Doom, death, and destruction

Ok -- so there was some outrageous mistreatment of prisoners by Americans running a prison over in Iraq around a year ago. The crime was reported, and internal investigations were going on to try and punish the perputrators. There was a press release a couple of months ago that abuse had been reported and that people would be punished.

Then someone leaked photos (and what sicko TOOK these photos? I hope it was someone trying to expose the problem, not someone who wanted the photos for keepsakes!) and the press has, of course, released them.

Hey, it sells commercials and newspapers on the Western end, and it "proves" America is evil on the Islamist and Leftist ends.

So... the important question that is being posed to the public is -- why didn't the US Government (Pentagon, specifically) make a huge public deal out of this? The Anti-American lobby says its because they don't want the world to know what the US is REALLY doing there. And of course, they avoid other explanations, because they don't back their world view.

I'll propose another one... how about this? Publicizing this has a detrimental effect on the mission -- which is to leave a free and prosperous Iraq -- one that is not friendly to Al Queda et. al. Publicizing this fuels misplaced anger and hatred.

Oh it's not misplaced, you say?

When the actions of a minority cause you to paint all with the same brush, what do they call that... hmmm.... well, if it were a race you were painting with that broad brush, they'd call it racism.

If you think that most of the American Military aren't disgusted and ashamed of the actions of these people, you're guilty of that kind of prejudice.

What good, so far, has come out of making these abuses public outside of what was released to the press much earlier this year?

Let me pause so you all can reflect on that.

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Now, what bad has come out of it? It's given people an excuse to commit a grizzly murder on someone who had absolutely nothing to do with it. Is that good? Its incited more hatred and suspicion from people we want to help, and has made more determined in their hatred people whom we are trying to eliminate (Islamists and their terrorist tactics). That hasn't helped. The constant coverage and new "breaking" photos (more of the ones that were taken last year) give the impression that the abuse is still rampant and going on.

On the other hand, it has sold a lot of newscopy, and commercial time on news networks and strengthened the leftists' position. I suppose you could say that the fact that the President and Rumsfeld have both expressed disgust and shame and condemned the actions and apologized for it is positive (what Arab country or terrorist organization would do that?) -- but, since these people are eager to believe that America is Evil, they will refuse to believe the condemnation and apolgy is sincere, no matter how sincere it really is.

It has, unfortunately, delayed a free and prosperous Iraq. On top of that, it means more Iraqis and Americans will die to further the agenda of the Islamists.