The U.S. has been expanding Bagram prison in Afghanistan. As part of an effort to turn the prison over to Afghan forces the US has been installing Afghan prison guards. It turns out that some of those guards are members of the Taliban. Two US soldiers have been killed by prison guards, with no guarantee that future infiltration will stop. Just thought it ties into a previous post about an Iraqi soldier shooting Americans. Gotta watch who you're training America.
On another note, what ever happened to holding a regular old prisoner of war. Many of the detainees in Bagram are Taliban fighters, while a few are foreign al Qaeda suspects. Most of the detainees are nothing more than ground fighters who obviously don't know about any terror plots. Why can't the US just treat them as POW's? Back in 2002, several prisoners were beaten to death. The Red Cross is still outraged at the conditions, rights, and international violations going on in Bagram.
How do Americans contend that we are the watchdogs of human rights. How do we think we have a moral authority? How can we not realize that the cries to stop Saddam the butcher should be thrown back at us? Good luck getting Afghanistan to ban torture when they're in control. We're the one's that teach them how to do it!
I hardly can see how beating prisoners to death is an effective interrogation method.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/07/world/asia/07bagram.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
On another note, what ever happened to holding a regular old prisoner of war. Many of the detainees in Bagram are Taliban fighters, while a few are foreign al Qaeda suspects. Most of the detainees are nothing more than ground fighters who obviously don't know about any terror plots. Why can't the US just treat them as POW's? Back in 2002, several prisoners were beaten to death. The Red Cross is still outraged at the conditions, rights, and international violations going on in Bagram.
How do Americans contend that we are the watchdogs of human rights. How do we think we have a moral authority? How can we not realize that the cries to stop Saddam the butcher should be thrown back at us? Good luck getting Afghanistan to ban torture when they're in control. We're the one's that teach them how to do it!
I hardly can see how beating prisoners to death is an effective interrogation method.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/07/world/asia/07bagram.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
3 comments:
Good point about how we deal with prisonors. Moral authority is the key to my thinking. If one has a standard of morality it ain hard to judge who is moraly inferior simply in observing beleifs and practices. Ya gotta have 'bonefied' a beleif and practice before ya can judge others. Any doubts that Western morality and human rights are superior to third world nations. Did the West make them third world or is that their natural state by reason of their own beleifs and poracices?
Russia, China, S. America, Mexico, Africa! Nations rich in resources and look at the leadership they get and what they persue.
Democracy is a fradgile anomoly. So is Western 'compassion'. I would not let our 'compassion' become a weapon against us for an enemy.
Should we give eqilivency to an enemy. I say YES! If they commit atrocities, so do we in order to deal with them. Win at all costs and ASAP so that people can get back to their lives on all sides.
We may end up beating and torturing to achieve an end but an enemy makes it policy and appears that they even enjoy it.
We may kill innocents through collateral damage but the enemy see's no innocents and neither are their own women and children 'non combatants'.
Maybe OT here, I doan think so cuz when I hear the words 'Moral authority' used in the context of discrediting our efforts at peace and stability I start to understand how great civilizations fall. (from within) Think of the horror and bloodshed, the refugees and displaced people it takes to build a powerful and stable nation that wants peace even if for it own interests. That is worth few atrocities in my book. Admit I would run like hell to avoid victimhood but I understand it.
BTW DCongressionally dclainig war would have been nice. Their can be no prosecutable treason without that Declaration and war crimes are only committed by the losers.
Did the West make them third world countries? In a lot of cases - Yes. The West's role has decimated countries and warped their culture in many places. But, I think that such a generalization on both sides is unfair. Each country has had a different interaction and experience.
Your view on Russia, China, South America, Mexico, and Africa having abundant resources and poor leaders is incredibly flawed. Why don't you look at the history of these countries and figure out why they've had the leaders they've had. Maybe it's because the West has either backed the leaders, or created a situation where they were the alternative. I think you should double check your claim that S. America and Africa are rich in resources. Once again, a generalization proves it impossible for your claims to be true. Why you're at it, look up who's been in control of the resources throughout West's interaction with them.
Are you serious? We should commit the same atrocities? The problem with that is - we can't bomb any given nation. The people of our "enemies" nations don't necessarily support those who attack us. Once again, terrible generalization.
Remember when we one World War II? I don't remember extensive torture going on on our side while the Japanese tortured us. But guess what? We still won.
What is this term "the enemy" who are you talking about? Each case is specific and you need to realize that. There are innocents for the "enemy".
War crimes are committed on both sides. That's why from time to time the US finds some scapegoat soldiers to imprison. Treasan can occur during peacetime. What do you think the US does with domestic spies?
I think you need to take a second look at how wars are won. If you destroy my neighborhood and unjustly torture my brother - I will never be your friend.
Keep in mind that the leaders of the West haven't always been so great in interacting with other Western nations, let alone with their colonies.
an addition to the first paragraph of last post - maybe the west hasn't always made third world countries become what they are. but we certainly have stunted their growth - politically, culturally, and economically
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