I loathe this

[Chojin]

The US were bitching about how Iraq defied the Geneva Convention guidelines about dead POW pictures aired on Iraqi TV yet MSN can have little flash movies of Saddam's dead kids on their website? This is hardcore double standard. Sick.

[Nusselt]

yeah but these werent american dead. So its ok then.

[Marilyn Manson]

But Saddam's sons were evil sub-humans. And it's politically necessary/expedient. So the normal rules don't count.

HYPOCRISY IS HERE AGAIN!

[the_dastardley_chihuahua]

if they hadnt done it the chances of iraqis believing they were dead was around the zero mark.

[Quetzovercoatl]

there is a big difference between dead soldiers and dead leaders

[Chojin]

Originally posted by the_dastardley_chihuahua
if they hadnt done it the chances of iraqis believing they were dead was around the zero mark.

Showing the pictures to gain the trust of the Iraqis is one thing. The currently media exploitation of the images is another thing entirely.

[Woof]

Originally posted by the_dastardley_chihuahua
if they hadnt done it the chances of iraqis believing they were dead was around the zero mark.

Maybe putting them on trial would have been better, that way the Iraqi people can see justice.

[Nusselt]

Originally posted by the_dastardley_chihuahua
if they hadnt done it the chances of iraqis believing they were dead was around the zero mark.

well this isnt only aimed at the US admin, but also the US and british media that launched a big whodida about 'our dead boys being paraded' If the iraqis wanted to show it fine, but its a bit rich for US/UK networks to stick the pics on.

[Chojin]

Originally posted by Quetzovercoatl
there is a big difference between dead soldiers and dead leaders

They're dead humans.

[ChubbyChecker]

Originally posted by Chojin
Showing the pictures to gain the trust of the Iraqis is one thing. The currently media exploitation of the images is another thing entirely.

You can't blame the US administration for what the media chooses to do with the images.

[the_dastardley_chihuahua]

Originally posted by ChubbyChecker
You can't blame the US administration for what the media chooses to do with the images.

i would say that the US administration went quite far to keep it in 'good taste' they werent photos from the scene glorifying a kill.

[Chojin]

Originally posted by ChubbyChecker
You can't blame the US administration for what the media chooses to do with the images.

Double standards?

[Marilyn Manson]

Originally posted by ChubbyChecker
You can't blame the US administration for what the media chooses to do with the images.

Why should that enter into it?

The fact is, these are corpses being exhibited for a political purpose. When the Ba'ath regime tried the same thing, the western media was in uproar.

Of course, you can make the 'bad cause verus good cause' argument if you want.

[ChubbyChecker]

Originally posted by Marilyn Manson
Why should that enter into it?

The fact is, these are corpses being exhibited for a political purpose. When the Ba'ath regime tried the same thing, the western media was in uproar.

Of course, you can make the 'bad cause verus good cause' argument if you want.

I agree, in my opinion displaying the corpses of Saddam's sons is as bad as when the dead American PoW's were displayed on Iraqi TV.

Though the fact that the pictures are splattered all over the western newspapers is not the fault of the US administration. So you can blame them for showing the photos to the Iraqis but afaik they had nothing to do with showing the pictures outside of Iraq.

[acropolis]

First, I don't see anything wrong with them showing dead Americans on their broadcast.

Second, whatever protections do apply to soldiers (Geneva etc.) definitely do not apply to the Husseins.

[Marilyn Manson]

Originally posted by ChubbyChecker
Though the fact that the pictures are splattered all over the western newspapers is not the fault of the US administration. So you can blame them for showing the photos to the Iraqis but afaik they had nothing to do with showing the pictures outside of Iraq.

They distributed them to global news and picture agencies.

What exactly did you expect to arise from such an action? That all the media would simply file them away? Distribution of material that is 'hot' will inevitably result in it's broadcast and publication. Any actor that distributes said material is therefore directly or indirectly responsible for it becoming avalible to the mass public. Whether it occurs through an intermediary, as in this case, is irrelevant.

[xtrasyn]

Originally posted by Chojin
The US were bitching about how Iraq defied the Geneva Convention guidelines about dead POW pictures aired on Iraqi TV yet MSN can have little flash movies of Saddam's dead kids on their website? This is hardcore double standard. Sick.

Wake up and smell the coffee Chojin.

[roadrunner_0]

Originally posted by xtrasyn
Wake up and smell the coffee Chojin.

this about sums it up, they don't care about what you think, as long as they achieve their aims :/ so stop complaining, it won't get you anywhere. If you are really really that bothered, and you are american (which the majority of the ppl around here aren't) then write to your congressman, other than that, you have no comeback whatsoever

[xtrasyn]

Originally posted by roadrunner_0
this about sums it up, they don't care about what you think, as long as they achieve their aims :/ so stop complaining, it won't get you anywhere. If you are really really that bothered, and you are american (which the majority of the ppl around here aren't) then write to your congressman, other than that, you have no comeback whatsoever

ANd even then, the chances of being able to write to a non-republican congressman have deminished somewhat as I tend to believe. So that would only benefit the system (as in you supporting the administration by buying a stamp).

[huh]

Originally posted by acropolis
Second, whatever protections do apply to soldiers (Geneva etc.) definitely do not apply to the Husseins.

Why?

[acropolis]

Originally posted by huh
Why?

because they aren't soldiers?

i'm aware of a geneva convention (IV) subsection relating to treatment of POWs and a subsection relating to civilians.

the husseins were neither.

[roadrunner_0]

Originally posted by acropolis
because they aren't soldiers?

i'm aware of a geneva convention (IV) subsection relating to treatment of POWs and a subsection relating to civilians.

the husseins were neither.

although you make a good argument, i think in this situation they would fall into the civilian category, simply because there ins't a 'evil despotic ex-ruler' sub-category in the geneva convention

[xtrasyn]

Originally posted by acropolis
because they aren't soldiers?

i'm aware of a geneva convention (IV) subsection relating to treatment of POWs and a subsection relating to civilians.

the husseins were neither.

Public opinion does not care nor is in the favor of US actions. In other countries than the US anyway.

[acropolis]

Originally posted by xtrasyn
Public opinion does not care nor is in the favor of US actions. In other countries than the US anyway.

how does this relate to what i said?

oddly enough, while public opinion of the us remains pretty high in iraq, the kind of things that damage it are the reluctance to release said photos:

It is so unbelievable how they have wasted a chance to show Iraqis they really are doing something. It was the most useless of press conferences, first off this Sanchez speaks only in Militar-ese, meaningless words come out of his mouth while we are all hanging on the edge of our seats waiting for one single picture, definitive proof. It is so easy, all it takes is to show us the friggin’ corpses. They do have them. Someone did see them and when asked why it wasn’t sown to the public they came up with the moral issues stuff. Habibi it didn’t bother you that all those Iraqis, Americans and British are being killed for dubious reasons, so why suddenly become so squeamish? Give the Images to Jazeera, moral issues have never stopped them from showing gruesome images, let them do your dirty work. All I care about is knowing, seeing, being 100% doubt free and that press conference proved nothing.