Let me take a moment to remind us of the long arc of history. The Bangers of Whiz have found some new and interesting tools to ratchet back some of the anti-war complaints.
Back in the day, I looked at the ugly details of Saddam's butchery and came to the conclusion that no matter how bad Bush might be rushing into war, he wasn't rushing to judgement. WMD or no, Saddam had to go. Now it looks like I may have more company, years late, but welcome anyway.
BTW. Here are the old tools:
- Genocide in Iraq: The Anfal Campaign Against the Kurds - Human Rights Watch
- Anfal: The Kurdish Genocide in Iraq - Khaled Salih
- Case Study: The Anfal Campaign - Gendercide.org
- ISG Newsletter #31 - Institute for the Study of Genocide
In the spirit of I-told-you-so, I'll quote Whizbang.
For those who say pointing to Saddam's atrocities as a reason for the invasion of Iraq is an attempt to change the rationale for the war after the fact, I must conclude that they are either dishonest or did not read a newspaper or watch any television in the year leading up to the invasion. I vividly recall the references to "rape rooms" and other forms of torture included in both the President's speech to the UN and in the State of the Union. I also recall the revelation from CNN's Eason Jordan, after the invasion, that he was aware of atrocities taking place in Saddam's Iraq, but did not report them for fear, at least partly, of losing their Baghdad bureau. Of course, for those who choose to believe the rosy picture of kite-flying children in Michael Moore's vision of Iraq under Saddam Hussein, there is not much room for reality and everyone in Iraq was happier with Saddam in power.
And my own favorite quote (of myself):
Several weeks ago, I asked the rhetorical question whether or not the world will accept this imperial show. I wondered out loud if Saddam, of all the nasty bastards on the planet, and Iraq of all the gawdawful spots in the world, were the right targets for our first venture. Perhaps I am waiting for the right person to do the right thing in consideration of the fact the GWBush is wrong for just about everything which calls for an intelligent command of the oratory worthy of free world leadership. I want my emperor to be kingly, and why oh why did I get GW? Do you hear me pissing and moaning?
Yet if I could stop for a minute and start dealing with the hideous facts of the matter on the ground in Iraq (and probably a half dozen other horrible places), I wonder if I would mind so much if my president is Shrek instead of a Handsome Prince. I'm a policy snob in the face of Saddam's clear and present danger. Not to me, to Iraqis. It's not about me.
Since it is not about me, and a busybody neighbor is better than an abusive parent, I have to concede the fact that an ugly rescue is better than benign neglect. I feel that our geopolitical snobbery and posing are pretty worthless right about now, and the fact that we have to wheedle our way around the diplomatic chicanery of the UN and everyplace else is only necessitated by a failure of brotherhood and an ignoble squeamishness which is not rescued by our well-meant outrage at Bush's mendacity. I do believe in class warfare.That means noblesse on our part and revolt by the Shi'a.
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