"thunder" wrote in message

Look, I'll agree that the vast majority of our soldiers are doing an
admirable job, but this mess is still quite troubling. While failed
leadership has a role, and the training of these particular soldiers can
be brought in to question, I keep reading about these soldiers being asked
to "soften" the detainees for interrogation. If this is true, it is a
systemic failure that needs to be addressed.

I agree wholeheartedly. The assigned mission of the MP units was internment
and resettlement. There should be no mixing of this with intelligence and
interrogation functions. The MI units should conduct these procedures
exclusively, subject to the rules and procedures that apply to high value,
security, and intelligence detainees -- which may well include standard
procedures to yield more compliant interrogation. This is, after all, a
war, and not a job interview. Having said that, I don't think anything we
saw in the photos or have heard described in additional allegations is
considered acceptable procedure. It is worth reiterating that only those
small MP units whose functions got mixed with the intelligence units appear
to be involved with the prisoner abuse.

I would apply the following caveat: The Taguba report refers to "systemic
failures." When the term "systemic failure" is used in a report of this
kind, the meaning is that the command and oversight structure either failed
or was improperly organized from the start. When the term "systemic
failure" is used in news reports, it is done [intentionally, I believe]
knowing that the majority of readers/listeners will misinterpret it to mean
that the whole system is involved with the abuse, that the events are
occuring throughout the country. This simply is not true, but the news
sources make no effort to clarify this point. I refer particularly to
American and European news sources. I expect nothing but propaganda from
mid-east news sources, and to date have been neither disappointed nor
surprised.

Don't misunderstand my position. I do not defend the actions of these
soldiers with prisoners. I only want to stick to facts as we know them.
Right now the US press is ginning up a feeding frenzy, having found a
fissure in the Bush campaign. They would do well to remember that when
sharks go into a frenzy, it is common for several of the sharks to get eaten
in the chaos. The press must guard against a similar level of enthusiastic
accuracy.