"D. Simmons" wrote:
>
> In a message dated 2/25/02 7:00:00 AM Pacific Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
> writes:
>
> > Who are you talking about? I haven't heard anything about an American
> > Jew being held prisoner. Why did you tell us this person is a Jew, and
> > an American, instead of telling us the person's name? What difference
> > does it make to you that a prisoner is Jewish or American? After all
> > we've written here, why would you still think Americanness and
> > Jewishness would matter to us?
>
> Actually, I think "Americanness" and "Jewishness" matters quite a bit to
> many on this list. David Pearl's throat was slit and his head severed and
> paraded about because he was born an American and a Jew. It happened while he
> was being held captive. That is why I had the audacity to mention it.
Yes, but it is utterly irrelevant to your point about nobody raising the
flag of indignation. You chose not even to mention the man's name. You
chose to identify him only as an American Jew. The conclusion must be
that you are making a veiled accusation that the basis of our argument
that the Geneva Conventions and other, more basic rights like the right
to legal counsel, should apply to all prisoners is that we are
anti-semitic and anti-American. Now you are saying it more directly.
Is that what you actually mean? If you can substantiate a charge of
antisemitism, do it. If you just mean that criticism of Israeli
government policy equates to anti-semitism, don't bother. If you can
substantiate a charge of anti-americanism, then please, do it. It will
be interesting to hear you definition of what is Americanism and what is
not, and how your definition of Americanism applies to anyone on this
list.
> Unlike the near hysteria on this list over the possibility that an Al Queda
> or Taliban prisoner may not have an adequate selection of breakfast scones to
> select from each morning at Guantanomo, there was nothing but silence here
> concerning the treatment of prisoner Pearl at the hands of Al Queda
> sympathizers.
First, you didn't say anything about Daniel Pearl's treatment either.
Second, we don't have any say in how foreign terrorists treat their
prisoners. We *do* have a say in how our government treats its
prisoners. We *do* have a say in how our government ought to behave,
both in war and toward prisoners of war. It is our obligation to speak
out, when we perceive our government to be doing wrong. It is our
obligation to speak out, when we perceive any government to be doing
wrong. Daniel Perl's kidnappers were not agents of any government.
Daniel Perl's kidnappers were just common kidnappers. Now they are
common murderers. Kidnapping is against the law. Murder is against the
law. Nobody is obligated to speak out against these events as if they
were political movements. Kidnapping a civilian and killing him,
regardless of his nationality or religion is a crime. It is murder.
Dropping bombs on civilian areas knowing they will cause dozens,
hundreds, and eventually thousands of civilian deaths, and preventing
food aid from reaching civilians knowing that the result will be dozens,
hundreds, and eventually thousands of civilian deaths is also a crime.
It is also murder. And when it is done on that scale, it is a crime
against humanity.
Why aren't you raising your voice in indignation over these crimes, D.
Simmons?
martin
--
Martin Smith email: [log in to unmask]
Vollsveien 9 tel. : +47 6783 1188
P.O. Box 482 mob. : +47 932 48 303
1327 Lysaker, Norway
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