Comments on: Torturers of Iraqi Prisoners http://patterico.com/2004/04/30/torturers-of-iraqi-prisoners/ Harangues that just make sense Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:35:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Justene http://patterico.com/2004/04/30/torturers-of-iraqi-prisoners/#comment-1818 Justene Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://patterico.com/2004/04/30/torturers-of-iraqi-prisoners/#comment-1818 As tempting as this is, I worry about such a precedent. Are all military mistakes to be judged by the country the military is in? No. Where to draw the line? I'd like to decide that question rather than deciding this is over the line and work backward. As tempting as this is, I worry about such a precedent. Are all military mistakes to be judged by the country the military is in? No. Where to draw the line? I’d like to decide that question rather than deciding this is over the line and work backward.

]]> By: IXLNXS http://patterico.com/2004/04/30/torturers-of-iraqi-prisoners/#comment-1819 IXLNXS Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://patterico.com/2004/04/30/torturers-of-iraqi-prisoners/#comment-1819 Thats just giving Iraq sacrificial sheep, while ignoring the problem ay hand. We should clean up our own messes. Shouldn't we? Thats just giving Iraq sacrificial sheep, while ignoring the problem ay hand. We should clean up our own messes. Shouldn’t we?

]]> By: Steve http://patterico.com/2004/04/30/torturers-of-iraqi-prisoners/#comment-1820 Steve Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://patterico.com/2004/04/30/torturers-of-iraqi-prisoners/#comment-1820 I agree with Justene -- it's a very dangerous precedent. (Anyone remember the reason we're concerned about the International Court of Justice?) The military needs to be public, swift, and thorough in handling this. Let the world and the rest of the military know that this behavior will not be tolerated. I do find the outrage by the Arab people (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/01/iraq.prisoner.reax/index.html) a little distasteful. I don't remember an outcry like this when images of Arabs torturing and killing U.S. soldiers were displayed. I agree with Justene — it’s a very dangerous precedent. (Anyone remember the reason we’re concerned about the International Court of Justice?)

The military needs to be public, swift, and thorough in handling this. Let the world and the rest of the military know that this behavior will not be tolerated.

I do find the outrage by the Arab people (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/01/iraq.prisoner.reax/index.html) a little distasteful. I don’t remember an outcry like this when images of Arabs torturing and killing U.S. soldiers were displayed.

]]> By: Patterico http://patterico.com/2004/04/30/torturers-of-iraqi-prisoners/#comment-1821 Patterico Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://patterico.com/2004/04/30/torturers-of-iraqi-prisoners/#comment-1821 I said I was throwing it out for discussion because I hadn't made up my mind. However, this is clearly more than just a "military mistake." These are crimes, committed in Iraq, against Iraqis. What's more, these crimes are likely to cause more deaths of our soldiers, due to the increased anti-American sentiment that these horrible acts have aroused. I think these guys deserve to be tortured the same way they tortured the prisoners. Whether that should actually happen is a different question -- but that's what they deserve. Also, they need quick, visible justice. These crimes of torture make the U.S. look more like Saddam than like liberators. The only way to show that we are different is to impose swift and harsh justice that the whole world can see. I said I was throwing it out for discussion because I hadn’t made up my mind. However, this is clearly more than just a “military mistake.” These are crimes, committed in Iraq, against Iraqis. What’s more, these crimes are likely to cause more deaths of our soldiers, due to the increased anti-American sentiment that these horrible acts have aroused.

I think these guys deserve to be tortured the same way they tortured the prisoners. Whether that should actually happen is a different question — but that’s what they deserve.

Also, they need quick, visible justice. These crimes of torture make the U.S. look more like Saddam than like liberators. The only way to show that we are different is to impose swift and harsh justice that the whole world can see.

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