[Media-watch] Human Rights Watch: US: systemic abuse of Afghan Prisoners

[Sigi D]

Dear MW friends, 
Human Rights Watch speaks of systemic abuse of
prisoners in Afghanistan by US:
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/05/13/afghan8577.htm

http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/05/13/afghan8577.htm
U.S.: Systemic Abuse of Afghan Prisoners

Open Files on Detainee Deaths
(London, May 13, 2004) - Mistreatment of prisoners by
U.S. military and intelligence personnel in
Afghanistan is a systemic problem and not limited to a
few isolated cases, Human Rights Watch said today. 
(more on website)
PLUS:
Something to have a little giggle (good for the nerves
and the peace energy)
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/1900/sw190016.htm
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/1900/sw190016.htm
Michael Rosen 
In my view
Let's not be beastly about Aaronovitch
By Michael Rosen

I'M WRITING to you today on behalf of SOTWOI (ELS).
The initials stand for Supporters Of The War On Iraq
(Ex-Lefties Section), a group with some very prominent
members. You'll remember that John Reid was once in
the Communist Party, Christopher Hitchens and Stephen
Byers used to describe themselves as International
Socialists and David Aaronovitch is used to describing
himself. 

I wonder if you could spare a thought this week for
these people as they struggle with their present
difficulties. You'll remember that they made enormous
sacrifices to help all those waverers out there who
wondered if sending British troops into Iraq was a
good idea. Aaronovitch had to cope with being paid
several hundred pounds a week to tell us in his
Guardian column that as a result of his support for
the war, some of his best friends had stopped talking
to him.

Christopher Hitchens had to go on TV and accept
appearance fees over and over again to explain why he
supported the invasion. John Reid even had to be a
cabinet minister. 

But now, with one or two items of news that are just
that teeny bit tricky, these brave people are up
against it. Not that they haven't been there before.
You'll remember how they warned us that Saddam Hussein
and his underlings could at any moment bomb our
neighbourhoods and eat our babies. 

This was because his pockets were stuffed full of WMDs
which, because he had stopped being our pet Arab, he
would let off at the drop of a hat. That was why, to
counter that, we had to let our WMDs off at the drop
of a hat instead. 

Now, you know very well that when they dug Saddam out
of that hole in the ground that was a disappointment
for SOTWOI (ELS) as he didn't have anything in his
pockets. 

Can you imagine the pain this has put these people
through? The shame, the ridicule, the ex best friends
of Aaronovitch now wanting to talk to him again so
that they could laugh at him? No matter, they've
toughed it out. See how quick-footed they were to come
up with plan B. 

This states, "It was never really about WMDs. It was
about something more fundamental-it was about
niceness." Basically, it's this: "We're nice and the
Arabs aren't. By killing Iraqis, we make Arabs nicer."
Now, even this position has been hard for SOTWOI (ELS)
to hold on to. It's been tough for them. 

What worries them is, if we're the ones supposed to be
bringing niceness, then what are we doing being horrid
to Iraqi prisoners? Aaronovitch was very brave, I
thought, pointing out in the Observer this week that
the Iraqis should just get on and be glad that we're
nowhere near as horrid as Saddam. 

So there's something to cheer up the ungrateful ones
being imprisoned, beaten up and killed. But think how
difficult it's been for people like him to forget how
British armies, police forces and prison guards have
been killing, torturing and beating up prisoners for
hundreds of years. 

Think how hard it's been for them to forget the video
footage of British bobbies not noticing a man dying on
the floor of their police station, the death of Joy
Gardner, or the shoot to kill policy in Northern
Ireland. 

So please remember the people of SOTWOI (ELS),
especially as it looks as if they've got another hard
time ahead: trying to figure out whether "Saddam
loyalists" are fanatics, thugs, bandits, gangsters,
fundamentalists and murderers or ideal leadership
material in the "new Iraq".



	
	
		
____________________________________________________________
Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" 
your friends today! Download Messenger Now 
http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/index.html