Ending Tyranny Through Hypocrisy
In his inauguration speech this past week, President Bush referred repeatedly to America's policy of and dedication to ending tyranny and oppression through the promotion of freedom and liberty. Sounds nice. If only it were true.
According to President Bush, the United States will not ignore those living under oppression, nor excuse their oppressors. The United States (the corporate-governmental institution), however, has ignored the oppressed and excused the oppressors. It continues to do so even today.
Take Iraq, for example. Despite knowing that Iraq sponsored groups on the State Department's terrorist list, in 1982 the Regan administration removed Iraq from the state terrorism sponsorship list. As a result, Iraq became eligible for U.S. dual-use and military technology. By the end of 1983, the U.S. became aware of Iraq's use of chemical weapons against Iran and recognized that Iraq could use civilian helicopters to deploy such weapons. With that knowledge in hand, in 1983 the U.S. approved the sale of 60 Hughes and 10 Bell helicopters to Iraq. In 1988, Iraq used U.S. helicopters to spray chemical weapons on Kurds in Halabja. Up until the day before Iraq invaded Kuwait, the U.S. continued to approve millions of dollars of dual-use advanced technology sales to Iraq.
Only after Iraq became the focus of U.S. ire did the U.S. feign disgust and horror at Iraq's use of chemical weapons, particularly on its own people. Only after the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 and found no weapons of mass destruction did it condemn Iraq's oppressive regime.
Israel is another fine example. The wanton killings of Israeli citizens by Palestinian terrorists is widely reported. Equally horrific, though far less publicized, is the fact that in 2003 alone the Israeli army killed approximately 600 Palestinians, including more than 100 children. As reported by Amnesty International, most of those deaths were the result of reckless shooting, shelling, and bombing by Israeli forces in residential areas. Approximately 90 Palestinians were killed in extrajudicial executions, including more than 50 uninvolved bystanders, 9 of whom were children. Moreover, Israeli soldiers continue to use Palestinians as "human shields" during military operations.
Despite these acts of oppression and tyranny, and despite concerns of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, Israel continues to be the primary recipient of U.S. military aid.
Indeed, even members of President Bush's much-lauded "Coalition of the Willing" are guilty of oppression and tyranny. Amnesty International reports that in 2003, Uzbekistan detained at least 6,000 political prisoners, including women, holding them in cruel and inhuman conditions. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on torture reported on a visit to Uzbekistan in 2002 where he received numerous testimonies of systematic torture and abusive treatment. The Special Rapporteur concluded that torture and ill-treatment were condoned by Uzbek authorities.
Following the lead of the U.S., Pakistan in 2003 arbitrarily detained more than 500 people and handed them over to U.S. authorities as suspected members of al-Qaida or the Taliban. Hundreds more people were arrested and deported, all in furtherance of the U.S.-led "war on terrorism." Moreover, at least 631 Pakistani women and girls were murdered in "honor killings" in just the first 8 months of 2003.
Egypt has detained thousands of suspected supporters of banned Islamist groups without charge or trial. Many of the detainees have been held for years. In the first 6 months of 2003, Egypt arrested and detained hundreds of people, including lawyers, journalists, members of parliament, students, and academics for demonstrating against the invasion of Iraq. Some were held for several weeks in "administrative detention" (i.e., without charge), and many alleged being tortured and abused. Amnesty International described torture in Egypt as systematic and employed in detention facilities throughout the country. Several people have died in Egyptian custody under circumstances suggesting torture or abuse.
Of course, the most direct evidence of U.S. hypocrisy about ending tyranny and fostering freedom are the actions of the U.S. itself.
According to President Bush, the United States will not ignore those living under oppression, nor excuse their oppressors. The United States (the corporate-governmental institution), however, has ignored the oppressed and excused the oppressors. It continues to do so even today.
Take Iraq, for example. Despite knowing that Iraq sponsored groups on the State Department's terrorist list, in 1982 the Regan administration removed Iraq from the state terrorism sponsorship list. As a result, Iraq became eligible for U.S. dual-use and military technology. By the end of 1983, the U.S. became aware of Iraq's use of chemical weapons against Iran and recognized that Iraq could use civilian helicopters to deploy such weapons. With that knowledge in hand, in 1983 the U.S. approved the sale of 60 Hughes and 10 Bell helicopters to Iraq. In 1988, Iraq used U.S. helicopters to spray chemical weapons on Kurds in Halabja. Up until the day before Iraq invaded Kuwait, the U.S. continued to approve millions of dollars of dual-use advanced technology sales to Iraq.
Only after Iraq became the focus of U.S. ire did the U.S. feign disgust and horror at Iraq's use of chemical weapons, particularly on its own people. Only after the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 and found no weapons of mass destruction did it condemn Iraq's oppressive regime.
Israel is another fine example. The wanton killings of Israeli citizens by Palestinian terrorists is widely reported. Equally horrific, though far less publicized, is the fact that in 2003 alone the Israeli army killed approximately 600 Palestinians, including more than 100 children. As reported by Amnesty International, most of those deaths were the result of reckless shooting, shelling, and bombing by Israeli forces in residential areas. Approximately 90 Palestinians were killed in extrajudicial executions, including more than 50 uninvolved bystanders, 9 of whom were children. Moreover, Israeli soldiers continue to use Palestinians as "human shields" during military operations.
Despite these acts of oppression and tyranny, and despite concerns of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, Israel continues to be the primary recipient of U.S. military aid.
Indeed, even members of President Bush's much-lauded "Coalition of the Willing" are guilty of oppression and tyranny. Amnesty International reports that in 2003, Uzbekistan detained at least 6,000 political prisoners, including women, holding them in cruel and inhuman conditions. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on torture reported on a visit to Uzbekistan in 2002 where he received numerous testimonies of systematic torture and abusive treatment. The Special Rapporteur concluded that torture and ill-treatment were condoned by Uzbek authorities.
Following the lead of the U.S., Pakistan in 2003 arbitrarily detained more than 500 people and handed them over to U.S. authorities as suspected members of al-Qaida or the Taliban. Hundreds more people were arrested and deported, all in furtherance of the U.S.-led "war on terrorism." Moreover, at least 631 Pakistani women and girls were murdered in "honor killings" in just the first 8 months of 2003.
Egypt has detained thousands of suspected supporters of banned Islamist groups without charge or trial. Many of the detainees have been held for years. In the first 6 months of 2003, Egypt arrested and detained hundreds of people, including lawyers, journalists, members of parliament, students, and academics for demonstrating against the invasion of Iraq. Some were held for several weeks in "administrative detention" (i.e., without charge), and many alleged being tortured and abused. Amnesty International described torture in Egypt as systematic and employed in detention facilities throughout the country. Several people have died in Egyptian custody under circumstances suggesting torture or abuse.
Of course, the most direct evidence of U.S. hypocrisy about ending tyranny and fostering freedom are the actions of the U.S. itself.
posted by Ken Sanders at
9:39 AM
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