War and innocence juxtapose each other in this short thought-provoking film about a war-torn country and its use of children in warfare. The film depicts a scared boy pointing his gun at a terrified American soldier in a life-defining moment. The soldier convinced the boy not to shoot and slowly took out a string puppet from his bag he used to entertain and mesmerize the boy. Slowly, the boy returned to his innocence. Who is the true string puppet?
Recently in War Crimes Category
Sometimes I forget the U.S. is fighting a war against terrorism, that is, until I read about the horrid videos of the beheading of hostages. Hostage executions have become a common sight. They represent the terrorists' attempt to intimidate and instill horror into people's minds of how truly irrational and desperate they are in their fight against the modern civilized world. There's no way to effectively negotiate with these people. They might behead a few innocent people, and those are great losses.
In the process, they have forever garnered the utter hatred of the world. They have reinforced the perception of them as savages. If that's the best they can do, they need to do better. The tactics of terrorists have lost their shock value. Most Americans I know are no longer shocked. The demands of the terrorists have gone unanswered lately.
More executions aren't not likely to help them achieve their goals. The world is responding to their act of war. They have started it and are in no position to be making demands. America and her friends are responding to their act of terror, war, and destruction of 9/11. We have not forgotten. Hostage executions will do little to divert the course of the war.
The sight of the black cloaks with the lone hostage who is about to be beheaded has gotten much coverage worldwide. The demand for footage of the executions has become a blossoming business in Iraq. The dvds of the hostage executions of Americans and others are sold next to porn in Iraq. How ironic! If the terrorists are trying to preserve the integrity of their traditions and way of life, the corruption of porn serves to undermine all that they stand for, all that they fight for. In the name of Islam, they veiled their women to protect their modesty. Yet they broadcast pornography for all passersby to see from their shops, with the video footage of executions as teasers.
Opportunistic salesmen are using the hard work of terrorists to help the sell porn. The terrorists aren't ready to convert from their established way of life to the one promised and offered by the modern world. They see danger in the increased freedom, responsibilities, and opportunities. Perhaps, they need to focus their anger inwardly. The executions of hostages have been so random and senseless that they might execute anyone who rubs them the wrong way, including their own. Their fellow Iraqis are undermining their fight against capitalism and ideals of the western world. The temptation of capitalism is irresistible. The corruption is coming from within. There are Iraqis who want what the modern world has to offer. The actions of the terrorists remind me of the misdirected anger of confused, trouble children. Their tactics are barbaric and increasingly ineffective. Read more.
"Salesmen play them everywhere, even in their own DVD shops, to attract people's attention. They turn the volume on so that everyone could listen to a hostage screaming before masked men cut his head off. The footage of the execution then changes to an adult movie."
The stress of war brings out the worst in all of us. No nation has a clean conscience when it comes to war crimes. The abuses of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers is the latest manifestation of the ugliness of war. The images of abuse have more visual impact because they show female soldiers involved in the process of humilating and subjugating Iraqi prisoners. In the past, male soldiers have raped and killed during war. Now that more females are participating in war, I wonder if they also rape and kill. Are females equally cruel?
Perhaps females are more cruel because historical we have been under the subjugation of men. Given the chance to turn the table, do some of us see it as a form of empowerment, albeit at the expense of other human beings. Psychologically speaking, the abused often becomes the abuser. Our nation is fighting a war on terror, but females, worldwide, are still fighting a war on gender equality.
Recent photos from the War in Iraq indicate that American female soldiers are involved the in process of humilating Iraqi prisoners. This is what we see in the photos such as the one that shows an American female soldier holding a leash to an Iraqi prisoner, but there's plenty that goes on in war that are not documented. There's plenty that we don't know. No one says war is pretty.
Photo credit: Photo obtained by the Washington Post shows a soldier, U.S. Army Spc. Lynndie England with a naked detainee, leashed like a dog. Read more.
We wouldn't want our POWs dehumanized. Yet our British allies apparently were forcing male Iraqis into sexual positions and suspended by rope from a fork-lift. An 18-year-old British soldier, Fusilier Gary Bartlam, documented the horrific scenes with his camera. Kelly Tilford who noticed the pictures called police. Bartlam is currently being held in custody in an Army base. Read more.
