Dictators, Security, and Hypocrisy

The Iraqis should be grateful to us for getting rid of Sadam. They are free now. Why are they so upset about the lack of security and electricity?

I’m willing to give up a few of my civil liberties if it will keep me safer.

The Iraq War is the most important front in the War on Terror.

I have more important things to do than volunteer to fight, or pay, for the Iraq War.

How can anyone agree with all of the statements above? Yet I keep hearing these same statements from the same people.

We expect the Iraqis to live with daily bombings, kidnappings, and murder because that is the cost of freedom. But, we can’t let people board an airplane with a bottle of water because maybe, it might be dangerous. We praise the Iraqis who voted despite death threats. But, we question the patriotism of anyone who asks a question of our leaders .

The only conclusion I can make from this, is that the Iraqis are a courageous, intelligent people, while America is the land of the cowed, and the home of the timid. Does this mean that a true American patriot is an admirer of the Iraqi people?

Iraq Surge = Out Now with Time-Delay

The latest brilliant strategy being promoted is the "Surge". One last big push and we can win. If we try really hard just one more time, we can do it. Last try, and if it doesn't work, we'll give up, we promise. They sound like gamblers on a losing streak.

Winning has been redefined down to a stable Iraq that can defend itself. In other words, like it was before we invaded.

Enough already. Admit it. WE LOST. We can't force another country to change to our liking.

Staying in Iraq will just prolong the destruction. Our best option is to announce that we are leaving, and prove it by dismantling the permanent bases we've been building.

If we are contrite enough, others may step in to help clean up our mess. The first step is to show that we have come to our senses by convicting the criminals that lied us into this horror.

Shelby, Sessions, and Bonner are in favor of torture

Actually only Senator Shelby is willing to admit to it. Senator Sessions and Representative Bonner can’t even trouble themselves to respond to my letters. It seems like a pretty safe assumption though.

It’s frustrating when all of your reps are hard-core Bush puppets, but I thought I found something that might get through to them about why torture is such a bad idea. I sent a copy of an article written by a reserve soldier who fought in the first Iraq War, entitled What We’ve Lost. He writes about all the American soldiers that didn’t die because we had a reputation for treating prisoners fairly.

http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/09/what_weve_lost.html

This is Senator Shelby’s response.

Thank you for contacting me about methods for interrogating and trying enemy combatants. I appreciate you views on this matter.

I do not support the use of cruel, inhumane or degrading punishment against those in United States custody. However, these are not ordinary times. It is important to keep in mind that we must be able to obtain critical information from terrorists. Such information is vital to the security of our nation. Tough interrogation of ruthless terrorists is a necessity. We must never forget that terrorists do not follow the rules of engagement or the rules of the Geneva Convention.

On June 29, 2006, the Supreme Court ruled in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld that President Bush had overstepped his authority in ordering military war crimes trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees. As a result, Congress has moved forward on legislation to define the treatment of detainees during interrogations and create military commissions to prosecute terrorist suspects.

In September 2006, Congress passed S. 3930, the “Military Commissions Act,” which authorizes trial by military commission for violations of the law of war. Pursuant to S. 3930, the War Crimes Act of 1996 criminalizes only those Common Article 3 violations labeled as “grave breaches.” Previously, any violation of Common Article 3 constituted a criminal offense under the War Crimes Act.

This agreement is an important step forward. It maintains our ability to obtain important intelligence from captured terrorists while being mindful that we are not engaged in a conventional war.

Thank you again for sharing your views. If I may be of future assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I especially noticed the paragraph that starts with him not supporting torture, and ends with him in favor of torture. The only way to fight the terrorists is to become them. How can anyone be so dense?