Photos of children being abused at Abu Ghraib coming out soon

[Scoopie]

Political Animal has an interesting post which my signal the end of BushCo.

ABU GHRAIB UPDATE....Is the Abu Ghraib scandal about to break wide open? John Abizaid, the CENTCOM commander, is planning to appoint a 4-star general to head up the Army's investigation:

SNIP

This is potentially devastating for Bush. First, you have the possibility of high-ranking culpability, which is bad enough. But second, you have the recent leak of memos showing that even if Bush didn't personally approve the torture, he certainly presided over a culture that was doing its best to justify it as a routine exigency of war.

That combination is deadly. And as Mark Kleiman says, if there's also video of "horrible things done to children" at Abu Ghraib, that would be the final straw. George Bush set the tone, and he's responsible for what happened.

Or, since he's fond of Bible verses, let's put it this way: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6: 7

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

Edited to fix code

[Gloria]

1. Perfect way to abruptly end the Reagan orgy.....and get back

to reality....Horrible stuff.

[dwilson]

2. Sorry to disagree but

George will still go unscathed even "if there's also video of "horrible things done to children" at Abu Ghraib.."

And if you thought Reagan was made of teflon, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

[Scoopie]

4. Elaborate

That's why I set up this thread.
How do you think the American people will take children being abused? How do you think Bush won't be blamed, or at least, his administraion and him by default?

[dwilson]

7. The crimes and atrocities already committed

at Abu barely diminished his popularity. Amazing. Yes, someone may be blamed and perhaps a head or two will roll, but Bush will go unscathed. I guarantee. We're not talking about normalcy here, this goes beyond hero worship. It's dangerous.

[Scoopie]

9. Dangerous is correct

I cannot believe the spew that comes out of the mouths of Rush "frat prank" Limbaugh and Anne "kill their leaders and convert them" Coulter, but, given that they are still popular among the ultra-neo-cons, I can see your point.
Sad, really, that Bush's poll numbers are anywhere out of the 15 percent range.
I just hope human decency will win if, indeed, there is proof of the torture of children.

[lancdem]

24. They did hurt him politically

That's the reason his approval ratings dropped into the low 40s in some polls and Kerry began to make some headway. Presidents with approval ratings in the 40s are not made of Teflon. Things have changed in the past year. It took a long time, but it is happening.

[sandnsea]

15. No he won't

That's already what's hurting him. Deep down, America can't abide the torture we've already seen. It has become clear it isn't an isolated incident. He's brought shame to the country and that is an unforgivable. Deep down, everybody knows the buck stops at the head honchos office and Bush is the head honcho. If there's pictures of children, Bush is beyond done and may end up run out before the election.

[ibegurpard]

20. I agree

I have my doubts about the veracity of this but if it comes out that something like this was going down, it will kill him.

[Mike L]

26. Child Torture

There was an article recently that contained statements from affidavits of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Gharib. One told of a 15 year old boy being raped by an Iraqi guard-- while being filmed by a MP. Others told of prisoners being sodomized by MPs with a nightstick and a chemical lightstick while being photographed.

I do believe that they have digital video of this that we haven't seen. Otherwise, Rumsfeld wouldn't have called it "radioactive". We haven't seen the worst yet.

[WLKjr]

21. Your right

he has brought shame to this country and it is unforgivable. Democrats shoud start playing the shame card a little more and keep telling people the shame he brought. Give the republicans a little back what they did to clinton for 8 years.

[gumby]

3. OMG

I can barely type. CHILDREN???

No words.

[Scoopie]

5. Yes.

I have family in the Middle East and I knew about this about a month ago and posted it on the Clark blog. The rumors were so credible coming out of Iraq and into my family's ears in Jordan that they believed it enough to pass it along to me.
I can't tell you on a public board who my family (well, my son's family - my ex husband's family) is in Jordan, but they would know.

[Kanary]

14. Life must be tense for your family

My thoughts are with you.

Kanary

[Scoopie]

23. Thank you

but, really, they're fine. Jordan hasn't been greatly affected. About the only change that has occurred effects us more than them: they are becoming to loathe Americans for failing to hold Bush accountable. Honestly, they know Bush isn't like all or even most Americans, but they cannot believe he's still holding onto more than 40 percent of the vote after this Iraqi mess: the prison, the lack of WMDs, etc.

[DIKB]

8. I wouldn't doubt it.

Not of this administration. If it is true, when those photos are released there will be NO EXCUSE for continuing to support this admin.

I trust in the basic decency of humanity. This will be the beginning of the great divide, humans and monsters. Make no mistake, those who continue to support the Rethugs are on par with the Nazis.

[jono]

6. Link to email about Hersh comments

{Seymour Hersh} said that after he broke Abu Ghraib people are coming out of the woodwork to tell him this stuff. He said he had seen all the Abu Ghraib pictures. He said, "You haven't begun to see evil..." then trailed off. He said, "horrible things done to children of women prisoners, as the cameras run."

He looked frightened.


Go read the whole thing.

http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/movable_type/2004_archives/000987.html

[Mike L]

27. Millitary Intelligence

You know that MI was behind this, I assume.

[w13rd0]

10. They used abuse of kids and threats of abuse/killing of children...

...to try and ellicit cooperation from detainees. And these directives came from on top.

[Auntie Bush]

11. I hate to be gross or a gossip...but I heard /read that

the teenage son of a prisoner was kidnapped and brought to the prison and gang raped by a group of Iraqi soldiers in front of his father while American soldiers video taped....

Makes me sick to even think about it and GEORGE BUSH IS RESPONSIBLE!

[incapsulated]

12. But will we?

Will we see it or will it be supressed just like the other video they have of women being raped?

I'm not holding my breath.

Evil motherfuckers.

[napi21]

13. I don't think Sy Hirsch will let that happen!

He's the one that broke the story and he's not about to let it die. I think he's the Woodward & Berstein of 2004.

I'd bet he's keeping quiet this week so the Pubs can have their Reagan love fest......but wait until next week!

[gardenista]

16. Bush "leadership" brings out the absolute worst in people.

Just like Ken Lay's leadership of Enron, and Rumsfeld's leadership of our Armed Forces.

These people have allowed their souls to be corrupted by greed and hubris. It's a disease that spreads rapidly to those around them, and especially, when coupled with an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, to those who "serve" under them.

But not all of them can have been infected, and some of them will speak out. It may take a long time, but the truth will emerge. And Bush and his evil cabal will go down. Count on it.

[Leilani]

17. I would only hope

that IF there are pictures of children being abused, the citizens of our country will be heartsick.

They can rationalize about abuse of adult men, with excuses like they are the enemy, or war on terror, etc. etc.

But there is absolutely NO excuse they can find for harming children.

My biggest fear is that a large group of people will not care. Maybe I am naive, but the country I grew up in would not tolerate it. However, it seems the country has changed, & not for the better.

[Old and In the Way]

18. And we wonder why the people of Fallujah was incensed with

Americans in their country? People need to remember that these atrocities were being done before the the corpses were debased. I have no doubt that, if Iraqis had invaded, occupied, and committed these atrocities in this country, I'd have had similar reactions to the mercenaries.

[tritsofme]

19. 'Mercuns are done with this story

they heard enough, they don't want to hear about horrible things that our own are doing.

We got Laci and Kobe and Michael Jackson trials coming up, not to mention appeals from Martha!

And hell, its the 10th anniversary of OJ!

Thats what we go back to after the Reagan lovefest is over, no matter what comes out, mark my word.

[yellowcanine]

22. I don't want to believe this - but if it is true, there should be mass

resignations, beginning with Rumsfield. But why hasn't he resigned already? Presumably he has seen these pictures? Also, if a 2-star general can't question a 4-star general, then the 4-star general can't question Rumsfield, can he? So who investigates Rumsfield's involvement? Congress? Yeah, right.

[abburdlen]

25. If they resign, they can't do damage control

At times you get the sense that the administration doesn't believe they're going to win the election and right now they're just trying to make sure they can avoid time in prison when this all come to light.