Der Speigel manufactures outrage
I saw the Der Speigel article earlier this weekend, the one that leads Drudge right now in the form of an official Army apology on BBC News. It included some pictures of the soldiers who are charged with murder of two Afghan civilians, Der Speigel says the pictures are worse than the Abu Ghraib photos.
If possible, these pictures are even a little more disgusting than the ones from Abu Ghraib. Those photos demonstrated a casual disdain for the dignity of the captive Iraqis; the FOB Ramrod Kill Team’s photos, on the other hand, show a casual disdain for the very lives of the Afghans.
As bad as the pictures of the buffoonery of the participants in both incidents are, there is nothing here to be outraged about since the pictures in question are currently being used as evidence in a court martial – just like the goofuses in Abu Ghraib were being investigated and tried as the photos of that incident were released. The BBC reports on the Army’s reaction to Der Speigel’s photos;
The US Army said these photographs depict “actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army”.
“The actions portrayed in these photographs remain under investigation and are now the subject of ongoing US court-martial proceedings, in which the accused are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” it added.
Soldiers who are convicted will be held accountable as appropriate, the army says.
Of course, this the German publication’s attempt to smear all members of the US Army as well as their mission in the middle east. Actually the actions of a few soldiers who knew at the time that they were acting contrary to Army regulations – which is why they tried to cover it up. The only “casual disregard” was on the part of a few soldiers, not an entire unit. No matter how hard Der Speigel fans the flames of false outrage.
Of course, the perpetually outraged denizens of the middle east will use it as another excuse to be…well….perpetually outraged, but they’re still angry about the Koran that was never flushed down a toilet at Guantanamo. So they don’t need another excuse. It’s just Der Speigel doing what they do best – sensationalism. They claim that they have 4,000 photos from the electronic media collected from the nine soldiers – and this is probably the worst they have, so it’s more intellectual brain farts and pants-wetting from the Euro-wienies.
Category: Antiwar crowd, Terror War
I’ve seen pictures way worse than Der Speigel’s. In the age of digital cameras and camera phones everyone is taking pictures. How come Der Speigel isn’t outraged at the “Juba the Sniper” dvds that are being sold all over the arab world? Or any of the thousands of videos of coalition forces being killed by Taliban/al Queda that can be seen on the internet? Stupid Germans.
Heroin junkies need their fix, so too anti-Americans need their montly shot of outrage.
Have noticed Der Spiegel demonstrates sang-froid toward the crimes of UN Peace Keepers in Africa though.
“Of course, the perpetually outraged denizens of the middle east will use it as another excuse to be…well….perpetually outraged,”
They aren’t the only ones. I was over at the land of nuts, Infowars, and they are losing their collective minds as well. It’s not like this is a new story, but by reading their pablum, you’d think that this is a revelation of the highest order. I’m sure Alex and Gordy will be feverishly quoting each other and writing articles about quoting each other very soon.
What gets me is that they are doing what you said Der Spiegel is doing. Painting the military with a wide brush and including the usual conspiracy crap, because unless there’s a conspiracy angle, Jones and Duff won’t touch it.
I think this is a good time to remind everyone of WHO published the phony story re: korans in toilets.
None of then headscumbag himself, Larry King’s replacement: Piers Morgan.
Sorry, that ought to read: None OTHER than Piers Morgan 😉
Extravagent minimising going on here guys.
“there is nothing here to be outraged about” Really? I think that there is a lot to be outraged about there.
Obama gets it – only airstrikes and no troops in Libya. Finally someone in power in the US who doesn’t want to put their big boots on and stomp all over the world. The world does not want your idiot armies invading and violating decency around the world. You have given us Dioxin and Agent Orange and perfected the art of friendly fire – enough already.
I have no idea why you don’t understand that the western world despises what you have done around the world over the years.
Go home Yankees.
Sporkmaster: Oh and I have to as what you think about the other Vietnam War.
“Really? I think that there is a lot to be outraged about there.”
Except that the people that were involved in these actions are being tried in Court Martial. It is not like anyone trying to protect the people that did these acts.
Also considering the past history of only using air support, can you tell me how it ended?
Der Speigel? LOL! I guess the moron who wrote this piece means DER SPIEGEL! Yeah, correct spelling can be such a challenge for the illiterate masses of ‘Merrrkan morons. Poor sods.
And no outrage?!? Are you serious?? And then you people wonder why the rest of the world is so disgusted by you. BUT…there is no better way to show the world what you people are really all about than depraved articles such as this, so keep ’em coming! Please! I SO enjoy passing them on to show everyone I know, just how sick and depraved a nation you really are.
Keep up the “good” work, sickos!
Moral relativism is alive and thriving… as usual.
If some non-white or non-American had done something similar to what the photos depict to an American, I wonder if you all would be just as “non-outraged” about it? Nah, I don’t think so. In fact, I suspect you’d all be hollering bloody murder til the cows came home and there would be no end to your collective outrage.
“Do unto others”…or so I heard.
Oh, yes, the fact that I misspelled the German word makes all the difference in the world. Childish POS.
And I guess the reason that I think it’s a non-event makes me racist. That’s the least intellectual explanation, anyway.
“Do unto others”
It seems that you have not been paying attention lately or in the last 70 years.