← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · LlenLleawc
Thread ID: 14056 | Posts: 5 | Started: 2004-06-04
2004-06-04 20:30 | User Profile
[I]I recieved two e-mails from a republican friend of mine defending the recent round of abuses. At least one of them was produced by a group called rightmarch, which is a neo-con group that circulates e-mails supporting Bush and the "war on terror."
[url]http://www.rightmarch.com/[/url]
There are a number of falsehoods in both of the letters below but I think I'll just post them and let everyone judge for themselves. -I'll just say that the abuses are far more than just the pranks that Sen. Miller makes them out to be. The Army report itself lists worse abuses: [url]http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/reports/2004/800-mp-bde.htm[/url]
Anyhow the first letter is from Sen. Miller and the second is from Pat Boone(don't ask how he is qualified) -Llen[/I]
Zell Miller, United States Senator from Georgia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Miller: Finger-pointing, Apologies
Over Prisoner Treatment Only Boost Enemy
"I Refuse to Join In National Act of Contrition"
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) today delivered the following statement on the floor of the United States Senate addressing the situation at the Abu Ghraib prison.
"Mr. President, here we go again, here we go again. Rushing to give aid and comfort to the enemy. Pushing and pulling and shoving and leaping over one another to assign blame and point the finger at America the Terrible. Lining up in long lines at the microphones to offer apologies to those poor, pitiful Iraqi prisoners.
"Of course, I do not condone all the things that went on in that prison, but I for one, Mr. President, refuse to join in this national Act of Contrition over it.
"Those who are wringing their hands and shouting so loudly for "heads to roll" over this seem to have conveniently overlooked the fact that someone's head HAS rolled - that of another innocent American brutally murdered by terrorists.
"Why is it? Why is it that there's more indignation over a photo of a prisoner with underwear on his head than over the video of a young American with no head at all? Why is it that some in this country still don't get that we are at war? A war against terrorists who are plotting to kill us every day. Terrorists who will murder Americans at any time any place any chance they get.
"And yet here we are, America on its knees, in front of our enemy, begging for their forgiveness over the mistreatment of prisoners. Showing the enemy and the world once again how easily America can get sidetracked and how easily America can turn against it self.
"Yes, some of our soldiers went too far with their interrogation tactics and clearly were not properly trained to handle such duty. But the way to deal with this is with swift and sure punishment, and immediate and better training. There also needs to be more careful screening of who it is we put in these kinds of sensitive situations.
"And no one wants to hear this, Mr. President and I'm reluctant to say it. But there should also be some serious questioning of having male and female soldiers serving side by side in these kinds of military missions.
"But instead, I worry that the HWA - the Hand-Wringers of America - will add to their membership and continue to bash our country ad nauseam. And in doing so, hand over more innocent Americans to the enemy on a silver platter.
"So I stand with Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma, who stated that he's "more outraged by the outrage" than by the treatment of those prisoners. More outraged by the outrage. It's a good way of putting it. That's exactly how this Senator from Georgia feels."
NewsMax Monday, May 24, 2004Recently, entertainer Pat Boone wrote NewsMax editor Christopher Ruddy a letter regarding his feelings on Abu Ghraib and Iraq, the contents of which are published here with permission:
Mr. Christopher Ruddy Editor, NewsMax Dear Chris, Hasn't anybody got the guts to accuse the worstperpetrator in this whole Abu Ghraib prison debacle - CBS and 60 Minutes II?
What do you call it when, in time of war,someone takes military intelligence and turns it over to the enemy, who in turn uses it to kill Americans?
Isn't that the definition of treason? DidBenedict Arnold do worse? Did Julias and Ethel Rosenberg pay with their lives for something like this?
It has already been well established, and CBScertainly knew, that the military announced to the press back in January that allegations had been made concerning treatment of prisoners and were being investigated.
In March there was another announcement that theallegations were still being investigated and certain service personnel at Abu Ghraib were relieved of their duties and might be court marshaled.
In other words, while America was fighting awar, the military had already taken the allegations seriously, were investigating them and were taking steps to correct the situation. In other words, it was being handled, and handled well.
These things happen in war on all sides, andthough they are not excusable, they are kindergarten exercises compared to car bombs, ambushes, rocket launchings and dangling burning bodies over bridges - and this is what the interrogators at Abu Ghraib were trying to find ways to stop.
Freedom of the press is precious to us, but youcan abuse any liberty and stretch it out of shape until it becomes license, and concerned citizens will call for limitations.
In this case, if CBS had really cared about thecountry, about our military, about doing the right thing, they would have taken these pictures, (which they had illegally) and asked the military and the Pentagon what was being done about the abuses (Although they most likely knew it, they would have been told that the matter was in hand and being taken care of).
Indeed, a general implored them not to publishthe pictures because of what he knew would happen as a result.
CBS could have cared less. In their mad competition for rating points,dollars, and seeing a great way to blast the President and the war effort in Iraq which they have continually denigrated and opposed, they broadcast they abhorrent pictures - and not just to the United States, BUT TO THE WORLD!
Knowing full well that we were walking a tightrope, trying to fight a war, quell disturbances and build a republic for Iraq in the midst of all the terrorist resistance, CBS published these abhorrent pictures knowing they would destroy completely our image and standing in the Muslim world.
And what about Osama bin Laden? What about theterrorists? What about America's image with all our allies around the world? And what about America's own self image and confidence in their leaders?
And what did the beheaders of Nick Berg say,just before they callously sawed his head off while he screamed, "This is in retaliation for what you Americans did to our people at Abu Ghraib!" And how did they know about these interrogation abuses?
Though poor Mr. Berg blames George Bush andDonald Rumsefld, it is incontrovertible that his son would be home with him right now had it not been for the publication of those pictures. Mr. Berg is pointing his finger in the wrong direction.
And as a direct result of CBS callous andpatently unpatriotic action, America is suffering great loss of prestige around the world, and will for decades.
America has lost credibility with Muslims andthe Arab world internationally, perhaps forever; and every American life is in far greater danger from terrorist reprisal, no matter who and where we are!
Freedom of the press is a cherished commodity,guaranteed by our Constitution. But freedoms, if they are to be maintained and to have the original meaning, must be treated with grave responsibility and restraint.
For me, CBS has become "the enemy within", and Ihope never to watch the network again. I think most Americans ought to reflect on the results of their irresponsible and unpatriotic behavior and perhaps narrow their viewing options by one network. The next time America or Americans suffer at the hands of terrorists, thank CBS.
Pat Boone PB:jsp P.S. As of today, May 21St, you can add Brokaw,NBC and The Washington Post to the list. Have these media pariahs gone mad?! Who'll be next to fire at our own troops?
2004-06-05 11:29 | User Profile
Llen,
Thanks for posting this. I know that Zell, like Inhofe, had went off the rails over this, but I didn't realize just how bad off he was. It is always informative to see other examples where Zell has made an ass out of himself. Other than idiots like Ted Rall, I don't know who all these other people are that Zell is raising hell about. Certainly there are elements in the media that are recycling this story, but any new information should be reported. As for Pat Boone, I suspect that this is more "christian"zionism coming from him. That is to say he is one of the nutcases that probably believes that if we leave he won't get his second coming.
What these folks are really mad about is the fact this story even came out. If it were left up to them it never would have and I further believe that they would condon further abuses. Their attitude certainly leaves me to believe that they didn't care about them. In Boone's case he should realize that CBS held this story for 11 days at the request of Gen. Meyers and only release it because the photos were already starting to show up. It was too late to shut this barn door for this nag had already bolted.
If these clowns want to get mad about something they should get mad at the idiots who dreamed up this scheme of "interrogation" to begin with. The fault lies there, not with the media.
2004-06-06 03:36 | User Profile
You're right, the Pat Boone article is laughable. This was not military intelligence by any stretch and would have come out regardless of CBS. This reminds me of when Clinton's attack dog, Carville was going after Ken Starr, who was trying to get to the truth with the utmost professionalism. It's funny how the facts don't matter to most Americans as long as the guy they like is in office. I wrote a letter to Sen. Miller and Rightmarch suggesting they get their facts straight.
I suspect these abuses were a deliberate attempt to undermine the masculinity of Iraqi men, in order to destabilize the paternal culture their so that feminism and other marxist guilt-tripping propaganda could be imported into the Middle East, priming them for the cultural assualt of our hedonistic MTV style value system and the attendant national attention deficit disorder it will bring. Every one who values our nations founding principles should be concerned about that. This kind of behavior was not accidental; these techniques are precisely those developed by the soviets.
-Llen
2004-06-06 11:46 | User Profile
Llen,
Perhaps you have seen this article where Netanyahu suggests using American t.v. to propagandize Arabs? This is the one where "Bibi" tells the truth for a change notes how trashing these shows are.
[url=http://forums.originaldissent.com/showthread.php?t=4618]http://forums.originaldissent.com/showthread.php?t=4618[/url]
2004-06-06 22:57 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Sertorius] Perhaps you have seen this article where Netanyahu suggests using American t.v. to propagandize Arabs? This is the one where "Bibi" tells the truth for a change notes how trashing these shows are.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I had seen that. I don't know of a single historical example of a nation bettering itself in the long run by undermining the values and morals of another but somehow the elites seem to think this destructive policy will work.