Bush: Iraqi prisoner abuse on Arab TV

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Bush: Iraqi prisoner abuse on Arab TV
281
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 10:17am
Should Bush apologize on Arab TV?
Bush to address Iraqi prisoner abuse on Arab TV.

President Bush will give interviews to two Arab television networks Wednesday about reports of U.S. military personnel abusing Iraqi prisoners, the White House said.


White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the 10-minute interviews with Al-Hurra, a U.S.-sponsored network, and Al Arabiya will take place about 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) in the Map Room at the White House.


"This is an opportunity for the president to speak directly to the people of Arab nations and let them know that the images that we all have seen are shameful and unacceptable," McClellan told reporters during a Bush campaign tour.


Referring to photographs that have surfaced showing Iraqi prisoners being abused McClellan said, "The images do not represent what America stands for, nor do they represent the high standards of conduct that the military is committed to uphold. The U.S. believes in treating all people with dignity and respect."


Asked why Bush would not meet with the Arab network Al-Jazeera, McClellan would only say the other two networks "reach a wide range of people in the Middle East."


McClellan said the actions of the accused soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq "do not represent what 99 percent of the men and women in the military stand for." (Full story)


Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said Tuesday that he would take "all measures necessary" to ensure that abuse of detainees in Iraq "does not happen again."


Rumsfeld defended the Defense Department's handling of the matter in the face of congressional criticism, noting that a criminal investigation by the Army was under way and publicly disclosed three months before what he called "deeply disturbing" photographs were broadcast last week.


"This is a serious problem, and it's something the department is addressing," he said at a Pentagon news briefing. "The system works. The system works."


Rumsfeld said the criminal investigation was one of six launched since January.


More..............


http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/05/iraq.abuse.main/index.html

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-28-2003
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 9:54am
Well guess what -- I'm your typical American. Your typical American who is struggling every day to make ends meet. Struggling to raise two children. I have to worry every day about making sure I'm still employed in this economy, worry about my children getting a decent education, worry about crime that is surrounding where I live, worry about my children when they are not with me because I have to work full time and commute an hour each way in order to get a decent salary. Those are my concerns. I worry about my family, friends and neighbors. I don't have the time or energy to worry about people on the other side of the world. Sorry, I just don't. I have enough to worry about in my own life. I'm very sorry we ever invaded Iraq. I think we were mislead as to why we even went in there, but now that we are there, I wish we would just do what we have to do and get out as soon as possible. We are spending billions over there when I think we need to be spending those billions over here. People all over the world evvy the U.S. because they think we have everything -- well they are wrong. There is so much wrong with this country but instead of fixing our own problems we are trying to fix everyone else's -- we need to just let these other countries work their problems out themselves.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2004
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 9:54am
You're only getting half the story again, James. Before last April and the fall of Saddam Hussain this prison was used to house and execute thousands and thousands of Saddam Hussain's political enemies. He would execute thousands at a time after he tortured them. Sometimes he would have them buried alive with bulldozers in mass graves.

As of last April and the fall of Saddam Hussain, the prison was empty. Our military renovated in, putting in new clean facilities. The people who were put there were POW's. There were people there with crimes ranging from not following orders at checkpoints to murdering Americans. The most dangerous prisoners, the murderous thugs, were put into one area called the "hard site". The less dangerous were put into another area. There were not thousands and thousands of murderous thugs abused. There were only seven, all men, that have been proven so far to have been abused. This abuse amounts to them being put into embarrassing situations. There has been no torture proven, no women abused, no 80 year old women ridden like mules, etc.

Once Rumsfeld heard about this he began prosecuting the abusers. The General in charge was removed from her command. Rumsfeld has done everything properly and is handling this as well as it can be handled.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-28-2003
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 10:02am
But it also jeapardizes national security. Do we really need to publish this stuff and make America look worse than it is right now? Do we really need to give these extremists another reason to terrorize the U.S.? By showing these bad deeds of a few, it makes all of us look bad and we certainly don't need that right now.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2004
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 10:07am
Unfortunately their problems have become our problems.

If we had just sat back and left them alone, imo, you would have seen more devastation over here like the one we expericenced on September 11, 2001. Did you hear about that? 3000 innocent Americans were murdered by middle eastern men who want us all dead because we don't enjoy the same religion that they do.

They feel that everybody should die who does not believe the way they do. There is no reasoning with them or trying to get them to like us.

Since President Bush started fighting back there have been fewer terrorist attacks in the world. There hasn't been a year with as few terrorist attacks since 1969. It is proven that we are safer now.

The terrorists know now that we are serious and are on the run instead of killing more of us, they are hiding and trying to save their own dispicable hides. If we surrender now, and withdraw troops it will send the wrong message. It will tell them that we ARE a paper tiger and bloody us a little, propagandize a lot, and we will run home with our tails tucked behind us. Then all hell will break loose, and we will not be able to go to a public place without fear of being blown up...

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 10:11am

Welcome to the In The News board.


Sadly, it's turning out to be more widespread than 10 or 12 individuals...


And I disagree.


iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2004
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 10:16am
The people at the "hard site" were not arrested in error. This is where the abuse took place. These people were insurgents caught trying to KILL Americans, and also prisoners who had been moved there because they had been violent and tried to KILL Americans while in prison.

It is possible that some on the other side of the prison were arrested in error because they did not follow orders at checkpoints does not necessarily make them guilty, but it does make them look suspicious, and as dangerous as it is over there it is better for OUR SIDE to err on the side of caution. I also read that with the modern facilities, and the food, they are better off than they were outside of this prison, but, again, THESE people were not abused. Seven of the murderous or attempted murderous thugs were.

I think it was wrong to abuse them but this has gone on long enough. I didn't see this much sympathy for OUR people who have been murdered and dragged through the streets and hung on bridges. I think it's disgusting that these people generate more AMERICAN sympathy than our own innocents who have been murdered by them get.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-11-2004
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 10:28am
Please remember that not all soldiers are doing these things over in Iraq. I am a soldier currently stationed in Baghdad, and we would never think to treat anyone like our fellow soldiers have, my very own brother said to me the other day"don't forget to thank your fellow comrades over there for making the US look like S*it", you cant judge one person by anothers actions,so please don't judge all of us by just only a few. we are trying hard to uphold the upmost respect for the iraqi people, though it is hard when the same people that are smiling and waving at you in the morning, the ones you are helping, are the same ones bombing you at night, and killing your fellow comrades.How do you feel about that america? signed, dissapointed in Iraq
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-05-2003
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 10:55am
I think it was wrong to abuse them but this has gone on long enough. I didn't see this much sympathy for OUR people who have been murdered and dragged through the streets and hung on bridges. I think it's disgusting that these people generate more AMERICAN sympathy than our own innocents who have been murdered by them get.

See, and I think that this endless stream of excuses your side come out with is what is disgusting.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 11:15am

>"please don't judge all of us by just only a few"<


Ofcourse

 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 11:21am

I think it's disgusting that these people generate more AMERICAN sympathy than our own innocents who have been murdered by them get.


In the first place, I don't believe that's true.


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