Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Proof that nothing good can come of the prisoner scandal.

3 comments:

Bo said...

This is not conclusive proof at all. The real question is not whether Al Qaeda's willingness to go on TV has changed. The question is whether their willingness to risk death or capture has changed.

In some respects, understanding the deterrent effect (or lack thereof) is not about what Al Qaeda does. It is about what potential Al Qaeda recruits who are currently non-terrorists will do.

Garrett said...

Evidence, not proof, would have been a better choice of words. Though this may be proof that for whatever "positive" effects might come from the prisoner abuse scandal, there are going to be some absolutely heinous ones as well that I believe completely nullify the former and leave us, overall, damaged in the eyes of the international community.

Bo said...

Garrett, buddy, have you forgotten? This is Al Qaeda we're talking about here. They killed 3,000+ plus innocent New Yorkers and Washingtonians for nothing. They killed Daniel Pearl in cold blood for nothing. They blew up the US embassies and the USS Cole in East Africa for nothing -- while people were in it.

These people do not need prisoner abuse to justify killing. You are playing into their hands by acting as though it matters.