Reply #5: Any Suggestions?

[Martin Eden]

I can guarantee you my local paper -- the Chicago Tribune -- would not print it. Also, most newspapers require submissions like this to be exclusive. I was thinking more along the lines of a web site that posts guest commentaries -- one that would be seen by potential swing voters. Any suggestions?

By the way, I decided to touch it up a bit -- no changes substance, but an improvement IMO:

Putting Abu Ghraib in Perspective

The injury and humiliation inflicted upon Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib is a small fraction of the overall human toll of this war. An estimated 10,000 Iraqi civilians and over 750 U.S. troops have been killed, with several times that many scarred physically and mentally. Though abhorrent and inexcusable, the torture at Abu Ghraib is a minor episode in this saga of human suffering.

Unfortunately, it is a major episode in the war on terror and in America’s relations with Islam. The Bush administration was already losing the battle for hearts and minds, and now these images of naked Muslim men being abused by grinning American men and women in uniform will do more to promote militant Islam than any audio tape issued by Osama bin Laden. If the interrogations at Abu Ghraib produced any actionable intelligence, the attacks thusly thwarted will be multiplied as a result of this incredibly counterproductive operation.

The Secretary of Defense and the President would have us believe this debacle resulted from the aberrant behavior of a few bad apples who took it upon themselves to record their activities on a reported 1600 photographs and videotapes. Even if the incidents of abuse do not exceed the number captured on film, it is difficult to believe the military hierarchy was uninvolved and unaware of the situation. It is at best a colossal failure of leadership and command. Donald Rumsfeld has publicly accepted responsibility, but he failed to be responsible when it really mattered and he is not being held accountable by a commander in chief who subsequently gave him a ringing endorsement.

It is difficult for justice to be served here. It is easy to condemn those who commit barbaric acts, but the individuals facing court martial are ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. They claim they were following orders to “soften up” the prisoners in an effort to prevent more attacks against their fellow GI’s. Their superiors were under pressure to get results, and the White House and Pentagon have enormous responsibilities on many fronts. If this crime is viewed as the crossing of an ambiguous line and a breakdown in command, then it becomes easier to chalk it up to the fog of war.

However, Abu Ghraib must be viewed in a much wider perspective. Most of the damage has yet to unfold, while the sacrifices already made by our troops and their families have likely been rendered in vain. If justice is to be served commensurate with this crime, it is beyond the capacity of Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bush to pay the price. And make no mistake; it is they and their cohorts who bear the most guilt. This war and its costs are products of the Bush administration. They chose to invade a country that neither attacked us nor posed an imminent threat. They made a conscious decision to reject the Geneva Conventions in the treatment of prisoners, which set the stage for what followed. They disregarded reports of abuse by the International Red Cross, and in their hypocrisy have presided over violations of human rights which they have condemned in others.

All Americans share responsibility in what has occurred, and especially in how we respond. The people of a democracy are responsible for their government, and it is our obligation to question our leadership and to change it when necessary. The Bush administration insists our purpose in Iraq is to fight terrorism and promote democracy, but their consistent lack of planning and foresight have sabotaged these efforts. At a recent press conference the president could not think of a single mistake he has made. Nor has he seen fit to fire the Defense Secretary who has made a mess of Iraq, or the CIA Director who told him weapons of mass destruction were a “slam dunk,” or the senior White House officials who committed the federal crime of exposing an intelligence operative whose husband had the temerity to tell the truth.

Critics of this administration are often accused of being unpatriotic or of exploiting the nation’s troubles for partisan purposes. From this perspective, once a president takes our nation to war he is no longer subject to criticism. But from a higher perspective it is the duty of every citizen to engage in critical thought and to hold our leaders accountable, because they act in our name. From a world perspective the crimes committed at Abu Ghraib have implications far beyond the suffering of the prisoners, and to give this administration another four years would send the message that we are not accountable for our government or for ourselves. If it is our intention to promote democracy, we must first exercise it responsibly at home.