Deaths of GIs stir Senate to condemn Iraq amnesty plan

[sabra]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/06/21/MNGV6JHMQA1.DTL

Deaths of GIs stir Senate to condemn Iraq amnesty plan
Resolution is part of growing debate on U.S. war policy

(06-21) 04:00 PDT Washington -- On the day after the tortured bodies of two U.S. soldiers were found in Iraq, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to condemn the idea that Iraq's new government might ever grant amnesty to insurgents who have killed or wounded American military personnel.

The 79-19 vote on a nonbinding "sense of the Senate'' resolution offered by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., opened several days of debate this week on Iraq policy. Starting today, the Senate is expected to take up two Democratic resolutions, one calling for the withdrawal of all 130,000 U.S. military personnel by July 2007 and the other calling for a phased withdrawal to begin this year, but without setting a deadline for getting all troops out.

...

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said Tuesday that the discovery of the bodies late Monday of Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, and Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, near Yusufiya, Iraq -- they had been missing since they were attacked at a checkpoint on Friday -- illustrated the dangers in the war zone.

...

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told reporters the discovery pointed up the need for President Bush to change policy in Iraq.

"Unfortunately, this is a grim reminder of the price we're paying for a failed policy in Iraq. At this point, we've lost over 2,500 of our best and bravest under terrible circumstances, and this latest report is just heartbreaking,'' said Durbin, the assistant minority leader.

[BOSSHOG]

1. Warner - War Zones are dangerous

What a fucking genious. And lets get a whole bunch more of our kids so those two will not have been beheaded in vain. Al because bush lied and all because conservatives are too proud to admit they were and continue to be wrong.

[Dhalgren]

2. I am not sure how anyone can condemn the Iraqi government

for offering an amnesty to Iraqis who have been fighting the US occupiers. These Iraqis are no terrorists, they are patriots. We have to be able to see, as adults, what it is that we have been doing and what reactions our actions have caused. If you set up a situation where you require all insurgents to be tried for their resistance to the US occupation, you guarantee the continuation of the conflict...

[Teaser]

5. Because it's good politics

and plays well in Peoria. And that's it.

And frankly, if we ever hope to gain power again in order to make our foreign policy more moral, we're going to have to shamelessly demagogue issues like this. Because it's how human beings think.

[Dhalgren]

6. I do see the hypocrisy in the Dictator's opinion on this issue.

If these insurgents are "terrorists", then they cannot be granted amnesty; if they are granted amnesty, it means that they are not "terrorists". So, it is either one or the other. If they aren't "terrorists", then how is this occupation part of the "war on terror" (it sounds stupid to even say that phrase). But I think that the people who oppose the amnesty should state that clearly - the idea of amnesty for "terrorists" is unacceptable. Make the Dictator declare openly that the insurgents aren't "terrorists".

That being said, I have a real problem with the idea that pandering to this lowest denominator is what must be done. You may be right, but it is a repugnant prospect...

[Divernan]

3. Legislative "resolutions" are smoke & mirrors w/ NO substantive effect.

Thousands of them are passed in Washington and the state legislatures every year, and they are just PR ploys, so that reps & senators can say, "I voted for/against (fill in the blank)" and the general public are too uneducated and inattentive to understand that resolutions are NOT laws; they mandate NO actions; they allocate NO funds for implementation.

This resolution has not one scintilla of impact upon what the sovereign government of Iraq (if it ever gets up and running) may or may not do, other than insulting the Iraqi parliament by presuming to usurp their sovereign rights & rubbing their noses into the fact that they are all US puppets. Wouldn't you absolutely love to have the Iraq Parliament pass a resolution that the U.S. president could never pardon anyone of war crimes committed in or against Iraq, or pardon any corporation or agents thereof of charges of misuse of funds, embezzlement, breach of contract, etc. Or what about any of the many nations of the world whose nationals have been held in Guantanamo without formal charges being filed, passing a resolution condemning Bush et al?

As further described in the OP's cite:
Warner cautioned the Senate to be careful not to interfere with the new government's sovereignty, a step that would make it appear that al-Maliki's Cabinet is a U.S. puppet.

That brought a critical rejoinder from Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J.

"This administration has been telling the Iraqis from Day One what they want them to do,'' he said, "... and now we're concerned about the sovereignty of the new government?"

[MrPrax]

7. Right said...

Clearly this resolution is little more than a loyality check on the Iraq government; 'our enemies are your enemies or else' Why would Iraqis be remotely interested in condemning and jailing their fellow citizens for attacking foreign occupiers. It's like prosecuting members of the underground for crimes against German soldiers--makes no sense for the viability of any future peace and social stability would be impossible if the those who are being ask to participate in that stability run the risk of being arrested on largely political charges...simply would perpetuate all the frictions that caused the rebellion in the first place.

It's essentially racist as it presumes that Americans/British (foreign occupiers) have a higher right to legal protections than do any of the citizens of the host country. The amnesty being offered ONLY applies to rebels fighting the occupation, and NOT people who commit against of violence against the Iraqis themselves....all's fair in love and war.

[saigon68]

4. The Halliburton Criminals are all for the War

Look at the $$$$ they are making