Pixelated Semantics

A schizotypical inventory

Playtime for terrorists

The US military establishment has to all intents cleared itself of abuse via the Church Report (for instance, they "highlight the difficulty of precisely defining the boundaries of humane treatment" while swerving semantically a la Lord Hutton around the main thrust of the issues by declaring that "no universally accepted definitions of 'torture' or 'abuse' exist" - as if notional disagreement on a definition of an action somehow can excuse the action itself.) Whitewashing itself all the way to the conclusion:

"[...] there is no single, overarching explanation. While authorized interrogation techniques have not been a causal factor in detainee abuse, we have nevertheless identified a number of missed opportunities in the policy development process. We cannot say that there would necessarily have been less detainee abuse had these opportunities been acted upon."

That's right, it's not systematic abuse, but "missed opportunities" for policy.

Back in the real world however, the opportunities are stacking up again:

"Children held by the U.S. Army at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison included one boy who appeared to be only about 8 years old, the former commander of the prison told investigators, according to a transcript. 'He looked like he was eight years old. He told me he was almost 12,' Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski told officials investigating prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. 'He told me his brother was there with him, but he really wanted to see his mother, could he please call his mother. He was crying.'

That account goes on to detail an extremely sordid, disturbing and systematic pattern of the abuse of minors in the name of "freedom" and "democracy" and "policy opportunities". [And it also speaks of the Pentagon acknowledging "holding up to 100 'ghost detainees'", while the Church Report managed to find only 30.] The undefined "boundaries of humane treatment" are certainly proving to be a useful weapon, as US Maj. Gen. Walter Wodjakowski is reported as saying:

"I don't care if we're holding 15,000 innocent civilians. We're winning the war".

Ah yes, against those 8 year old terrorists no doubt.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 10:33 am ::