[Vision2020] Leonard J Pitts on Prisoner Abuse

Art Deco aka W. Fox deco@moscow.com
Fri, 7 May 2004 09:38:22 -0700


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           Posted on Fri, May. 07, 2004

            LEONARD PITTS JR./COMMENTARY

            Arrogance can't help repair U.S. standing




            So much for winning the hearts and minds of the Muslim world.

            Bad enough we invaded a nation that had not attacked us. Bad enough
our core rationalization for that attack was apparently wrong.

            Could anything be less likely to convince Muslims of our benevolence
than the revelations now pouring out of Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad? Osama bin
Laden himself could not have created a more effective recruiting tool for al
Qaeda.

            That's because the series of photos that came to public attention
through CBS News' 60 Minutes II represent more than Iraqi prisoners being abused
at the hands of U.S. soldiers. No, what you see in those images is a calculated
cultural provocation, the equivalent of America spitting on Islam.

            BEYOND IMAGINATION

            Each image is more sickening than the last. You go from a group of
detainees stripped nude and forced to pile atop one another to a chained man
with a woman's panties on his head to a naked man grimacing on the floor at the
end of a leash held by a female Army private. There are also reportedly pictures
of male prisoners forced to simulate sex acts with one another.

            Given fundamentalist Islam's attitudes toward nudity, homosexuality
and women, one can only imagine how humiliating this is. It's no endorsement of
those attitudes to say that using them in this way amounts to nothing less than
psychological brutality.

            Then, hard on the heels of that scandal comes a new one: an
investigation into the deaths of prisoners reportedly abused while in U.S.
custody.

            The president has called this ''abhorrent'' and has gone on Arab
television to express remorse. Among the soldiers involved, heads are already
rolling. Some observers think the beheading should include Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld.

            Yet even as you watch the recriminations and the punishments unfold,
you are seized with a sense that it won't be enough. You wonder if, at this
point, anything can be.

            Experts have told us the war on terror cannot be won solely by guns.
Victory will also depend on convincing the Arab world that ours is a better way.
Except that suddenly, we don't look better. Indeed, we look like everything we
said we were not.

            RIGHTEOUS SELF-IMAGE

            And there is no excuse for it. Not youth, not zeal, not even the
bestial mistreatment of corpses in Fallujah a few weeks back. When you wear the
uniform of the United States of America, it is supposed to mean something.
Certainly, something higher than this.

            Not that many of us will care overmuch. Some will convince
themselves the prisoners deserve what they got as payback for 9/11. Never mind
that there is no known link between Iraq and the terrorist attacks.

            Others will seek to minimize what happened, taking refuge in
America's most cherished self-image. Meaning, the one that says we are the good
guys, the wearers of white hats, the loners standing for right in the middle of
a dusty street. They will note -- and it's a valid point -- that under Saddam
Hussein, there could have been no investigation, no punishment, no official
expression of remorse.

            Still, it would be a mistake to put too much faith in our own
righteousness. Doing so has a tendency, especially in the era of George W. Bush,
to make us blithe and arrogant, so that we don't know -- and worse, don't
care -- how we are perceived in the rest of the world. In a campaign that turns
so heavily on Arab public opinion, that's like walking blind on a battlefield.

            So anyone who is tempted to dismiss Arab fury as the ranting of
people who just don't know us might do well to remember that many Arabs feel
they know us better than we know ourselves. And what they know infuriates them.

            We'd be well advised to be more concerned and engaged about all this
than we've been so far. Because the nation can never be secure unless we win
that battle for hearts and minds.

            And right now, it's not even close.






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© 2004 The Miami Herald and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miami.com


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          <TD>Posted on Fri, May. 07, 2004</TD>
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          <TD colSpan=3D2>
            <DIV class=3Dbody-head><B><SPAN class=3Dsig>LEONARD PITTS=20
            JR./COMMENTARY</SPAN></B><BR><B><SPAN=20
            class=3Dkicker></SPAN></B><BR><SPAN =
class=3Dheadline>Arrogance can't=20
            help repair U.S. standing</SPAN><BR><B><SPAN=20
            class=3Ddeck></SPAN></B><BR><B><SPAN=20
            class=3Dbyline></SPAN></B><BR><B><SPAN=20
            class=3Dcreditline></SPAN></B><BR></DIV><!-- begin =
body-content -->
            <P><B><SPAN class=3Ddropcap-large>S</SPAN></B>o much for =
winning the=20
            hearts and minds of the Muslim world.</P>
            <P>Bad enough we invaded a nation that had not attacked us. =
Bad=20
            enough our core rationalization for that attack was =
apparently=20
            wrong.</P>
            <P>Could anything be less likely to convince Muslims of our=20
            benevolence than the revelations now pouring out of Abu =
Ghraib=20
            prison in Baghdad? Osama bin Laden himself could not have =
created a=20
            more effective recruiting tool for al Qaeda.</P>
            <P>That's because the series of photos that came to public =
attention=20
            through CBS News' <I>60 Minutes II</I> represent more than =
Iraqi=20
            prisoners being abused at the hands of U.S. soldiers. No, =
what you=20
            see in those images is a calculated cultural provocation, =
the=20
            equivalent of America spitting on Islam.</P>
            <P><B>BEYOND IMAGINATION</B></P>
            <P>Each image is more sickening than the last. You go from a =
group=20
            of detainees stripped nude and forced to pile atop one =
another to a=20
            chained man with a woman's panties on his head to a naked =
man=20
            grimacing on the floor at the end of a leash held by a =
female Army=20
            private. There are also reportedly pictures of male =
prisoners forced=20
            to simulate sex acts with one another.</P>
            <P>Given fundamentalist Islam's attitudes toward nudity,=20
            homosexuality and women, one can only imagine how =
humiliating this=20
            is. It's no endorsement of those attitudes to say that using =
them in=20
            this way amounts to nothing less than psychological =
brutality.</P>
            <P>Then, hard on the heels of that scandal comes a new one: =
an=20
            investigation into the deaths of prisoners reportedly abused =
while=20
            in U.S. custody.</P>
            <P>The president has called this ''abhorrent'' and has gone =
on Arab=20
            television to express remorse. Among the soldiers involved, =
heads=20
            are already rolling. Some observers think the beheading =
should=20
            include Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.</P>
            <P>Yet even as you watch the recriminations and the =
punishments=20
            unfold, you are seized with a sense that it won't be enough. =
You=20
            wonder if, at this point, anything can be.</P>
            <P>Experts have told us the war on terror cannot be won =
solely by=20
            guns. Victory will also depend on convincing the Arab world =
that=20
            ours is a better way. Except that suddenly, we don't look =
better.=20
            Indeed, we look like everything we said we were not.</P>
            <P><B>RIGHTEOUS SELF-IMAGE</B></P>
            <P>And there is no excuse for it. Not youth, not zeal, not =
even the=20
            bestial mistreatment of corpses in Fallujah a few weeks =
back. When=20
            you wear the uniform of the United States of America, it is =
supposed=20
            to mean something. Certainly, something higher than =
this.</P>
            <P>Not that many of us will care overmuch. Some will =
convince=20
            themselves the prisoners deserve what they got as payback =
for 9/11.=20
            Never mind that there is no known link between Iraq and the=20
            terrorist attacks.</P>
            <P>Others will seek to minimize what happened, taking refuge =
in=20
            America's most cherished self-image. Meaning, the one that =
says we=20
            are the good guys, the wearers of white hats, the loners =
standing=20
            for right in the middle of a dusty street. They will note -- =
and=20
            it's a valid point -- that under Saddam Hussein, there could =
have=20
            been no investigation, no punishment, no official expression =
of=20
            remorse.</P>
            <P>Still, it would be a mistake to put too much faith in our =
own=20
            righteousness. Doing so has a tendency, especially in the =
era of=20
            George W. Bush, to make us blithe and arrogant, so that we =
don't=20
            know -- and worse, don't care -- how we are perceived in the =
rest of=20
            the world. In a campaign that turns so heavily on Arab =
public=20
            opinion, that's like walking blind on a battlefield.</P>
            <P>So anyone who is tempted to dismiss Arab fury as the =
ranting of=20
            people who just don't know us might do well to remember that =
many=20
            Arabs feel they know us better than we know ourselves. And =
what they=20
            know infuriates them.</P>
            <P>We'd be well advised to be more concerned and engaged =
about all=20
            this than we've been so far. Because the nation can never be =
secure=20
            unless we win that battle for hearts and minds.</P>
            <P>And right now, it's not even=20
          close.</P><!-- end body-content =
--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><BR></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR>
<HR width=3D"97%" color=3D#cccccc SIZE=3D1>

<CENTER><SPAN class=3Dbyline>=A9 2004 The Miami Herald and wire service =
sources. All=20
Rights Reserved.<BR>http://www.miami.com=20
</SPAN></CENTER><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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