MemoryHole begins:
'On 25 April 2003, the newspaper Dagbladet in Norway published photos of armed US soldiers forcing Iraqi men to walk naked through a park.
On the chests of the men had been scrawled an Arabic phrase that translates as "Ali Baba - Thief."
A military officer states that the men are thieves, and that this technique will be used again.
No word yet from the newly liberated Iraqi people about some of them being summarily found guilty of theft, forced at gunpoint to strip, having a racist phrase written on their bodies, and then made to walk naked in public. No doubt the Arab/Muslim world is impressed by this display of "democracy," "freedom," "due process," and "no cruel or unusual punishment." '
Odd. I heard President Bush today say "we are the Iraqis' friends." And I haven't heard about this lovely incident from Rumsfeld, CNN, or anything else.
In fact, a Google news search right now, supplied only this:
Amnesty International concerned over news report suggesting US ..
Boston Globe, MA - Apr 26, 2003
... newspaper report that included a photo ... showing US soldiers escorting three naked ... based Dagbladet newspaper said four Iraqi ... man with the words ''Ali Baba - thief ...
Amnesty blasts naked parade - Edmonton Sun
Report suggests US soldiers mistreated prisoners - WHNT
That was it. Nothing else. No other coverage. Why? In fact, theh piece from the Edmonton Sun has already been pulled. (I didn't link to the WHNT piece, which is still up, because there are so many pop up windows it feels like a porn site.)
I have heard that misjudgements occur. I can understand that. None of us is perfect. I cannot understand how in the world a civilized culture can treat fellow human beings in such an atrocious way. It makes me ill.
permalink posted by: jgh 3:27:09 PM
