Firas Durri

Human Rights Watch had this interesting press release a couple days ago titled ‘Sweden Implicated in Egypt’s Abuse of Suspected Militant’ and subtitled ‘Egypt Violated Diplomatic Promises of Fair Trial and No Torture for Terrorism Suspect’. The issue is basically about Egypt torturing a terrorism suspect and denying him a fair trial (tried in military court, inadequate access to counsel, secret evidence unavailable to defense lawyers, no witnesses countering the charges allowed, and other stuff). It’s somewhat weird to be snapping at Sweden’s heels–they didn’t tortute Ahmed Agiza. They expelled him in December 2001, maybe because they didn’t want to seem to be harbouring him post September 11 (the “Swedish authorities wanted to get rid of someone alleged to be involved in political violence”.) But of course the Egypt wouldn’t have delivered on diplomatic assurances that he “would not be subject to torture and would receive a fair trial”. Egypt’s been under emergency rule since 1981!

Anyway, what’s interesting (besides the date of expulsion and the fact that HRW is as upset at Sweden as at Egypt) is that Agiza was sentenced for “membership in an organization whose aim is to overthrow the Egyptian government by violent means”. Here’s what I don’t get: since when did Sweden have to protect the Egyptian state?

(HRW’s announced a April report in mid-April: ‘ “Empty Promises:” Diplomatic Assurances No Safeguard against Torture’. It talks about Maher Arar and others in the same predicament. It’s almost as if the moment you’re accused of involvement with terrorists you’re suddenly not priveleged to human rights.)

Yesterday Josh Marshall pointed to an AP article that says “U.S. soldiers who detained an elderly Iraqi woman last year placed a harness on her, made her crawl on all fours and rode her like a donkey, Prime Minister Tony Blair’s personal human rights envoy to Iraq said Wednesday.” You know, this is now beyond disgust at the conduct of individuals. It’s beyond political sniping. It’s just a matter of collective shame as more stories rush in. Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh: “I’m talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You of heard of need to blow some steam off?”

Wonkette: “Of course. That’s how we like to unwind at the end of a hard day ourselves. Some soft music, a cocktail and some simulated ass-fucking. Oh, I’m sorry: Forcing someone else into simulated ass-fucking. And hey, isn’t it nice to see a leader in the conservative movement finally come out in favor of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the military?”

Josh Marshall: “You know when you’re worked to the bone and you really need to unwind there’s just nothing like grabbing a half dozen Arab dudes, stripping them naked, tying their bodies together against their will and pressing one guy’s penis up against another guy’s butt to make it like they’re having anal sex. Right?”

(geek*muffin: “Consider who is responsible for this fucked up war, for putting our soldiers into situations where this is normal and they are turned into barbarians, for destroying what little was left of our reputation in the world community.” Ties into a point Josh made, “I can’t think of a more tangible example of the corrosive effect our embrace of lawlessness at Guantanamo has had on our conduct. First we devise these outlandish rules to deal with the worst bad guys behind 9/11 and the next thing you know we’re applying those brave new rules to miscellaneous bad actors who fall into our net in Iraq.”)

The NYT talked to one of those photographed being abused: “Mr. Abd spoke with no particular anger at the American occupation, though he has seen it closer than most Iraqis. In six months in prisons run by American soldiers, in fact, he said most of them had treated him well and with respect. [...] That changed in November”. Here’s a similar article.

The Daily Telegraph on one of those photographed doing the abusing, Good ol’ girl who enjoyed cruelty: “She faces a court martial, but at home she is toasted as a hero.” The Washington had a thoughtful article about the images, it touches on what I talked about on Sunday in terms of skewed perceptions of war.

And in the background, Sudan goes to hell (when did mass rape become a political tactic? At least ethnic cleansing is time-honoured.) Sudan’s Silent Scream, Q & A: Crisis in Darfur, Report 1: Darfur in Flames, Report 2: Darfur Destroyed, photos, video.

Carroll Bogert: “The international media don’t send reporters to cover genocides, it seems. They cover genocide anniversaries.” It seems that the U.S.–the Iraq-invading, Rwanda-genocide-ignoring U.S.–are the ones taking the most principled stance on the issue, calling for condemnations and emergency sessions and walking out of meetings.

I guess you never can tell.

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