May 08, 2004

Who's really owed an apology?

It's going to get a lot worse. As if Army reservist Lynndie England's little souvenir-of-Iraq funhouse photos were not already destined to be the official Face of America in the Arab world for decades, there are piles of more pictures - and videos, yet - that are even more sickening.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told Congress yesterday that he's seen some of them, and that it will be a very bad thing if they get into general circulation for all the world to blanch at. Which, of course, they assuredly will. The genie is out of the bottle.

Uncharacteristically humble as he sits in the epicenter of a catastrophic American moment, the secretary added his own voice to the chorus of breast-beating apologies that has suddenly become the bedrock of foreign policy. He even offered "compensation" to Lynndie England's prisoners, which, frankly, seems more apologetic than is necessary. These guys, it is useful to remember, were not sitting in Abu Ghraib just because they were driving on expired licenses.

Which is a point that was not lost on Sen. Joe Lieberman. Amid the wringing of hands - amid condemnation even from the Vatican
I couldn't believe the Pope did this! He never condemned Saddam of even his own priests for doing far worse!--Jen] - Lieberman refreshingly focused on fundamentals:

"The behavior by Americans at the prison in Iraq is, as we all acknowledge, immoral, intolerable and un-American ... I cannot help but say, however, that those responsible for killing 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11, 2001, never apologized. Those who have killed hundreds of Americans in uniform in Iraq, working to liberate Iraq and protect our security, have never apologized. And those who murdered and burned and humiliated four Americans in Fallujah a while ago never (apologized)....

That's worth remembering as we scourge ourselves. Meanwhile, let's also remember the rest of Lieberman's wisdom: "I hope as we go about this investigation we do it in a way that does not dishonor the hundreds of thousands of Americans in uniform who are a lot more like Pat Tillman and Americans that are not known, like Army National Guard Sgt. Felix Delgreco, of Simsbury, Conn., who was killed in action a few weeks ago, that we not dishonor their service or discredit the cause that brought us to send them to Iraq, because it remains one that is just and necessary."

Well, God bless Joe Lieberman (I forgive him for being a Dimocrat!) and the New York Daily News for giving us words that we need to hear!
I've had just about enough of the boo-hooing, scourging and hand-wringing (particularly on the Left) that this Media-manufactured scandal has
caused!
Can we please get back to the War?
(And Lib Dims, don't even think about Rumsfeld resigning! He's prosecuted the most successful military campaign in American history since Ike and now, in the middle of the conflict, is no time to change our Secretary of War!*)
*According to this WashbrainPost-ABC poll, the majority of the American people agree with me on keeping Rummy in place!