Andrew Sullivan quotes from the Abu Ghraib charge sheet at sickening length; including:
i. (S) Writing “I am a Rapest” (sic) on the leg of a detainee alleged to have forcibly raped a 15-year old fellow detainee, and then photographing him naked;
...
k. (S) A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee;
...
Here’s a lesson in how corrupt power works: the prisoner alleged to have raped another prisoner is punished and humiliated; but the guard is free to have sex with the prisoners at his whim. (The charge sheet does not say that the male guard “raped” the female detainee; but the act was certainly rape in every meaningful sense, simply by virtue of the fact that he held all the power and she held none.)
None of the guards had themselves photographed with misspelled confessions written on their bodies. Their guns and uniforms stated clearly enough who they were: they were the ones holding power. And how did they use that power? We’re just beginning to find out.
Think what this means. These degenerates have written their own meaning into the uniform that thousands of honorable men and women wear proudly every day. They have re-defined the American military uniform to mean, “I am a rapist”.
No American veteran can forgive this. The United States must practice “leadership by example” and make an example of these vermin. And we must extirpate the cancer of power abuse, not only in the military but in society at large.
We can do it. We must do it.
2004-05-05
2004-05-04
But can she vote?
A Kuwaiti court has ruled that a 25-year-old male-to-female transsexual can be officially regarded as a woman, according to this BBC report which comes courtesy of Gay Middle East.
According to the report:
Lawyer Adel al-Yahya told Reuters news agency the judges were guided by a religious edict allowing gender change if there are medical reasons for it.
The ruling has to be approved by a higher court before it becomes final.
Mr Yahya, the plaintiff's lawyer, said he presented the court with an edict from Sunni Islam's top religious institution, al-Azhar, in Egypt.
This allows people to change their gender if there are proper medical reasons for doing so.
"We have evidence, a fatwa from al-Azhar, because we have a case of illness, not a case of switching gender or as they call it in Kuwait a third-sex case," he told Reuters.
What tipped the balance for the court, apparently, was the finding of "hormonal imbalances" (simply living a life of torment would not, by itself, have sufficed). Apparently the Kuwaiti court shares the widespread apprehension that there are millions of people out there who might decide to change gender on a whim or as part of some kind of fad. Perhaps the plaintiff is eager to relinquish his/her right to vote - since Kuwaiti women were officially denied that right, once again, by the National Assembly.
According to the report:
Lawyer Adel al-Yahya told Reuters news agency the judges were guided by a religious edict allowing gender change if there are medical reasons for it.
The ruling has to be approved by a higher court before it becomes final.
Mr Yahya, the plaintiff's lawyer, said he presented the court with an edict from Sunni Islam's top religious institution, al-Azhar, in Egypt.
This allows people to change their gender if there are proper medical reasons for doing so.
"We have evidence, a fatwa from al-Azhar, because we have a case of illness, not a case of switching gender or as they call it in Kuwait a third-sex case," he told Reuters.
What tipped the balance for the court, apparently, was the finding of "hormonal imbalances" (simply living a life of torment would not, by itself, have sufficed). Apparently the Kuwaiti court shares the widespread apprehension that there are millions of people out there who might decide to change gender on a whim or as part of some kind of fad. Perhaps the plaintiff is eager to relinquish his/her right to vote - since Kuwaiti women were officially denied that right, once again, by the National Assembly.
Iraqi Imam Approves Gender Transition for Syrian MTF
An article in this issue of the MET should give us some idea of what is possible in the Mideast. Excerpt:
Cleric saves transsexual
By Thanaa Imam DAMASCUS
SYRIAN MAN HAS SEX CHANGE, FOLLOWING ADVICE OF IRAQI IMAM
A Syrian woman is giving thanks to the open-minded Iraqi cleric whose understanding led her to have a sex change operation.
Hiba, 33, faced years of trauma – both as a woman ‘trapped’ in the body of a man, and – over the past year – as one of the Arab world’s few transsexuals. But after 19 attempts at suicide, Hiba says she has been saved. “I feel I am a complete female now.”
Hiba recalls the depression she felt when Imad, as she was called, discovered he was not a “complete man.”
...
Dr. Muhammad Hassan, the plastic surgeon who performed the surgery by replacing Imad’s atrophic male organs with female ones, said, “Such an operation necessitates solid medical tests proving that the transformation could be possible, as well as psychological reports and legal approvals allowing the change of gender in the official records.”
Hassan said cases such as Imad’s were not very common in the Arab world, as many who suffer genetic disorders tend to conceal the fact.
“I now live in peace with myself,” Hiba said. But only Hiba’s mother has accepted her transformation, “as God’s wish.” The rest of her family has rejected her.
AFP
Thanks to Jane for the Gay Middle East link.
Cleric saves transsexual
By Thanaa Imam DAMASCUS
SYRIAN MAN HAS SEX CHANGE, FOLLOWING ADVICE OF IRAQI IMAM
A Syrian woman is giving thanks to the open-minded Iraqi cleric whose understanding led her to have a sex change operation.
Hiba, 33, faced years of trauma – both as a woman ‘trapped’ in the body of a man, and – over the past year – as one of the Arab world’s few transsexuals. But after 19 attempts at suicide, Hiba says she has been saved. “I feel I am a complete female now.”
Hiba recalls the depression she felt when Imad, as she was called, discovered he was not a “complete man.”
...
Dr. Muhammad Hassan, the plastic surgeon who performed the surgery by replacing Imad’s atrophic male organs with female ones, said, “Such an operation necessitates solid medical tests proving that the transformation could be possible, as well as psychological reports and legal approvals allowing the change of gender in the official records.”
Hassan said cases such as Imad’s were not very common in the Arab world, as many who suffer genetic disorders tend to conceal the fact.
“I now live in peace with myself,” Hiba said. But only Hiba’s mother has accepted her transformation, “as God’s wish.” The rest of her family has rejected her.
AFP
Thanks to Jane for the Gay Middle East link.
Against the United Nations
Jane has a superb post on the UN. The time has come to radically reform, replace, or abolish this anti-democratic institution which represents states, not people.
Oh, yeah, almost forgot: Sudan has been appointed to the UN Commission on Human Rights.
Have a nice day.
Oh, yeah, almost forgot: Sudan has been appointed to the UN Commission on Human Rights.
Have a nice day.
Morning Report: May 4, 2004
· Beating versus joining: the future of the Arab League, if it has one. When Tunisia summarily uninvited the members of the Arab League from the summit it was to host, AL Secretary-General sarcastically snapped that perhaps the Arabs should join NATO instead. But in fact many Arabs are talking about doing just that: several Arab states are already on track to sign formal agreements with NATO at the upcoming summit in Istanbul (the largest city in NATO’s second-strongest member state). Taheri attributes the “stampede” away from the Arab League – and all it represents – to dissatisfaction with economic and political conditions in the Arab world. Citing the varying degrees of advancement among AL member states, Taheri sees two options available: individual “national strategies” tailored to each country’s needs, or partnership with existing international organizations.
Read Taheri here.
· Another word for freedom: guarded optimism from Safire and Wretchard. An Israeli proverb holds that Israel’s greatest strategic asset is the Mediterranean Sea – since, with no place to retreat to, Israelis have no choice but to fight. As June 30 approaches, Iraqis may be feeling the same way. Citing the now “inexorable” handover of sovereignty, William Safire points to the silver lining of a cloudy April: “The UN, at last given its long-sought ‘central role’ in Iraq’s politics, is becoming less afflicted with hubris.” Kofi Annan has distanced himself from Brahimi’s anti-Western remarks and has pledged proactive UN cooperation in the corruption investigation. Iraqis, too, are feeling the pressure: they must “take up the opportunity now made available to them” lest Iraq slip back into a new era of torture chambers and mass graves. The Belmont Club post echoes a similar sense of urgency: while the USMC has penned up the enemy in Fallujah without a massacre, many “bad eggs” will likely be present in the newly-minted Iraqi security forces. On a larger scale, Americans must face the “burning certainty” that our nation’s future depends on defeating terrorism and bringing democracy to the mideast. Both Wretchard and Safire agree that the situation must “concentrate minds”, as the saying goes, in both Iraq and the United States. We must win it all, or lose it all. This is the meaning of freedom.
Read Belmont Club here.
Read William Safire's column quickly, while it's still free.
Read Taheri here.
· Another word for freedom: guarded optimism from Safire and Wretchard. An Israeli proverb holds that Israel’s greatest strategic asset is the Mediterranean Sea – since, with no place to retreat to, Israelis have no choice but to fight. As June 30 approaches, Iraqis may be feeling the same way. Citing the now “inexorable” handover of sovereignty, William Safire points to the silver lining of a cloudy April: “The UN, at last given its long-sought ‘central role’ in Iraq’s politics, is becoming less afflicted with hubris.” Kofi Annan has distanced himself from Brahimi’s anti-Western remarks and has pledged proactive UN cooperation in the corruption investigation. Iraqis, too, are feeling the pressure: they must “take up the opportunity now made available to them” lest Iraq slip back into a new era of torture chambers and mass graves. The Belmont Club post echoes a similar sense of urgency: while the USMC has penned up the enemy in Fallujah without a massacre, many “bad eggs” will likely be present in the newly-minted Iraqi security forces. On a larger scale, Americans must face the “burning certainty” that our nation’s future depends on defeating terrorism and bringing democracy to the mideast. Both Wretchard and Safire agree that the situation must “concentrate minds”, as the saying goes, in both Iraq and the United States. We must win it all, or lose it all. This is the meaning of freedom.
Read Belmont Club here.
Read William Safire's column quickly, while it's still free.
2004-05-03
Sidebar Highlight: Ruti Gaon
Israeli artist Ruti Gaon offers a wide range of original work, from stunning renditions of Biblical scenes to inspirational productions. She is a woman of many talents, and I'm reliably informed that she is a fearsome opponent on the Quidditch court as well. Go check out her site.
You ain't there yet?!
You ain't there yet?!
More on Abu Ghraib
NRO's Jed Babbin writes:
"Dated February 26, 2004, the 50-odd-page investigation report, which I have obtained, states that a pattern of prisoner abuse existed for several months. The details are sickening."
Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, the American officer in charge of the facility, claims that she knew nothing of the abuse until after the fact:
"Karpinski is defending herself by passing the blame to others. She told the New York Times that, "...she knew nothing about the abuse until weeks after it occurred and that she was "sickened" by the pictures. She said the prison cellblock where the abuse occurred was under the tight control of Army military intelligence officers who may have encouraged the abuse." Though Karpinski is clearly culpable, she shouldn't shoulder all the blame. Others clearly should — and will — share it." (Emphasis mine - aa.)
If BGen. Karpinski is telling the truth, then this should sound alarm bells about the internal secrecy that we allow in our military establishments, where one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. We all understand the need for legitimate security, but intelligence units must not be allowed to operate in an atmosphere where they think the rules are for the rest of the military but not for them. Read the whole article here.
"Dated February 26, 2004, the 50-odd-page investigation report, which I have obtained, states that a pattern of prisoner abuse existed for several months. The details are sickening."
Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, the American officer in charge of the facility, claims that she knew nothing of the abuse until after the fact:
"Karpinski is defending herself by passing the blame to others. She told the New York Times that, "...she knew nothing about the abuse until weeks after it occurred and that she was "sickened" by the pictures. She said the prison cellblock where the abuse occurred was under the tight control of Army military intelligence officers who may have encouraged the abuse." Though Karpinski is clearly culpable, she shouldn't shoulder all the blame. Others clearly should — and will — share it." (Emphasis mine - aa.)
If BGen. Karpinski is telling the truth, then this should sound alarm bells about the internal secrecy that we allow in our military establishments, where one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. We all understand the need for legitimate security, but intelligence units must not be allowed to operate in an atmosphere where they think the rules are for the rest of the military but not for them. Read the whole article here.
Ebadi to Visit US
Shirin Ebadi, known less than affectionately as "Ayatollah Ebadi" on the Iranian dissident site, has plans to visit the United States in the near future, according to this release from AFP.
You may wonder what Ebadi has done to draw the ire of the Iranian dissidents. The answer is that these activists see the various purported "moderate" or "reformist" factions in the regime as little more than a smoke screen for the same patterns of repression that they know all too well.
You may wonder what Ebadi has done to draw the ire of the Iranian dissidents. The answer is that these activists see the various purported "moderate" or "reformist" factions in the regime as little more than a smoke screen for the same patterns of repression that they know all too well.
Chalabi aiding Iranian mullahs?
A Newsweek report cited by the Free Iran web charges that Ahmed Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress is giving intelligence aid to the regime in Tehran - which could be used against the Iraqi and American people in the mullahs' insurgency. Read the article at Free Iran, and check out the online discussion too.
*IMPORTANT UPDATE*
David Frum strongly rebuts the allegation.
*IMPORTANT UPDATE*
David Frum strongly rebuts the allegation.
Morning Report: May 3, 2004
· Al-Qaeda strikes Saudi oil facility – details murky. (Debka) A day-long suicide attack and gunfight claimed several lives at Yanbu on May 1. Official reports said that three attackers were gunned down and a fourth captured. Debka’s analysis questions official casualty figures, and suggests that several “bands” of terrorists may have spread out through the town. The Israeli report suggests that the goals of the attack were to undermine the Saudi regime, to weaken US/Saudi oil ties, and to cause oil prices to rise prior to the US elections in November.
· Brahimi a Saddam fan? (Free Arab Forum) Quoting Kurdish media, FAF alleges that Iraq’s UN representative has close ties with former dictator Saddam Hussein.
· VDH on overcoming dependency. (National Review Online) In a long and eloquent piece assessing the current situation, Victor Davis Hanson calls for decreased dependency on foreign oil:
“Surely conservatives can agree to reasonable mileage standards for new cars that will have the eventual practical effect of reducing our nation's daily consumption of oil. By the same token, surely liberals can agree to explore our own Arctic Circle for known petroleum, under careful environmental scrutiny to ensure that such resources are extracted with more care at home than they are currently extracted abroad, in areas where our own environmental protocols have no sway. We Americans cannot expect to drive cars that consume more gasoline than they need nor demand of others to tap their own fragile environment for resources that we desire but would not do the same for at home."
· Gaza pullout: Likud says no. (Various) Voters in Ariel Sharon’s Likud party soundly rejected the Israeli Prime Minister’s plan for a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The Head Heeb comments succinctly: “This is a good day for Hamas and a bad one for Israel.” Debka, which had previously noted its lack of enthusiasm for the plan, essentially pronounced the vote the end of Sharon’s political career. I hope to post my own thoughts on this a little later.
· Brahimi a Saddam fan? (Free Arab Forum) Quoting Kurdish media, FAF alleges that Iraq’s UN representative has close ties with former dictator Saddam Hussein.
· VDH on overcoming dependency. (National Review Online) In a long and eloquent piece assessing the current situation, Victor Davis Hanson calls for decreased dependency on foreign oil:
“Surely conservatives can agree to reasonable mileage standards for new cars that will have the eventual practical effect of reducing our nation's daily consumption of oil. By the same token, surely liberals can agree to explore our own Arctic Circle for known petroleum, under careful environmental scrutiny to ensure that such resources are extracted with more care at home than they are currently extracted abroad, in areas where our own environmental protocols have no sway. We Americans cannot expect to drive cars that consume more gasoline than they need nor demand of others to tap their own fragile environment for resources that we desire but would not do the same for at home."
· Gaza pullout: Likud says no. (Various) Voters in Ariel Sharon’s Likud party soundly rejected the Israeli Prime Minister’s plan for a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The Head Heeb comments succinctly: “This is a good day for Hamas and a bad one for Israel.” Debka, which had previously noted its lack of enthusiasm for the plan, essentially pronounced the vote the end of Sharon’s political career. I hope to post my own thoughts on this a little later.
Sudan Atrocities
After attacking the village in February, soldiers and Janjaweed chased women and children into a valley and shot them in cold blood as they attempted to hide behind rocks and trees.
"They said: 'You are dogs! We will drive you off this land!'" said Salma Zakariah Hassan, 19, who escaped unscathed.
"They told me: 'You are a rebel and the son of rebels!'" said Hussein Daafallah, 12, who was shot three times - in the face, arm and leg. The child saw three friends aged between 7 and 11 fall wounded beside him, but does not know whether they lived or died. That, he explains, is why he is crying; not because of his disfigured face, shattered elbow and swollen, infected leg. ...
The Sudanese government is believed to be complicit in the ongoing horror in the Darfur region in the west of Sudan, bordering Chad. The gangs of thugs known as janjaweed appear to be enforcing the regime's ethnic-cleansing policy.
Despite the urging of American officials, the UN response - and particularly that of the European Union - has so far been disappointing.
Recalling the words of the 18th century Whig politician Edmund Burke: "It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph" - the head of the US delegation to the Commission called for a special session to "hold accountable those responsible for the deplorable acts in Darfur."
"After World War II, the world said 'never again,'" US Alternate Representative to the UN for Special Political Affairs Richard Williamson said. "Then came Cambodia where the 'killing fields' were awash in blood. Ten years ago in Rwanda, evil reigned ... Then came ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo.
"We cannot fail as we have before. 'Never Again' must be more than mere words or an idle promise."
Read the whole story here. (Hat tip, as always, to Jane.) Then sign the petition.
"They said: 'You are dogs! We will drive you off this land!'" said Salma Zakariah Hassan, 19, who escaped unscathed.
"They told me: 'You are a rebel and the son of rebels!'" said Hussein Daafallah, 12, who was shot three times - in the face, arm and leg. The child saw three friends aged between 7 and 11 fall wounded beside him, but does not know whether they lived or died. That, he explains, is why he is crying; not because of his disfigured face, shattered elbow and swollen, infected leg. ...
The Sudanese government is believed to be complicit in the ongoing horror in the Darfur region in the west of Sudan, bordering Chad. The gangs of thugs known as janjaweed appear to be enforcing the regime's ethnic-cleansing policy.
Despite the urging of American officials, the UN response - and particularly that of the European Union - has so far been disappointing.
Recalling the words of the 18th century Whig politician Edmund Burke: "It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph" - the head of the US delegation to the Commission called for a special session to "hold accountable those responsible for the deplorable acts in Darfur."
"After World War II, the world said 'never again,'" US Alternate Representative to the UN for Special Political Affairs Richard Williamson said. "Then came Cambodia where the 'killing fields' were awash in blood. Ten years ago in Rwanda, evil reigned ... Then came ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo.
"We cannot fail as we have before. 'Never Again' must be more than mere words or an idle promise."
Read the whole story here. (Hat tip, as always, to Jane.) Then sign the petition.
More on the Prisoners
Jonah Goldberg at NRO's The Corner says it better than I can. He's also posted an email from a veteran commenting on this outrage:
"Jonah,
... The damage done to our cause, and our country's reputation by this appalling conduct could be catastrophic. For all the people in the world who dismiss the Eurotrash's sniping at America, to say nothing of the likes of bin Laden and al Jazeera, this will be hard to explain and may very well plant a poisonous seed.
I'm not the parent of a fallen soldier or Marine, but I can just imagine how I would feel if, after experiencing the horror of outliving my child after
he or she died for freedom in Iraq, saw those pictures of the prisoners in
Baghdad. My kid's dead...but his memory, and his reputation as an American fighting man, ostensibly fighting against this same barbarity, has been sullied by guttersnipes led by a one-star witless moron.
700+ heros have taken a bullet and meanwhile...literally behind their
backs...everything they have bled and died for is being gleefully
undermined. These people pissed on their graves...and laughed. String 'em up.
I'll be happy to spell one of the guards at Leavenworth should they need it. ..."
Goldberg writes:
"The awfulness is twofold. First, there's the illegal, morally corrupt -- and corrupting -- evil of torturing people for the pleasure of it (and taking pictures of it!). Second, there's the counter-productive stupidity of it. Even if these guys were the worst henchmen of Saddam's torture chambers, the damage this does to the image of America is huge. How do we look when we denounce Saddam's torture chambers now? How many more American soldiers will be shot because of the ill will and outrage this generates? How do we claim to be champions of the rule of law?
Well, there is one way. This needs to be investigated and prosecuted."
Read the whole thing here and here.
"Jonah,
... The damage done to our cause, and our country's reputation by this appalling conduct could be catastrophic. For all the people in the world who dismiss the Eurotrash's sniping at America, to say nothing of the likes of bin Laden and al Jazeera, this will be hard to explain and may very well plant a poisonous seed.
I'm not the parent of a fallen soldier or Marine, but I can just imagine how I would feel if, after experiencing the horror of outliving my child after
he or she died for freedom in Iraq, saw those pictures of the prisoners in
Baghdad. My kid's dead...but his memory, and his reputation as an American fighting man, ostensibly fighting against this same barbarity, has been sullied by guttersnipes led by a one-star witless moron.
700+ heros have taken a bullet and meanwhile...literally behind their
backs...everything they have bled and died for is being gleefully
undermined. These people pissed on their graves...and laughed. String 'em up.
I'll be happy to spell one of the guards at Leavenworth should they need it. ..."
Goldberg writes:
"The awfulness is twofold. First, there's the illegal, morally corrupt -- and corrupting -- evil of torturing people for the pleasure of it (and taking pictures of it!). Second, there's the counter-productive stupidity of it. Even if these guys were the worst henchmen of Saddam's torture chambers, the damage this does to the image of America is huge. How do we look when we denounce Saddam's torture chambers now? How many more American soldiers will be shot because of the ill will and outrage this generates? How do we claim to be champions of the rule of law?
Well, there is one way. This needs to be investigated and prosecuted."
Read the whole thing here and here.
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