Letters to the Editor
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Abu Ghraib Photos
These photos don't move me at all especially after seeing Iraqi terrorists behead innocent people. This is a war and no matter what anyone says or thinks, there are no rules to be followed. It is sad but true, men and women at war are no more than animals (on either side). I don't approve of thier tactics on any side of the situation but I will support my side right or wrong when survival is the issue. Like in the 60's question: What if we had a war and no one showed up? It's all about oil and money, power, control or land, and everyone knows this - it is not about human rights, welfare, or fair play. It has always been this way and always will be this way. It is human nature. To think otherwise or think we as humans can rise above our nature is to defy history. I really don't see the point of your article at all. Perhaps you should have put the overall cost to produce this into some other humanitarin effort that is bound to fail.
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Your Bias Is Showing
I fully support Salon's decision to publish these photographs, but cannot help but wonder why you publish these images, which are far more incendiary in nature when you cower before Muslim public opinion over the issue of the Danish cartoons.
Publish both. Do a story on how images can shape international affairs and include the truly disturbing cartoons published in the Middle Eastern press if you can. Nothing destroys mold and other fungus like sunlight, but we need to expose all of it, not merely that which embarasses GWB.
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Have the courage of your convictions
I applaud Salon for running these photos, which human rights and civil liberties groups have sought from the Defense Department in court proceedings. The Pentagon, naturally, has resisted those efforts, ostensibly because the images could violate the prisoners' rights to privacy, endanger American troops abroad and incite violence in the Muslim world. But if the Pentagon didn't want the world to see these images, it should have prevented this culture of prisoner mistreatment from developing.
I note that those most opposed to the press shining a spotlight into this dark corner of recent American history are also the ones who squawk loudest about how our enemies "hate freedom" and how our mission in the world is to "spread democracy."
Without an independent and aggressive press, you can't have either freedom or democracy. To argue that Salon sweep these images under the rug pushes the torture victims deeper into darkness. The Bush Administration also would have photos of American soldiers' flag-draped caskets swept into darkness, all in an effort to manage public perception of its foreign policy.
These photos and videos came out as quickly as efforts to free them could manage. The effort to hold America's government to account is precisely what I require from Salon, an American publisher of news, features and opinion. The difference between this and the Danish cartoons, I suspect, is that the Danish cartoons have already seen the light of day. These photos haven't. And that's why I think we should credit Salon for doing an excellent job.
If you ever find yourself held prisoner in some dank prison, without legal recourse, uncharged and tortured, I'm sure you would wish for someone, somewhere, preferably with an international news magazine at his disposal, to tell your story.
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Re: Who the hell cares about the Danish cartoons?
Well said. It's astounding that some of LWs here don't get it.
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We do have a right to know what is done in our name
Walter,
You are to be congratulated for publishing the photos. You do so at the risk of strife, anxiety, and offending the Muslim world.
But I have noticed that your sources find only pictures that degrade the Muslims and our troops. You really need to take the blinders off and find the thousands of positive photos that are out there. I and millions of other people the world over have seen them in the internet, print and television. So, how is it that you folks miss them?
Since you are the paragon of journalistic virtue, you may want to publish some photos of the positive things happening in Iraq. Remember, we do have a right to see what is being done in our name. You,of course, would not want to be thought of as censoring the news out of your publication. That would be so Republican ( and Democrat)of you.....
Since you've already offended the Muslims with the photos, publish the Danish cartoons. We need to see them too.....unless you are afraid of that pesky fatwa thing.
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Looking for more readers?
I'll keep this short so, here it is. While I am a Liberal by nature and yet, I feel like you published the photos in some self serving need to bash actions linked to the current Administration in some way. You didn't show the Muhammed Cartoons but you'll be happy as pie to show these photos. You could just throw up a new Article about the topic. Talk about how little was done about it. How the current Administration tried to sweep it under the table or it's desire not to sign any bill that denounced torture. And done this all without bringing up the photos. But instead, you had to show them off, Making a big deal about and old topic.
I don't like the current administration at all. I loath Bush and his lackies. I don't like what our troops may have done out there but, I don't think publishing the photos does anyone any good. Just adds new fire to the anti-Western sentiment. Which we really need to fight hard against. Yes it's all true what happened. We can't forget it. But we need to take care about what we show, how we talk about it, and who we point fingers at.
It doesn't take kid gloves, but it does require you stop with the sensationalism.
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The Daunting Task of Accountability
I am saddened and horrified by the torture you document. I am even more saddened that some do not call it torture. They echo Gonzalas's wording in his infamous memo which implied: inflict any kind of pain, humiliation, deprivation, even rape -- as long as it doesn't leave a mark, it is not torture. Of course, this is ludicrous. It is also an important point.
We define torture by "what doesn't leave a mark." In other words, torture is not defined by the effect it has on its victims (which in these cases is obviously horrific) but by the evidence it leaves.
We, simply, do not want evidence. We do not want to "see" it: if no marks exist, it never happened.
You have done a dangerous and brave service: you have shown us the scars. Now they exist. And any who would not see them now (who think this is something he/she would "pay for in Las Vegas") defines some aspect of our culture (American, human) that we should be wary of: it is a part of us, the secret wish of sadism.
People say you are Anti-American for posting these photos. These photos will, they insist, insight violence. Hmm. . . Disturbing. This suggests a prejudice against Muslims: "They can't handle the truth." "They are irrational." (More irrational than we are? How? Please compare the riots over the cartoons to the incredible suffering we cause daily in the mere cause of our economy.)
More disturbing, such people suggest that we cannot and should not be accountable for our actions -- the actions of our government (not mere soldiers). We tortured these men. We killed many. We should be accountable.
The question then becomes: How do we save our soldiers? How do we protect them? Certainly not by denying the truth that Muslims have known anyway. Accountability is part of that answer, and then more -- but the question is, you see, a different one.
I do have a lingering fear about these photos, however, and that is that I think that (this is horrible to say) many of us secretly want to see this. We are terrified of this new kind of war we find ourselves in; terrified of Muslims. We don't feel dialogue of any kind is possible with these "lower-than" others (and, therefore, we feel free not to be accountable or engage in dialogue.) And we enjoy seeing this "other" in these repulsive positions. That sadistic genie is released, and I am frightened of it.
And I am cynical enough to wonder if this wasn't part of the rational behind this brand of torture (photographed as it was) to begin with. Justify a war by creating a war. Incite anger and even terrorism to justify invasion and more costly (if more acceptable) violence. I do not mean to justify terrorism here -- I am trying to understand a process. A machinery is in action; I want to understant it.
Thank you for your documentation of the scars we have left. I hope we are up to the daunting task of accountability.