"A fair judicial system takes time to work."

A thoughtful essay by Libyan blogger Highlander of From the Rock explaining her response to the abuse by American MP's of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib makes us want to explain something important to her. Presumably getting her news from the BBC, Al-Jazeera or other media -- like our own mainstream press -- predisposed to want the Bush Administration to fail -- she appears to share with many a misconception re the sequence of events that has been spinning out there since the Abu Ghraib pictures were first made public by CBS on "60 Minutes" in late April. Writes Highlander:

On the other hand in my last post of May the 1st, I had said that I did not believe that the American soldiers would be punished for their disgusting treatment of Iraqi POWS. However, I'm glad to note that worldwide condemnation, pressure from American people themselves and from honest armed forces individuals in the US, has led to an inquiry, and even Rumsfield was questioned. I am thankful that it seems some would be courtmartialled and others dealt with accordingly.This does not erase the ugly degrading images but it is a very positive step towards healing and more than what I thought would happen.

In fact, the Pentagon had launched its inquiry in mid-January after a soldier assigned to Abu Ghraib informed his superiors about abuses there. The press was notified shortly thereafter, and the inquiry was begun on Jan. 16. The Pentagon did try to prevent public disclosure of the photographs. CBS was asked not to show them but went ahead and aired the images in late April, precipitating the firestorm of condemnation and prejudgment that has raged ever since. It is our belief that because the press and other Bush haters miscast the sequence of events, persons like Highlander harbor the misconception that it was worldwide condemnation and domestic pressure that forced the inquiry, when, in fact, the inquiry was well under way by the time the pictures were made public. Highlander continues:

I did say earlier that I was never shocked that soldiers had tortured prisoners. This is expected in any prison; it happens/happened even in America let alone in Iraq -- a war zone where everything is possible in the name of the 'war on terrorism'. I will say this once more, I absolutely do not blame or criticise them for acting this way, this is a logical result of the war. When you go to war you expect, blood, pain and death on both sides. The winner is the one who survives to tell about it! But my criticism was that America kept talking about how it is upholding all the greatest demcocratic moral values and how its military/navy, etc., were the best of the best. So one did not expect this behaviour from them, hence the shock (not the act per se). I'm actually sorry for these soldiers who have been caught out and will pay the price in lieu of their commanding officers whom I wish were the ones to be court martialled, reprimanded or whatever applicable.

We share her sense of betrayal at the behavior of those who abused or who may have allowed or even encouraged subordinates to abuse Iraqis. For an American it is especially painful, but unlike Highlander, we have faith that the judicial process will progress up the chain of command however high is necessary to ensure justice is served. Again, presumably influenced by anti-Bush news sources, Highlander appears to have tried the higher ups in advance, before all the evidence is in. We ask her to try to bear with us and believe -- as we do -- the words of General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Senate hearings blogged live here: "A fair judicial system takes time to work . . . I know our servicemen and women are suffering with a collective sense of shame."

Comments

[Rob A.]

You can understand a Libyan's willingness to believe the worst, it's our fellow Americans that refuse (willingly or due to our misleading press) to follow the timeline that really trouble me.

[Sissy Willis]

Good point, Rob.

[Highlander]

Thanks Sisu , your comments were quite balanced, except for one thing your wrongly assume that I read or watch only Aljazeera, BBC or anti Bush sources as you say..Please don't make this mistake again. With the internet one has access to a lot of information in many languages. One of my favourite reads amongs others is the Jerusalem Post it's simply fascinating.