, investigations will examine activities at 16 detention centers holding about 11,000 prisoners, including 127 foreigners, according to the military. About 4,500 of those prisoners are being held at Abu Ghraib.

Whether this will be enough to calm the growing outrage at the abuse of Iraqi prisoners is another matter, especially in the Arab world.


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