Muddling Through

12/26/2006

Paul Munnis


When the U.S. sponsors a police system that tortures and abuses prisoners, even as it shakes them down for money and gain, we must ask if we are any better than those torturers and abusers are themselves.


Certainly they are immoral. Certainly we are immoral for hiring them, training them, and turning them loose to behave this way. Certainly a system of checks and balances is required and certainly it is lacking. Even the worst employer attempts to supervise his workers but America doesn’t do that with the police it has trained and hired.


Yes – we point our finger at forces that we hired. America cannot hide behind the Iraqi government for at least two reasons. First that government is not functioning; and second, we are paying the freight. The money is coming from American taxpayers and we have every right to demand quality and proper police procedure.


What is worse is that coalition forces must then battle our hired agents as an enemy force and then incur casualties while trying to liberate the victims. We must ask if Bush is trying to end the war or is he trying to perpetuate it?


This behavior is simply wrong and no amount of pleading or whining from the military commanders responsible for this mess makes it right.


Simply put, America has taken on the responsibility for the public safety in Iraq by virtue of a choice made to occupy that nation. We are not getting the job done in a civilized manner and our military commanders are at fault.


Either do the job right or get out of Iraq. The choice is just that binary.