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Hostage. Better in Afghanistan?
"They're sending a message to the United States and its allies, and equally they're sending a message to the Afghan public: We can treat soldiers -- we can treat prisoners better than the Americans are treating us," said Van Dyk, citing myriad reports of prisoner abuse in U.S.-run prisons for terror suspects in Afghanistan and Iraq.
CBS news
I know this stuff might be going below folks radar, but truly. I hope Bush and Cheney rot in Hell.
This is the legacy they left.
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Excellent catch, bwak! Glad to see this! :-)
July 20, 2009 9:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks. We knew this would happen, Thera, but it hit me in the gut when I heard about it.
I am very glad Bowe is being treated well. He sounds like a truly admirable person.
July 20, 2009 10:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Highly rec'd.
July 20, 2009 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Coming from you, that is just
Awesome
=D
July 21, 2009 9:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
thanks for bringing this to everyones attention bwak we should all pay attention to the fallout from the BUSH era
July 20, 2009 10:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
You are too right, red.
July 20, 2009 11:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for bring this to our attention, Bwak. We need to hear things like this till it sinks in people's heads what is going on due to Bush/Cheney.
July 20, 2009 10:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh Maggie, I will be talking about this to the Repubs at work, youbetcha!
July 20, 2009 11:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
That oughtta really turn you into Miss Popularity!
July 21, 2009 9:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, most of the sane ones agreed. Maybe not for the same reasons
July 21, 2009 9:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would prefer a prison cell, but hell aint that bad.
ack ack ack
July 20, 2009 10:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dickon, we need to get out of these wars. I haz friend on another blog. He calls Afghanistan, "Forgotistan"
Isn't it just awful that no one is paying attention to this?
July 20, 2009 11:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for reading all. You know, I was surprised someone else hadn't blogged about it yet.
July 20, 2009 10:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Much as I despise Bush and Cheney, I'm holding my fire on this one. We've been manipulated in the past, so I'm curious to see how this hostage thing plays out on Obama's watch.
July 20, 2009 10:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I pray they treat him well, gasket. I can't argue with your reasoning, but I feel that no matter what happens, we will look bad.
That would not have been true a dozen years ago. I guess that is my point.
July 20, 2009 10:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is absolutely correct, gasket. The American public is very easy to play and pwn as evidenced by the comments here.
July 21, 2009 3:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
And Rice, Rumsfield, Yoo, etc. The Taliban positioning themselves as our moral superiors and the rest of the world ready to give it to them. Wtf?
Nice catch Bwak
July 20, 2009 10:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
The horror.
July 20, 2009 10:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I saw this and it disturbs me so much I really can't talk about it but thanks for bringing it to our attention Bwak.
July 21, 2009 12:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hear you. It's... obscene.
July 21, 2009 9:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hostages are always a political tool and will be treated as need be at the moment.
We really don't know what's happening behind the scenes until he is released.
Don't be played (one way or another) until we see real resolution and find the real story.
July 21, 2009 3:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
What has that to do with the point of this blog? What is clear is that this type of propaganda would not have been possible prior to Bush/Cheney.
If you can't comment on the subject, don't bother commenting. I think everyone has had enough of your personalization. Run along and bother someone else with your pointless negative pap.
Thanks.
July 21, 2009 7:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
My comment appears below...
July 21, 2009 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
good catch, Bwak. And meanwhile a Fox News analyst wishes they'd kill the guy...
Nice contrast.
July 21, 2009 8:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
'Nice' isn't the word I was thinking of pug.
=D
July 21, 2009 9:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
This was inevitable. The Bush/Cheney neo-cons (chickenhawks) ignored the advice of the military on this one. Ceding the "higher ground" as a military tactic is foolish. Ceding the "higher ground" as a nation is reprehensible.
July 21, 2009 9:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
'Reprehensible' is putting it mildly, Jonnie.
This sort of thing makes me crazy.
July 21, 2009 9:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent find cheekhen!
Pretty remarkable that Cheney & Friends have set the bar so low for determining what is acceptable behavior that even the Taliban believes it can make itself look good by comparison. Oughta' make 'em proud, no?
July 21, 2009 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not really, it isn't as if they are doing it because they believe in the underlying principles. The fact that they can, and get away with it is the legacy of the last administration.
If that isn't treason, then what is?
July 21, 2009 9:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
What does this have to do with the blog? The same thing that gasket's commentary did. You know, the comment above that you responded differently to.
As usual, you go out and accuse people of the behavior you evidence yourself: personalizing things. You won't win hearts and minds that way, Bwak.
It's amusing that you are so suspicious of anyone from the GOP (fair enough), but swallow whole heartedly data from the enemy.
Now that's the kind of emotionally-based thinking that will allow demagoguery, allowing people to be pwned. And you will shrug and wonder what happened? And you will wonder "I'm only trying to make things better, how can this happen?"
People should be smart, stay rational. Don't be played by anyone.
That's what this comment has to do with this blog. The facts aren't all in yet. Final judgment should be reserved until they are so. Be as skeptical of the enemy as you would be of politicians you don't like.
Because that's what the enemy is, after all.
July 21, 2009 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Clearthinker,
The point of this blog is irrespective of its final outcome. The simple fact that the Taliban can play politics like this for even a fraction of a second was unthinkable 10 years ago. The post stands on its own regardless of the outcome. So, because all we can do is pray, which may not be anything more then trying to make ourselves feel better, let's do it anyway and hope for the best. I don't care much who wins the political battle. I want the guy home with his family, or back with his brothers in arms. Whether he's eating well or not, he needs to be out of there.
July 21, 2009 6:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
They all do.
Thanks, Gregor.
July 21, 2009 9:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, the Taliban could always play politics...and do.
It's called propaganda one way or another. The only real issue is that when we violated Geneva Code conventions, we lost the moral impunity to target those who would violate it with captured Americans. In other words, we lost the ability to be aggressive about protecting our captured soldiers.
This bit about propaganda, etc. is way off the mark. It might give them another tool, but it's hardly the worse thing about American behavior with captured soldiers. In fact, one might claim that this guy is being given better treatment specifically for propaganda purposes than he normally would have been given.
July 21, 2009 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Selectively dense, as usual "clearthinker" (sic).
The point made in this post is so very clear.
And your response is little more than an attempt to construct a straw man that you can then pummel. As always, it is predictable, albeit never enlightening.
July 22, 2009 7:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
If anyone cares to see and hear Fox condem an American soldier as a deserter with no evidence and then wish for his death, here is one link to it: http://gawker.com/5318801/kill-american-prisoners-fox-news-demands
How dare the Afghans use our tried, proven and recently discarded strategy of treating our captives well against us? Of course they wish to see PFC Bowe subjected to the same level of abuse our contractors dished out in Sadaam's dungeon prisons after we occupied them. News Flash: There is no way that evil will ever be justified.
Thanks Bwak.
July 21, 2009 1:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think I want to.
When will these jerks be called un-American?
They aren't de facto, American, nor do they act that way...
July 21, 2009 9:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Deaths in Afghanistan July 1 - 19th 2009 - 30 US Troops, 55 NATO Troops and counting.
POW in Afghanistan - 1 US soldier
Number of US officials responsible for Iraq war debacle, lying to Congress re WMD, violations of the Geneva Conventions, torture of POWs etc. - 0, nil, zip, nada. PRICELESS.
The Geneva Conventions provided all POWs some protection. But we abrogated our moral authority to demand our forces be treated under those accords when we as a nation allowed torture in our name.
Unless and until we prosecute Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Addington, Bybee, Yoo etc., we lack any authority to tell others how to treat our POWs.
President Obama has stated Bush et. al have committed no prosecutable crimes. I respectfully disagree. And I demand to know when the prosecution of these chickenhawk, war criminals will occur.
July 21, 2009 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree.
I think the only reason the MSM is finally covering healthcare is to distract people from the Cheney involvement in these secret CIA programs.
This hostage situation is also another one being shunned by the American Press.
July 21, 2009 9:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh yes, it's a coordinated conspiracy between the MSM (all of them) and the Bush Administration.
And LBJ was in cahoots with Castro to get JFK's assassinated - with Organized Crime's help.
The fact is that healthcare has about another week or so before it gets blown off the front pages and we move onto the next crisis.
As far as the situation with the hostage: it's in USAToday! You can't get much more mainstream than that!
July 21, 2009 10:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dear Jerk-thunker,
Actually I read the New York Times.
They didn't cover it.
I understand that and the BBC might be difficult for you. They tend to use clarity and reason. You tend to react emotionally to... well, everything. Maybe read more than 5 books. Even in the 15th century on had to read about 20 to be considered well read. Expand, dude. Or dudette. Wotevah.
It doesn't surprise me that you get your news from USA today-- Comics section, apparently?
Don't you have a job? You seem to be here all the time. Maybe a break is in order? Try hanging out at youtube. The intellectual level is far more compatible to yours. Really, you do not know how to discuss anything. That is your issue, and I certainly don't have to put up with that.
I would have hoped that you'd show enough class to stay off my blogs. I stay off yours because-- hello! I think you are a wannabee intellectual scumbag. Nothing you have said here has changed that perception.
Show some teeny bit of class in the future, just TRY. Stay off my blogs. That's a gooood er, boy? You add less than zero content (i.e. negative and pointless spite) to my blogs, and really, considering how you lecture others about that, it's rather, er, unseemly. So practice what you preach and preach and preach, eh?
Thanks,
Bwak
July 22, 2009 1:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's time to bring our people home. Where are the troop withdrawl's Mr. President. Perhaps we should start protesting the undeclared WAR again.
July 21, 2009 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I dunno if there was ever much interest in protesting 'Forgotistan' (h/t hunin@CSPAN sucks)
Perhaps we should start.
July 21, 2009 9:20 PM | Reply | Permalink