Saddam and the Pics
Well once again the US Army has some egg on it’s face due to the pictures of Saddam in the British “the Sun” newspaper wearing only his underwear and other embarrassing private shots of him in his “secret” location. The pictures were likely taken by a US guard because no one else would have the access required to get the photos. Based on the statement from the US Army it is likely that the Geneva Convention was breached in this case.
The problem in all of this is that the US is fighting a “1st world” war in a “3rd world” situation / environment. Now I am not saying that we should lower ourselves to the level of the Iraqi insergents or terrorist worldwide, but it is exactly stuff like this that makes them see us as weak. Al Jazerra shows beheadings and suicide bombings and we as a nation react by calling them to not do it again. Newsweek runs a flawed piece and 16 die in Afghanistan in riots and the US image is soiled throughout the region. Now, the Sun shows Saddam in his underpants and the US Army announces a official statement and begins a investigation on how the pictures were taken and got out and promises to not only find but convict the person.
This is like the lesson I was taught once - never argue with a person without morals because they do not have the same limits and lines you have. We try to have civil discussions, we try to be equal and fair, we try to reason. Do we fall short of this, yes, do we fail at it at times, yes, but in the end 1st world society is civil and relatively calm, and when we try to battle or war against 3rd world warriors we look weak as our limits stop us from going and doing what they will do. The fact that we actually take charges of prisoner abuse seriously and investigate them shows the difference. When was the last time anyone invested prisoner abuse in Iran, Syria, Laos, the Sudan, the Ivory Coast, etc? When was the last time that some one pointed out that the Quran that the US gives their detain’s is likely the first new and complete one they have ever owned? When was the last time we heard that the prisoners eat better in prison then they ever have when “free”? When was the last time that we discussed how their prison environment is cleaner then they have at home? When was the last western “prisoner / hostage” that was given their holy book of choice? When was the last western “prisoner / hostage” given three good meals a day and a clean place to sleep?
Again, we are not condoning abuse, ill treatment, and we are not saying that US (and other “1st world” nations) do not make mistakes, break rules, etc but it is sometimes frustrating to be judged by 1st world standards when your opponents are not limited by similar rules. It makes the situation worse when the few mistakes that do occur are covered as if they are routine and consistent. Reports like this build up anger and resistence within the region you, and in the long run just fuel resistence. Resistence is further fueled by the fact that our self examination and attempts to not make similar mistakes in the future as a weakness.
