Charen: Shame

Townhall ^ | 5-7-04 | Mona Charen

[cgk]

Shame
Mona Charen (archive)

May 7, 2004 | Print | Send

 Today's picture on the front page of the newspaper shows a naked Iraqi prisoner on the floor. A leash is tied around his neck. Holding the leash is an American soldier.

 This is a disaster.

 These photographs are a dagger in the heart of our hopes for Iraq and the wider Middle East. It isn't yet clear whether the damage is reversible, but first let's be clear about what the damage is.

 Many have been at pains to object that what we have so far seen does not amount to torture. True. This is not pulling out fingernails. And yet, of all things to do to Arab men, to humiliate them sexually, particularly before female soldiers, is among the worst.

 The Arab culture is based upon shame and honor. Most Arab men would gladly endure physical pain or even death before such dishonor as we have caused. Modesty in their women is something they will defend to the death (usually the woman's death, but that's not the point right now). Modesty in men is prized, as well. To strip them naked and force them to pantomime sex acts is to deny them their most precious possession -- their dignity.

 The Americans who did this are idiots -- and one just doesn't know what to say about those who thought it would be good idea to snap photos.

 Yes, yes, the Iraqis in those pictures are probably bad actors who may have known where the next IED (improvised explosive device) was going to be planted that would kill Americans. But coercion doesn't necessarily elicit truthful information. And look at what this tactic has cost!

 Our hope in Iraq was not just to disarm Saddam, but to gain a foothold in the war of ideas. Our war against terror is founded on the notion that certain tactics are out of moral bounds no matter what the cause. The Muslim terrorists -- who happen to have a terrible cause and hateful tactics -- draw no such distinctions. We say that we do. We claim that democratic government, religious tolerance and the rule of law prevent abuses of the kind Arabs endure daily from their despotic, narrow rulers.

 But now any invocation of our values and our standards will be met with contempt and dismissal by the Middle East audience. Even the upcoming trials of Saddam Hussein and his lieutenants have lost some of their power to teach. Already awash in conspiracy theories and mistrust of us, Iraqis will now give even more credence to every crackpot and vicious explanation of our behavior handed to them by Al Jazeera or the local newspapers. Have no doubt that this episode, while it will be seen in America as a terrible aberration, will be viewed by Arabs across the Middle East as merely the tip of the iceberg. They know what goes on in their own prisons, and now it will be nearly impossible to convince them that we are different.

 Meanwhile, every Iraqi who is pro-U.S. and pro-democracy will have to explain himself to his countrymen. He is siding with the private who held a naked Iraqi by a leash.

 It goes without saying that most American military personnel are honorable and decent, and would never commit such acts. And if this war were being waged in a pre-media age, a few episodes of this kind would not matter. But those pictures have been burned into the eyes of the whole world.

 Is it possible to repair this? Burning down the Abu Ghraib prison might be a good symbolic act. Highly photogenic. Well-placed stories about the thousands of Americans -- military and civilian -- who are risking their lives to help the Iraqis build a better future (I know one -- Simone Ledeen) will help balance the ledger, too. But most of all, Iraqis will have to see that someone is punished.

 One does not want to railroad any American soldier to satisfy the lust for revenge in the Iraqi street. But they must see that our system of justice really does function as advertised. It may be our last chance at the hearts and minds of a critical audience.

©2004 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

[philosofy123]

Politically, we should find the person(s) who took these pictures, and hang their ass!

[Guillermo]

Truth hurts, doesn't it.

This is a total and complete disaster.

[Mr. Bird]

In fact, if he has half a brain cell your average Iraqi knows all to well just how much of an improvement we are over the alternative

I agree, but as I said, this doesn't help with the public relations thing, ya know?

[jjackson]

Explaining the obvious.

We already know that this is not good news.

[Guillermo]

Whether that bitch is a bull dyke or not is irrelevant.

The inescapable fact is that she is obviously extremely "masculinized."

Hey, guess what? Women are not men, and shouldn't be treated like a man, and they're not capable of doing manly
things.

Every female "soldier" should be removed from the Middle East right now. And may God damn the feminist wackos who put women in the jobs of men and their cohorts who put these specific women in charge of guarding men in this prison.

[hopespringseternal]

I agree, but as I said, this doesn't help with the public relations thing, ya know?

Yes. I would hand the miscreants over to the locals for punishment. Even if Donald Rumsfeld and President Bush personally told them to go sexually humiliate Iraqis, they still deserve severe punishment for being so stupid as to make a record of it.

[philosofy123]

A woman who is happy to obey an order or is happy to aflict such inhumane insult on other humans is nothing but a bitch, and a barbarian. Nothing wrong with admitting that such behavior is uncivilzed, and unamerican. Idiots who accept or defend such action are GODLESS/HEARTLESS! Idiots who where dancing in the streets as we cryied over the death of 3000 Americans are Moslem barbarians. Idiots who support that bitch's action are "born-again/evangalical" barbarians.

[philosofy123]

Yes Demi Moore looked like a duke in that GI Jane movie.

[Argus]

the fact remains, without the support of the Arab Street, we can't democratize Iraq.

I get what you're saying, but my point was that a key component of modern civilization is the equality of women. This is the scariest thing to the Arab male, but without their coming to terms with this, Islam will never be "reformed", and the democratization of Iraq, or anyplace else over there, will be a facade that won't last five minutes past the departure of the last G.I. I also assume that half the "Arab street" is female. Until they assert themselves, there will be no real change.

[Rutles4Ever]

"I see," said the blind man. You have a very good point about that.

[jwpjr]

Seems to me the fact it was a female soldier involved in many of these pictures depicting humiliation of the men that the effect of the whole thing is greatly increased! From what I've read on here about men from this part of the world their is nothing lower in their estimation than a female, any female, and to have one doing this to them, and the pictures be showed around the world, is probably as painful as anything could be to their pride. It is difficult for westerners to identify with the roll that their pride plays in their self-esteem. None of what I am saying is meant to change the facts one iota, just to point out that there probably wasn't much that could have been done to these guys that would have humiliated them as much as pictures of the naked, being led around and laughed at by a female! I figure they would rather have been shown having simulated sex with a pig!

[k2blader]

Meanwhile, every Iraqi who is pro-U.S. and pro-democracy will have to explain himself to his countrymen. He is siding with the private who held a naked Iraqi by a leash.

Yep.

[k2blader]

Question: Would this be acceptable behavior towards American prisoners?

I have yet to see this excellent question answered by the "frat pranks" crowd.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Already awash in conspiracy theories and mistrust of us, Iraqis will now give even more credence to every crackpot and vicious explanation of our behavior handed to them by Al Jazeera or the local newspapers.

Honest ones will be asking why such events are so few.

[jwpjr]

Did you see where the female soldier in these pictures said she wasn't assigned to the area where the prisoners were being held, she had just wandered over there to hang out with some of her friends who were on duty? Apparently she is some sort of paper-pusher/clerk, not a trained MP or prison guard. Not that that changes anything, but she might well have fallen prey to wanting to show off for her friends, or they thought it might make a 'neat' picture.

[vandykelastone]

Here I am postint, but I think that after your succinct post, there is no need for others. Good for you!

[vandykelastone]

You can't do much better than Wu did.

[vandykelastone]

Stunt? Stunt?

[Guillermo]

The fact that they have access to male prisoners is absolutely inexcusable.