Iraq abuse images aggravate Arab hostility to West

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Iraq abuse images aggravate Arab hostility to West16 Feb 2006 13:27:37 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Miral Fahmy

DUBAI, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Arabs said on Thursday new images of U.S. troops abusing Iraqi prisoners had eroded their respect for the West and would fuel the fury raging over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

The photographs made headline news in the Middle East the day after an Australian television station broadcast previously unpublished film and photographs of violations at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib jail.

They could not have emerged at a worse time for the West's image in the region. Emotions were already running high over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad published in European newspapers. Footage aired this week of British soldiers beating Iraqi youths two years ago has also stoked Arab anger.

"This is awful because I always look up to the British and Americans as the best in the world," said Kuwaiti firefighter Khalil al-Amir. "They are supposed to be more civilised. But when I see something like this it makes me think twice."

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16736821.htm

[Name removed]

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[rooboy]

2. I think you've got it the wrong way around.

Bush said it was ok to show the anti-Muslim cartoons, but has been upset by the Abu Ghraib photos. And to answer your question, a cartoon is an editorial comment. The Abu Ghraib photos are evidence of war crimes (but of course nobody wants to hold an American accountable for the deaths of a bunch of ragheads...)

[Name removed]

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[Sparkly]

5. The photos represent true events.

The actions themselves, not their discovery, are the substance, the WRONG, and the thing that "hurts."

[Sparkly]

4. Some differences.

One directly involves the US; the other does not.

One represents horrible acts contrary to international law and conventions; the other does not.

One shows the truth about what the US has done to its prisoners; the other does not.

I'm not sure which newspapers have said "it's not okay" to print the cartoons while plastering the Abu Ghraib photos all over their pages. But as pointed out above, it's BushCo who's tried to suppress the photos.

[thebigidea]

7. so in your mind, evidence of war crimes and some dumb cartoons...

... are equivalent.

Evidence of rape, torture, and murder is just the same as some months-old european cartoons. When the fuck does the press give coverage to months-old european cartoons? Should they be breaking news every night? Do we ever see racist Malaysian or Sudanese cartoons on our nightly newscasts? Do you think we should?

You'd think evidence of soldiers horribly torturing prisoners would be a bigger news story than some bad art. Not to you, though. Oh no, the big bad liberal media just hates you precious little prince.

[SpiralHawk]

6. "Let's toss another outrage on the barbie." - BushCo

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