British Expatriate Network

First you might wanna see the shatstorm photos from the Sun (of all things..)

http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4565505.stm

A few things to say-

1 - Pray tell what in God's name is the US military doing?! Yes I realize the Newsweek story was unsupported - but considering the week before a report was released in which it was revealed that detainees at Gitmo were smeared in what they thought was menstrual blood I am edging to the fake-but-accurate camp. And now this! God alive is the US really trying to completely alienate the entire world!?

2 - This is as vulgar and ridiculous as the Janet Jackson uproar. Once again Stephen Colbert will appear on the Daily Show mocking news anchors fake outrage at the photo by showing it over and over and over again.

I was confused at to why The Sun published these (being an arm of Murdoch/Fox News). I suppose they really just care about selling newspapers.

I bet some on the right here would be more shocked by page 3 than the Saddam pictures... roll

Couple of funny things about the Newsweek story:

1. They showed it to the Pentagon prior to publication and the Pentagon didn't deny it; they also ignored it for 11 days after publication.

2. Its true. The ICRC has received credible reports of such desecration, put them to the Pentagon, who again did not deny them and promised to better train and supervise those involved.

Whats more, this is nothing compared to some of the other things we know about from Iraq, Gitmo and afghanistan - including at least six soldiers present under military indictment for murdering prisoners.

The sad thing is that the right wing US media is happy to portray all this as some so called liberal conspiracy to defame the military.

No wonder America wanted nothing to do with the ICC.

Does anyone else think that its odd that the US government is getting involved in telling a free press outlet what to do (i.e. for Newsweek to retract)? Doesn't that stink a bit of being very much unconstitutional?

Wouldn't be the first time the administration has bent the constitution.

Odd? No, its about what I would expect from this administration, bit like Blair attacking the BBC last year.

I think it would only be unconstitutional if they actually forced Newsweek to report something; however it does speak volumes about what they really think about the Constitution and a free press - basically they don't like either very much and are determined to suppress both _ hence the desire to intimated judges and stack the courts with right wing ideologues.

Great headline from Reuters newsfeed on MyYahoo! today.

Their headline says "Bush promises probe into Saddam underwear" - 50 minutes ago

(Ok so I dropped the trailing word "pictures".....)

I think the US military seem to be unable to control their troops. Surely this is a screw-up rather than a policy decision?

How hard is it to tell these guys to leave there phones and camera at home when the show up for work. That would solve part of problem as there be no photo's to beam around the world.

Just one more example of arrogance, incomptence and stupidity that goes for normal practice in US international affairs these days.

I think there is a significant section of Americans who'd quiet like the world hating them. You just have to look at White House appointees of late and their general 'America first' line to know where it's all coming from.

I think thet there is a lot of individual prejudice and poor discipline, but the scale and nature of the abuses suggest that it has at least tacit approval if not official sanction.

There is a consistent theme of humiliating muslims in a calculated and premeditated manner and insulting islamic codes and protocols. The fact that strikingly similar behaviour occurs in Gitmo, Iraq and Afghanistan and that CIA, MI6 and other intelligence agencies also crop up in these stories indicates a strategy is at work, and that indicates careful organization - within the military, organization suggests orders and orders inherrently come from above.

Alongside this we have seen documents from the Pentagon and CIA and the official policy of 'rendition' of persons to foreign lands with no oversight and a permissive attitude to torture.

Add to this the Bush administrations continued assertion that neither the Geneva Conventions nor the US Constitution apply to so called enemy combatants and it is not at all difficulty to believe that torture (even if it is 'torture lite') is permited and even encouraged.

What should be of concern to ordinary people is the arbitary nature of dententions and the lessons of history - when people start acting like this, it is often just the begining "when they came for the Jews I did not speak out because I am not a Jew..... when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out".

surely the government can step in when the media is contravening international law.


then again, international law doesn't mean shit apparently.

I could be wrong, but as I understand it, the relevant law (the Geneva Conventions) would apply to the Country and its agents - i.e. to America, Iraq and to the people charged with protecting Saddam from such intrusions. And that presumes that he is a POW and not a domestic prisoner of the Iraqis.

The Sun (as unbelievable as it may sound) is not an agent of any governent of nation and is probably untouchable.

The Sun (bless them) are already ahead of the game. "Bush Probes Saddams Pants" the Saturday May 21 headline screams. :D

The one thing I miss the most is the sense of humour. :wink:

And their sub-heading is "Bush vows: I will get to the bottom of it" :D

:D :D personally i think its a "cock and ball " story

8) would have thought with all the millions he had, he could at least afford better underwear.

Really I don't care. But I find it interesting how there is double standards both sides of the fence.

The west see's pictures of a guy in his underwear, ummmmm bad thing, protests and the like.

They show heads being cut off. Ummm don't see any protests and demands.

They can blowup holy sites, burn other religious books, ban them from entering the various countries but even the slights hint of wrong doing against their particular holy item and all hell (sorry the pun) breaks out.

I am trying to figure out where all this is coming from. Is this just a plan hate thing, a real religious thing or what. Considering most religions preach brotherly love, it seems to be one holy balls upcuz its not happening.

I guess thats one thing you get from the whole star wars thing. How at the beginning a just fight, turns out to be evil and the bad guys suddenly turn out to now be the good guys.

Do people really care? thats the question. We can look at something happening, say in Suddan and think ummmm sad, what a shame, whats on TV next. But happen to us, our place and its an important matter. But Basically we really don't give a flying fart what happens in any part of the world, as long as its not us and those folks don't care either. Sad fact but true.

Obviously America has to now learn that what is printed here is read everywhere.
Which leads me to ask, will they get retractions on every newsworthy story?
Will journalistic qualies make a come back and get rid of the scum of the earth gossip writers?

Will we all be living under gov controlled media, much like Russia during the cold war?

Will bloggers become the outlaws that save the truth?