Saturday, May 30, 2009

Torture and Rape Rooms: America's way of saying "Howdy!"

Remember when former unelected president, sneering condescending liar, and incoherent half-wit corporate stooge George W Bush was giving speeches trying to sell his war-for-oil to the public by howling about Saddam Hussein's "torture and rape rooms"?
"Iraq is free of rape rooms and torture chambers."-- Oct. 8, 2003

"We acted, and there are no longer mass graves and torture rooms and rape rooms in Iraq."-- Apr. 23, 2004

"Saddam Hussein now sits in a prison cell, and Iraqi men and women are no longer carried to torture chambers and rape rooms ..."-- Feb. 4, 2004

"Because we acted, torture rooms are closed, rape rooms no longer exist, mass graves are no longer a possibility in Iraq."--May 3, 2004
Well, no one in their right mind believed him, but that doesn't matter because the war was bought and paid for by corporate backers anyway. Nevertheless, his promises lies have come home to roost:

Abu Ghraib abuse photos 'show rape'
"At least one picture shows an American soldier apparently raping a female prisoner while another is said to show a male translator raping a male detainee.

Further photographs are said to depict sexual assaults on prisoners with objects including a truncheon, wire and a phosphorescent tube.

Maj Gen Taguba’s internal inquiry into the abuse at Abu Ghraib, included sworn statements by 13 detainees, which, he said in the report, he found “credible based on the clarity of their statements and supporting evidence provided by other witnesses.”

Among the graphic statements, which were later released under US freedom of information laws, is that of Kasim Mehaddi Hilas in which he says: “I saw [name of a translator] ******* a kid, his age would be about 15 to 18 years. The kid was hurting very bad and they covered all the doors with sheets. Then when I heard screaming I climbed the door because on top it wasn’t covered and I saw [name] who was wearing the military uniform, putting his **** in the little kid’s ***…. and the female soldier was taking pictures.”

The translator was an American Egyptian who is now the subject of a civil court case in the US.

Three detainees, including the alleged victim, refer to the use of a phosphorescent tube in the sexual abuse and another to the use of wire, while the victim also refers to part of a policeman’s “stick” all of which were apparently photographed."
So, that's how supporters of the war in Iraq "spread democracy." That's the "freedom" we heard so much about. Freedom for full-blown depravity done in your name and mine, that is.

When I refer to the Bush administration in blog- or newspaper-forum comments to account for these things, rightwingers always try to dismiss them by saying I am dwelling on the past, "blaming Bush"; that I should "just get over it". They insist the fault lies with either Clinton or Obama.

Well, the raped and tortured don't "get over it", and neither will I. It was just lies. It was treason.

Bonus rant:
When are we going to be held to account for irradiating the Iraqis with depleted uranium?
(pictures of some of the freedom we have spread)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is really sick is that Shrubya had his cronies deliver Unlawful orders {that violated not just the Geneva Convention} but also the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The same rules that are used to kick normal Gay People out of the service should be used to prosecute the people who committed these acts of unlawful carnal acts and sodomy and rape, and torture. I wrote about that over Memorial Day.

As a vet I am horrified. So are other Veteran family members. And you are right. People dont get over rape or torture. Both scenarious usually end in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and can bring about latent psychological conditions that might not otherwise manifest.

In order to hold the moral high ground, we would have to find some dirt first. Currently I see our country awash in a sea of filth--no solid ground in sight.

Mike V. said...

It's truly amazing that this happened at all, but even more shocking that the true crimes that go all the way to the top might not be prosecuted. How can we as a nation let this go???