Bush's Backing of Rumsfeld Shocks and Angers Arabs

[adios]

This is as predicted. A few excerpts:

"After the torture and vile acts by the American army, President Bush goes out and congratulates Rumsfeld. It's just incredible. I am in total shock," said Omar Belhouchet, editor of the influential Algerian national daily El Watan.


And Cheney said Rumsfelf is the best Secretary of Defense the US has ever had. What the hell is going on?

"After Mr. Bush's decision to keep Rumsfeld, all their apologies seem like lip service," Dubai-based political analyst Jawad al-Anani told Reuters. "Mr. Rumsfeld would have certainly lost his job if the prisoners were American."


"The United States is spending so much money by setting up Alhurra television and Radio Sawa to improve its image in the Arab world...How can it reconcile that with keeping a man who has insulted every Arab through the abuses of Iraqi prisoners," added Anani, a former Jordanian foreign minister.

I think this is a totally understandable reaction.

"I cannot believe the United States reacts the way an authoritarian regimes would. Bush should have done the honorable thing and fired Rumsfeld," he said.

Yes I can understand this viewpoint as well. Torture and prisoner abuse characteristics of the regime we replaced. This doesn't look to me like the isolated acts of a few low level US military personal either.

The Wall Street Journal posted a link to the full Red Cross report today. Some excellent coverage and commentary in todays WSJ. Shameful conduct really, I feel very bad about it and it seems to get worse everyday. A national disgrace.

Bush's Backing of Rumsfeld Shocks and Angers Arabs

Bush's Backing of Rumsfeld Shocks and Angers Arabs

1 hour, 11 minutes ago Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!


By Firouz Sedarat

DUBAI (Reuters) - Arab commentators reacted with shock and disbelief on Monday over President Bush (news - web sites)'s robust backing of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld against calls for his resignation.


Critics had called for him to quit after the furor over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners but analysts, editors and ordinary Arabs were united in their condemnation of Bush who said the United States owed Rumsfeld a "debt of gratitude."

"After the torture and vile acts by the American army, President Bush goes out and congratulates Rumsfeld. It's just incredible. I am in total shock," said Omar Belhouchet, editor of the influential Algerian national daily El Watan.


"Bush's praise for Rumsfeld will discredit the United States...and further damage its reputation, which is already at a historic low in the Arab world," he added.


Analysts have said the damage from images seen worldwide of U.S. soldiers abusing naked Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison would be indelible, incalculable and a gift to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden (news - web sites).


What people saw, they said, was the true image of the occupation: humiliation of an occupied people, contempt for Islam, sadism and racism.


"After Mr. Bush's decision to keep Rumsfeld, all their apologies seem like lip service," Dubai-based political analyst Jawad al-Anani told Reuters. "Mr. Rumsfeld would have certainly lost his job if the prisoners were American."


"The United States is spending so much money by setting up Alhurra television and Radio Sawa to improve its image in the Arab world...How can it reconcile that with keeping a man who has insulted every Arab through the abuses of Iraqi prisoners," added Anani, a former Jordanian foreign minister.


University of Algiers professor Mahmoud Belhimeur agreed.


"I cannot believe the United States reacts the way an authoritarian regimes would. Bush should have done the honorable thing and fired Rumsfeld," he said.


RUMSFELD "SYMBOL" OF IRAQ WAR


But Michael Cox, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, said the repercussions of firing the defense secretary would have been very significant for Bush.


"This has been Rumsfeld's war, and I suppose the political symbolism of trying to get rid of Rumsfeld would be huge."


Cox said he could not entirely rule out that Rumsfeld could go, if U.S. public opinion turned. But he added it would seem out of character for Rumsfeld to go quietly.


"'I want to spend more time with my family' doesn't sound too credible with Mr. Rumsfeld. With Mr. Powell maybe, but not Rumsfeld," he said.


A Saudi businessman, who asked not to be named, said keeping Rusmfeld would be seen as Washington's quiet approval of the abuse.


"This just confirms that what is happening in Iraq (news - web sites) in general, and especially what is happening in Abu Ghraib is sanctioned by the American administration and that is a hell of a position to be in.





"I see no advantage in keeping Rumsfeld. Bush should be building bridges with the outside world."

Mustapha Ramid, a prominent Moroccan opposition member of parliament said: "It's normal for Bush to back Rumsfeld. The contrary would have been a real surprise. This shows that Bush takes responsibility for what's happening in Iraq."

(Additional reporting by Paul de Bendern in Algiers, Souhail Karam in Rabat, Dominic Evans in Riyadh, Peter Graff in London)

[Boris]

I think no matter what Bush does it will piss-off the Arabs. I am not certain about the abuse allegations. It is very troubling that Rumsfeld gets praise while that female private is going to be court martialed. Our fighting men and women should not be scapegoated. That is certain to decrease morale. The photos I've seen with the woman laughing a the naked guy's wiener does not constitute abuse. In fact in of the photos she looks impressed. Those prisoners should feel lucky they don't get thrown in a US prison.

[Gamblor]

I wonder what happened to all the people in Saddam's prisons. In fact, I wonder what it's like in the prisons in all of those "outraged" Arab countries.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
I wonder what happened to all the people in Saddam's prisons. In fact, I wonder what it's like in the prisons in all of those "outraged" Arab countries.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is a good point, but remember the age old phrase "two wrongs don't make a right". Listen the Bush Admin needs to do something about this. Courtmarshaling the 5-6 "responsible" for this won't do anything. I think the truth will come out and ultimately Rummy needs to be fired. His after war planning in Iraq is terrible, and now with these pictures coming out, only puts our troops in more danger.

BTW, whoever took the photos should be beaten in public, what a [censored] moron.

[Gamblor]

This is a good point, but remember the age old phrase "two wrongs don't make a right".

Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

That being said, I want the officers, the perpetrators and anyone else concievably involved tarred and feathered in public. Photographs will be taken.

Rumsfeld, well, I don't know if he can really be held accountable.

Should the CEO be fired if some rogue employees rob a bank?

[MMMMMM]

I think a very important question is what Rumsfeld could have done about it earlier, if anything, and what he knew: if little or nothing, then I can't see blaming him too much. I haven't followed specifically the news about what he knew and when, and what was already being done about it, but an investigation was already taking place even if it wasn't fully public as now.

It sure sounds like the new photos will be far, far worse than the old--maybne even some actual torture and/or rape. If so, that should prove quite incendiary.

The USA, the world, and the Arab world, should not automatically presume Rumsfeld is primarily at fault here. I am skeptical of any calls for anyone to resign any position in any organization, if it is merely to placate some people. That said, full steam ahead with the investigation and prosecutions where truly warranted.

I actually think Rumsfeld has done a good job overall with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and some of the problems we see now with instability or insurrection may in part be due to not having followed his pre-war advice fully. Anyway, further developments, and analysis, will hopefully give us a clearer picture of all these things. Hopefully too the partisanship in the USA, and posturing on the world stage, will be kept to a minimum, but of course that is far too much to ask.

[sam h]

[ QUOTE ]
I wonder what it's like in the prisons in all of those "outraged" Arab countries.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's just sarcasm being used to cover up the fact that you don't have an argument for what it actually is like in those prisons.

[Gamblor]

Human Rights in Arab Countries

Arab Prisons are no hotels

Stop running your mouth off.

[HDPM]

"Should the CEO be fired if some rogue employees rob a bank?"


I think when all is said and done, it won't be attributed to a few rogue employees. Based on what I have read, I think this will probably be attributed to a terrible unit that was given a job it couldn't handle, leadership that knew or should have known the unit was lousy, people high in the chain of command condoning abuse and torture, unaccountable contractors having control over the units with poor leadership, and a lot more basic human sadism than we like to admit. The soldiers are going to say they were following orders. Which they well may have been. That won't be a defense, but it will get more people in trouble. They won't admit to liking what they did, but I bet many enjoyed their work. More than we care to know. We'll see. Maybe I am wrong, but this whole thing cannot be glossed over. Of course the human rights violations in the Arab countries are horrific, but that in no way excuses our conduct.

BTW, I think supporters of Israel should be very concerned and worried about this. America is going to be hurt badly by these revelations and is going to change its policy in the middle east probably. It is very possible that Bush will lose the election and our middle east policy will change. Probably to Israel's detriment. This Iraq problem could very well have lasting and deep impact. It shouldn't be discounted in any way. If it doesn't have long term impact,, we dodged a bullet.

[jokerswild]

9-11 intel failures? No one held accountable
WMD lies? He chastizes the only guy who told the truth: Clarke.
Torturing Iraqi's? No one held accountable.

Iraq is a mess. This will be what history remembers Bush for most. A mess in which the USA invaded a country that did nothing at all to the USA.