On Sunday, in the wake of the row over the Abu Ghraib pics, blogger/history professor Juan Cole wrote:
I really wonder whether, with the emergence of these photos, the game isn't over for the Americans in Iraq. Is it realistic, after the bloody siege of Fallujah and the Shiite uprising of early April, and in the wake of these revelations, to think that the US can still win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi Arab public?
Regular readers of Cole's obligatory blog know he's being coy. Of course the game is over for the Americans in Iraq, and Cole knows it.
But, in fact, the game was over before it even started. Was anyone ignorant or arrogant enough to think an American army could invade and occupy an Islamic country in the heart of the Mideast and have it not be a quagmire? OK. Sorry. Dumb question.
The Iraq Adventure is a failure. Not one more American should die, or be widowed, or be without a father, or be without legs, or be psychologically traumatized for this Mother of all Mistakes.
posted by dackAccording to CNN, "The U.S. military reprimanded six American soldiers and admonished another in connection with alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, a senior military official said Monday."
Reprimands? Admonishments? That's it? I'm sure the Arab world will see us as liberators once again, now that we've pointed a finger and said, "bad soldier! bad!"
The action of these retards WILL directly result in more Americans getting killed and/or abused. That Hammill guy who just escaped is pretty goddamn lucky he got out when he did. I don't think we're going to like what happens to the next westerners taken prisoner over there.
Posted by: Thom on May 3, 2004 01:34 PM