Re "Command Errors Aided Iraq Abuse, Army Has Found" (front page, May 3) and
"The Nightmare at Abu Ghraib" (editorial, May 3):
I want no one tortured in my name, not for my safety, not for democracy.
The sexual humiliation of men is unholy. Every senator, member of Congress,
religious leader and ordinary American should be screaming in protest.
Americans need answers. This is no time for polite deference to the
powerful.
Who is in charge of military intelligence? Who enabled the hiring of
civilian contractors to be part of military interrogation?
Who put an inept female reservist in charge of Abu Ghraib, and why? Why were
so few trained for interrogation?
These responsibilities ultimately go to the commander in chief and his
cabinet, especially to the secretary of defense and the Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
We have fine people in Congress, in positions of religious leadership, in
every home in America. It is time for all of us to call for truth and
justice.
MARY BELL
Montclair, N.J., May 3, 2004
President Bush's Disaster in Iraq
May 3, 2004
The pictures of U.S. soldiers humiliating Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib -
Saddam Hussein's infamous torture chamber - reveal how we have lost our way
in combating terrorism as a direct result of President Bush's disastrous war
of choice in Iraq. This is not about the failures of some rogue elements in
the military. This is part and parcel of the total failure of leadership at
the highest levels of the U.S. government that will set back America's role
in the world for decades.
a.. The entire history of the war in Iraq is one of lies and incompetence.
President Bush took us to war based on false pretenses and manipulated
intelligence. He alienated the entire world community. He failed to plan for
post-war security and reconstruction. And now, with allegations of the very
abuse of Iraqis that we set out to eradicate, the president has lost the
hearts and minds in Iraq and throughout the Arab world for years.
b.. Because of Bush administration policies and actions, we are losing the
battle for hearts and minds. President Bush diverted resources from the
fight against al Qaeda in Afghanistan to fight a more long-term threat in
Iraq. The mishandling of the situation in Iraq created a new terrorist front
where none existed before. And through misconduct in the ranks and gross
negligence at senior command levels, the pictures from Abu Ghraib are now
the lens through which the Arab world sees America. Rather than a
comprehensive strategy to win over hearts and minds, the Bush administration
continues to pursue a one-dimensional strategy that plays right into the
terrorists' hands.
c.. The war in Iraq has severely damaged civil liberties at home and
America's leadership role in the world. In less than three years, President
Bush managed to blow all of the good will extended America after 9/11. To
the people of Iraq, we are seen as occupiers. To the people of the Arab
world, we are no longer the beacon of hope. To people of Arab heritage in
this country, we have changed what we represent as a nation.
Daily Talking Points is a product of the Center for American Progress, a
non-partisan research and educational institute committed to progressive
principles for a strong, just and free America.
.
|
