Wednesday, January 03, 2007
What Messenger?
Aides to Iraq's prime minister said today that one of the guards at the hanging of Saddam Hussein had been detained in connection with the unofficial cellphone video that showed Mr. Hussein being taunted just before his death - scenes that sparked outrage among Sunni loyalists when the video was posted on the Internet.
When in doubt, blame the messenger. If that doesn't work, tell everyone that they really shouldn't believe those unreliable eyes and ears of theirs. And if that doesn't work, tell 'em to look at something ... anything ... else, as in how bad the person we just abused was or "the big picture" or that bright baubble over there being held by that comely young lady or ...The aides to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki also sought to downplay the disorder depicted in the video, which showed Mr. Hussein being subjected to a battery of taunts by official Shiite witnesses and guards. The aides said the execution was more dignified than the illicit video makes it appear, and argued that in any case the focus should be on the crimes Mr. Hussein had committed.
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And we thought the Iraqis weren't getting the hang of American-style government.
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