Entry 173, on 2005-05-18 at 15:25:49 (Rating 3, Politics)
I've been keeping up with the story about the Newsweek article claiming the Muslim sacred book, the Koran, was desecrated and used to pressure detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The original story triggered riots and demonstrations against the US which resulted in the death of at least 15 people. Newsweek have since withdrawn the story because the original source says he can no longer be sure it was true.
I don't want to start a complex conspiracy theory here, but I wouldn't be surprised if the original story was actually true, and that the retraction is purely due to political pressure. Just listening to interviews with the various people involved leaves me with the impression that this is what is happening.
Before they published, Newsweek checked the story with a senior military person who found one small problem with it, which was removed. The source has been reliable in the past, yet he now says he's not sure (note that I haven't seen anywhere that he said that it didn't happen). Other sources, and British and Russian news reports, have indicated that this sort of technique is used in interrogations.
The whole tactic of using Guantanamo Bay in this way is highly suspicious. Why would the US keep people in a foreign base unless they wanted to bypass laws in force in the US. Its really just not good enough. The US can't start a war to oppose an oppressive regime and then use similar immoral tactics itself, without giving up any real credibility it might have had.
Comment 1 by ST on 2005-05-18 at 17:37:23:
The US is one of the shrewdest countries around. I don't put anything they do or say past it.
I can't understand during the Iraqi situation, and then put some soldiers on trial for so called torture. Is it okay to blow the enemy up but not okay to torture?
I don't get it!
Comment 2 by OJB on 2005-05-18 at 17:37:37:
The rules of war are strange indeed. I would be more concerned with the 10s of thousands of civilian casualties and the hundreds of allies and Americans killed by "friendly fire". Friendly fire, that's a real oxymoron! Like military intelligence, or political morality, I guess!
Comment 3 by SBFL on 2005-08-09 at 18:52:41:
I agree. I have no doubt the original Newsweek article was true. Typical US shooting itself in the foot again.
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