Keeping things in perspective

Gert Van Langendonk The Daily Star

The Daily Star is a Lebanese paper, which makes the story more interesting and indicates a country that does not like the US has better balance of stories then the US media.

BAGHDAD: Ibrahim al-Idrissi, 37, goes to work every day with a handgun in a holster on his hip. In most countries, the line of work Idrissi is in wouldn't require such firepower. But this is Iraq. Idrissi is the president of the Association for Free Prisoners, an Iraqi non-governmental organization that has been documenting the execution of political prisoners under the regime of Saddam Hussein.

This article is not to excuse what the US soldiers did, but to bring to justice those who were committing the crimes under the old regime. The US is policing its ranks and punishing those who abused the Iraqi prisoners. But this cannot and MUST NOT distract all of us for hunting down and bringing to trial all of Sadam's jailers and those who committed crimes against humanity.

Just like the hunt for Nazi's did not end with the start of the Cold War or the founding of Federal Republic of Germany in 1949, the hunt for Sadam's willing torturers cannot be ended because some Americans did wrong. We cannot forget or history will repeat itself again.