January 10, 2005

Oh lovely.

Dubya's administration is thinking about using El Salvador-type death squads in Iraq.

[The] fact that [this option] is being discussed at all is a measure of just how worried Donald Rumsfeld really is. "What everyone agrees is that we can’t just go on as we are," one senior military officer told NEWSWEEK. "We have to find a way to take the offensive against the insurgents. Right now, we are playing defense. And we are losing."

Once you decide it's okay to torture prisoners, it doesn't take long until you discuss death squads, does it?

More: If you still aren't sure how bad a decision to use death squads would be, go read this.

Posted by Magpie at January 10, 2005 10:25 AM | Iraq | Technorati links |
Comments

You don't already think we have, in essence death squads there?

Posted by: Deborah White at January 10, 2005 11:11 AM

maybe. probably.

but i think it makes a big difference when targeted killings move from a practice that 'just happens' to being a formal policy, endorsed at the highest levels of government.

Posted by: Magpie at January 10, 2005 11:37 AM

If you can swallow one form of evil, the rest go down a lot easier.

Posted by: David Aquarius at January 10, 2005 01:09 PM

I thought we were in Iraq to dispose of a Tyrant and to give freedom to the people.

Saddam is gone and now US Brand Tyranny® from BushCo© is now being marketed to the Iraqi people.

BushCo©: Freedom® is on the March!

Posted by: John at January 10, 2005 01:16 PM

What I find amazing is that the neocons are talking openly about a "Salvadoran Option" in the mainstream media. They're all but taking public credit for the killing fields of El Salvador - thus confirming what many of us suspected but could never prove at the time.

Maybe they'll give Saddam a consulting contract...

Posted by: Billmon at January 10, 2005 01:24 PM

Maybe they'll give Saddam a consulting contract...

Or just look up the guy in D.C. who gave him his start...

Posted by: bcf at January 10, 2005 01:33 PM

Billmon's a treasure.

Bumpersticker: God is seeing all these things that they deny (from Business Week International Edition A Murdered Village Comes Back to Life
March 5, 2001 via Billmon.org)

Another bumpersticker: If you can swallow one form of evil, the rest go down a lot easier (from Pacificviews.org comments)

Posted by: Darryl Pearce at January 10, 2005 04:03 PM

"What I find amazing is that the neocons are talking openly about a "Salvadoran Option" in the mainstream media. They're all but taking public credit for the killing fields of El Salvador..."

Like anyone cares anymore. There isn't the remotest chance that this 'ancient history' will bring down anyone currently serving in office, be brought up to embarass anyone in talking head interviews, etc. And considering that all our national geography lessons have been in Asia lately, plenty of people are likely to have forgotten whether El Salvador is in S. America or Africa.

And anyway, why do you hate America so much that you'd bring up our support of death squads like it was something to be ashamed of?

Posted by: natasha at January 12, 2005 02:13 AM