“An eye for an eye will make the whole world go blind”
The abuses perpetrated in the Abu Ghraib prison complex have yielded something that has so far been unfamiliar in the ongoing war on terrorism. The President of the United States has apologized as have several other top ranking civil and military officials. While the apologies were timed to coincide with Defence Secretary Rumsfeld’s testimony to the Senate and House Armed Services Committee, it has brought little or no sympathy for the Bush administration. There is a systematic framework behind these apologies and it has little to do with offering sympathy to the prisoners, who more often than not were ordinary Iraqi civilians. The Abu Ghraib prisons had long ago gained infamy under Saddam Hussein’s regime. It is indeed reprehensible that its worst characteristics continue to be perpetuated under the American liberators.
The prison abuses would have to be seen in their impact on America and the Arab world separately. Domestically the fallout of Abu Ghraib will spell real trouble for a President known for his straight talk, deep religious beliefs and conservative values. More importantly the Abu Ghraib prison photos would directly affect President Bush’ main re-election campaign plank, the war on terrorism, of which Iraq was an integral focus. This is even more damaging as the behaviour is quite obviously contrary to the stated platform of a US campaign aimed at bringing democracy and civil rights to Iraq. An extensive public relations campaign, both inside Iraq and within the United States, would have to be implemented to undo the fallout of Abu Ghraib. This is already underway with President Bush’s interview telecast live to two Arab channels. But the worst fallout for the US would be if the Abu Ghraib photos overshadow Saddam’s impending trial of war crimes.
Internationally the Arabs remain angry at the treatment being meted out by the Americans to the Iraqis. This has reinforced their feeling of resentment towards the presence of US forces in the greater Arab region. These photos could completely undo even the limited sympathy in the region over Saddam’s removal and appreciation for US actions. The distinguishing line between Saddam’s regime and the US led occupation of Iraq may get blurred if a positive spin cannot be given quickly to the US presence in Iraq. But while damage control may well be underway, it is not aimed only at soothing frayed sentiments domestically and internationally. The aim appears to be to cover up potentially more damaging accusations over the Abu Ghraib incident.
The photographs reveal not just violations of the Geneva Convention but also human rights violations of the most extreme kind. The violation of human rights has for long been the trump card for the United States to prevail over nations like China. Also this has for long been the one distinguishing factor between the American path of moral righteousness and the rest of the world. The Abu Ghraib prison photos may just blur the lines defining this gap. Thus in order to maintain their moral pre-eminence and prevent any accusations of human right abuses on the United States, long the self proclaimed champion of the same, the apologies will continue to come in fast and heavy.
The only person to gain from the entire incident is the presumptive Democratic nominee, Senator John F. Kerry. Long lampooned for projecting a multilateral approach to resolving American presence in Iraq, Kerry’s stand on Iraq was not winning him any laurels. This holds especially true for Mid–west America where President Bush’s policy statements on staying in Iraq were being seen as an example of his steadfastness and determination. The prison photos are likely to damage President Bush’s standing among the voters who are inclined to judge his performance based on policy and actions rather than be carried away by statements and appearances.
Ironically, what emerges from the Abu Ghraib prison abuse is not limited to the US and the Arab world. In a way it reveals the hypocrisy of today’s leaders who can go to any extreme to curry favour with the masses. Similar human rights abuses are probably being practiced with the same intensity in many other countries across the world. This incident could well serve as a much needed warning to the international community to seriously take up the issue of human rights abuses in other countries also.
The abuses perpetrated in the Abu Ghraib prison complex have yielded something that has so far been unfamiliar in the ongoing war on terrorism. The President of the United States has apologized as have several other top ranking civil and military officials. While the apologies were timed to coincide with Defence Secretary Rumsfeld’s testimony to the Senate and House Armed Services Committee, it has brought little or no sympathy for the Bush administration. There is a systematic framework behind these apologies and it has little to do with offering sympathy to the prisoners, who more often than not were ordinary Iraqi civilians. The Abu Ghraib prisons had long ago gained infamy under Saddam Hussein’s regime. It is indeed reprehensible that its worst characteristics continue to be perpetuated under the American liberators.
The prison abuses would have to be seen in their impact on America and the Arab world separately. Domestically the fallout of Abu Ghraib will spell real trouble for a President known for his straight talk, deep religious beliefs and conservative values. More importantly the Abu Ghraib prison photos would directly affect President Bush’ main re-election campaign plank, the war on terrorism, of which Iraq was an integral focus. This is even more damaging as the behaviour is quite obviously contrary to the stated platform of a US campaign aimed at bringing democracy and civil rights to Iraq. An extensive public relations campaign, both inside Iraq and within the United States, would have to be implemented to undo the fallout of Abu Ghraib. This is already underway with President Bush’s interview telecast live to two Arab channels. But the worst fallout for the US would be if the Abu Ghraib photos overshadow Saddam’s impending trial of war crimes.
Internationally the Arabs remain angry at the treatment being meted out by the Americans to the Iraqis. This has reinforced their feeling of resentment towards the presence of US forces in the greater Arab region. These photos could completely undo even the limited sympathy in the region over Saddam’s removal and appreciation for US actions. The distinguishing line between Saddam’s regime and the US led occupation of Iraq may get blurred if a positive spin cannot be given quickly to the US presence in Iraq. But while damage control may well be underway, it is not aimed only at soothing frayed sentiments domestically and internationally. The aim appears to be to cover up potentially more damaging accusations over the Abu Ghraib incident.
The photographs reveal not just violations of the Geneva Convention but also human rights violations of the most extreme kind. The violation of human rights has for long been the trump card for the United States to prevail over nations like China. Also this has for long been the one distinguishing factor between the American path of moral righteousness and the rest of the world. The Abu Ghraib prison photos may just blur the lines defining this gap. Thus in order to maintain their moral pre-eminence and prevent any accusations of human right abuses on the United States, long the self proclaimed champion of the same, the apologies will continue to come in fast and heavy.
The only person to gain from the entire incident is the presumptive Democratic nominee, Senator John F. Kerry. Long lampooned for projecting a multilateral approach to resolving American presence in Iraq, Kerry’s stand on Iraq was not winning him any laurels. This holds especially true for Mid–west America where President Bush’s policy statements on staying in Iraq were being seen as an example of his steadfastness and determination. The prison photos are likely to damage President Bush’s standing among the voters who are inclined to judge his performance based on policy and actions rather than be carried away by statements and appearances.
Ironically, what emerges from the Abu Ghraib prison abuse is not limited to the US and the Arab world. In a way it reveals the hypocrisy of today’s leaders who can go to any extreme to curry favour with the masses. Similar human rights abuses are probably being practiced with the same intensity in many other countries across the world. This incident could well serve as a much needed warning to the international community to seriously take up the issue of human rights abuses in other countries also.
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