T
The Bellman
Guest
Firstly, I'm not American - I'm Australian (America's single strongest supporter in relation to the Iraq campaign). Nor do I hate or bash America - I am married to an American citizen, and am very close to her family. I love America.
However, since the invasion of Iraq, America seems to have gone off the rails. Regardless of the reasons given before the invasion was launched, in retrospect there appears to have been no valid reason to do it. No evidence that Saddam was ever implicated in 9/11 has ever been forthcoming, and neither have any WMDs. Certainly, to the rest of the world, it appears as though the real reason was neither of these.
Obviously, all are glad that Saddam has been deposed. But that alone was not the reason for the invasion...or the US would be kept very busy deposing all the tyrants all around the world. The fact remains that the US had no valid reason to invade, and did so against the wishes of the UN and the majority of other world powers.
However, that's water under the bridge. They did invade, and deposed Saddam. But since then it's been downhill. Increasingly Iraqis are having the "At least Saddam was one of us" attitude. Unrest and feeling against the occupying troops rises every day - and despite US assurances, there is no evidence that a withdrawal is planned any time soon.
And now, to top it all off, the prisoner abuse evidence comes to light. Yes, it's quite possible/probable that Iraqis treated US prisoners poorly. Certainly, Iraqi troops treated their own people badly under Saddam. "They did it first," however, is no excuse.
What has been revealed is a violation of international law, an international law to which the US is a signatory. To maintain any credibility at all, to the rest of the world and Iraq, the US needs to punish the perpetrators appropriately. From what I have read, the individual soldiers have claimed that they were only "following orders" - but this defense was dismissed at Nuremburg. If the US is really as horrified as they claim to be (and I don't doubt the man on the street is as horrified as I - I'm talking of the powers that be), the perpetrators must immediately be court-martialled and cashiered. Whether or not trials for war crimes are appropriate, I do not know, not knowing enough of international law. If they are, the US must do NOTHING to shield these soldiers from such a process.
ONLY in the above way can the US redeem any credibility in the eyes of the rest of the world.
However, since the invasion of Iraq, America seems to have gone off the rails. Regardless of the reasons given before the invasion was launched, in retrospect there appears to have been no valid reason to do it. No evidence that Saddam was ever implicated in 9/11 has ever been forthcoming, and neither have any WMDs. Certainly, to the rest of the world, it appears as though the real reason was neither of these.
Obviously, all are glad that Saddam has been deposed. But that alone was not the reason for the invasion...or the US would be kept very busy deposing all the tyrants all around the world. The fact remains that the US had no valid reason to invade, and did so against the wishes of the UN and the majority of other world powers.
However, that's water under the bridge. They did invade, and deposed Saddam. But since then it's been downhill. Increasingly Iraqis are having the "At least Saddam was one of us" attitude. Unrest and feeling against the occupying troops rises every day - and despite US assurances, there is no evidence that a withdrawal is planned any time soon.
And now, to top it all off, the prisoner abuse evidence comes to light. Yes, it's quite possible/probable that Iraqis treated US prisoners poorly. Certainly, Iraqi troops treated their own people badly under Saddam. "They did it first," however, is no excuse.
What has been revealed is a violation of international law, an international law to which the US is a signatory. To maintain any credibility at all, to the rest of the world and Iraq, the US needs to punish the perpetrators appropriately. From what I have read, the individual soldiers have claimed that they were only "following orders" - but this defense was dismissed at Nuremburg. If the US is really as horrified as they claim to be (and I don't doubt the man on the street is as horrified as I - I'm talking of the powers that be), the perpetrators must immediately be court-martialled and cashiered. Whether or not trials for war crimes are appropriate, I do not know, not knowing enough of international law. If they are, the US must do NOTHING to shield these soldiers from such a process.
ONLY in the above way can the US redeem any credibility in the eyes of the rest of the world.
Upvote
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... they didnt abuse them... just execute them... but hey... they arent in the Iraqi Armed Forces... which aren't even in power officially anymore... now they are just rebels...
