2004 Year in Review

Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks

Some are justifying the Iraqi war and the abuse and torture of prisoners in Iraq on the basis that America was attacked on 9/11. The problem is that Saddam Hussein had nothing at all to do with the 9/11 attacks!

The Associated Press reported this today:

Bluntly contradicting the Bush administration, the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks reported Wednesday there was "no credible evidence" that Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaida target the United States.

In a chilling report that sketched the history of Osama bin Laden's network, the commission said his far-flung training camps were "apparently quite good." Terrorists-to-be were encouraged to "think creatively about ways to commit mass murder," it added.

Bin Laden made overtures to Saddam for assistance, the commission said in the staff report, as he did with leaders in Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan and elsewhere as he sought to build an Islamic army.

While Saddam dispatched a senior Iraqi intelligence official to Sudan to meet with bin Laden in 1994, the commission said it had not turned up evidence of a "collaborative relationship."

Even President George W. Bush (the non-parachuting George Bush) has denied that Saddam Hussein had anything to do with the 9/11 attacks. Among the most fervent supporters of the Iraq war, few claim a bin Laden-Saddam connection and there is no credible evidence for such a claim. Given the secular nature of the Saddam regime, he is very unlikely to have cooperated with a group whose Islamic-based radicalism might threaten his regime. Many moderate Iraqis, in fact, blame the United States for creating conditions under which al-Qaida has now entered Iraq to fight the occupation forces.

Following the Geneva Conventions Strengthens the US

There are many reasons for obeying the Geneva conventions for war other than humanitarian and ethical considerations. For one, it inflames those Iraqis and their families who have been subject to torture and abuse. This is particularly true since it is estimated that 90% of the people in the prison were picked up by mistake.

This lays the basis for more insurgency attacks on both US forces in Iraq and future terrorist attacks in the United States. It also gives the insurgents an excuse for treating US soldiers and civilians inhumanely. We've already seen that.

Another reason to follow the Geneva conventions is that to disregard them means diminishing US prestige and moral standing in the rest of the world. We don’t live in the world by ourselves. We need other countries for trade, cooperation with dealing with terrorists, etc.

Still another reason to treat prisoners humanely is that abuse of prisoners lowers the morale of the entire military. People think less of themselves for having been involved in this type of activity. The US military prides itself on professionalism. Professional soldiers do not abuse prisoners.

It is highly unlikely that the actions in the prison were the acts of a few renegade soldiers. The techniques used by these soldiers fit in with known methods of softening up prisoners for interrogation. These are unlikely to be known by National Guard troops from West Virginia. So, it was likely ordered by higher authorities in the military and/or the Defense Department.

It will be interesting to see how high up the chain of command the abuse scandal goes.

by John Legler, Guest Columnist
June 16, 2004