05/25/2004: "Verdict first, trial after"

The left-wing, pacifist Christian magazine Sojourners takes an Alice in Wonderland approach to dealing with Abu Ghraib:

Take Action!
Demand Rumsfeld's resignation, independent investigation

Republicans, Democrats, and internationally respected humanitarian and human rights organizations agree: the abuses committed in U.S. military prisons in Iraq are systemic, and the responsibility for them reaches to the highest levels of leadership. An independent investigation is required to determine the extent of and persons responsible for these crimes�including military police and intelligence officials, the CIA, and independent military contractors. The system that allowed these abuses to occur cannot be trusted to fully correct them.

Use this form [below on the page I've linked to-A.] to tell your members of Congress that Donald Rumsfeld must resign, and that an independent investigation into these abuses must be undertaken immediately.

An interesting approach to justice: since you've already decided Rumsfeld is responsible (for something, though it's impossible to tell what), he has to resign now, and then we need an investigation�other than the couple dozen by the military and the one by Congress�so we can decide who's responsible.

By the way, the same "system" that produced the prison abuses also produced the soldiers who exposed them, as well as the 134,000+ who have abused no one. The claim that the abuses are "systemic" has hardly been proven (isn't that what the investigation is for?), and may not go much beyond eight people on the night shift. But then I wouldn't expect a publication that opposes the entire Iraq endeavor and desperately wants conservatives out of power to be terribly nuanced in the face of a juicy scandal.

Replies: 6 Comments

on Tuesday, May 25th, Little Fly said

Almost reminds me of the right-wing response to the Lewinski affair. I guess neither side is shy about saying stupid things when juicy scandal is available. Oh wait, I already knew that.

on Wednesday, May 26th, Athanasius said

As do we all!

on Thursday, May 27th, Reepicheep said

Well certainly there must be some investigation. We honestly don't know how these abuses came about and that needs to be settled. But calling for Rumsfeld's resignation at this point is like calling for Ronald McDonald's resignation when you get a bad cheeseburger.

on Thursday, May 27th, Little Fly said

It is too early for the Bush administration to boot Rumsfeld out (and I say that despite my wanting the entire administration booted out). But now even the heads of Project for a New American Century are saying that the Bush admin. is falling down in Iraq.

on Saturday, May 29th, Chuck said

I think that the left just wants someone booted out so they can point fingers and say " SEE!! WE WERE RIGHT!!! THEY ARE ALL A BUNCH OF DUNCES!!!" . The grandstanding over the "Prison Scandal" is going to backfire soon. People are getting tired of hearing nothing good out of Iraq, despite all of the good things going on there. Schools, hospitals, roads, water, sewer, telephone, and power production are all in much better shape that they were before the war. A group of men who had their hands cut off by Sadaam, were just brought to the U.S. and fitted with prosthetics free of charge by some Americans that donated their products, time and skill to help those who had been enslaved by Sadaam for years!!! Did anybody see this on the 6:00 news??? I didn't think so. We need to look at the big picture, it is just very hard to see a clear picture when the media only gives the bad news.
I continue to pray that the Iraqi people continue on the path toward freedom and that our servicemen come home safe and sound.

on Sunday, May 30th, Little Fly said

I saw it in the nws, several times in fact.