A new crime

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A strange mix of rage and resentment, humiliation and defiance is pervading Arab and Muslim countries. The publication of the offending cartoons is only one reason. Recently, television footage came out, showing British soldiers beating up Iraqi boys detained while demonstrating in Basra in southern Iraq. Soon afterwards, Australian television screened fresh photos of old violations in Abu Ghraib.

The images brought back painful memories of unimaginable atrocities. Once again, one is faced with the ugliness of war. The war in Iraq was allegedly fought for lofty purposes, and yet it has turned out to be just as degrading and dehumanising as all other wars. These incidents of brutality have been described as individual and incidental. Some of the perpetrators have been investigated and even brought to trial. And yet the atrocities are such that the US and UK governments can no longer claim innocence.

The new pictures show prisoners bleeding, some with knife marks on the neck, bags on heads, hands tied to beds and doors, naked and subject to attack dogs. Horror piles upon horror, but the worst horror of all is the images of prisoners smiling to the camera, as if having forgotten they were once human. You'd expect them to be grimacing in pain, crying in fear, or brooding in silence. But no, they were smiling, submitting to the wishes of their captors, to the whims of their torturers, hoping against hope for a moment of relief.

The pictures, one mustn't forget, were taken by the people who took part in the atrocities. They have been leaked by people who felt they had to bring them to public attention. In the video footage of British soldiers beating Iraqi boys, one hears in the background degrading comments by the people taping the scene. How sick can one get? The wardens were evidently taking pleasure in torturing victims. Sounds familiar? Yes, we've seen that again and again in Abu Ghraib. No wonder the rift is getting deeper between Muslims and Arabs on the one hand and the West, especially the UK and US, on the other.

Some say that the atrocities in Iraq and Guantanamo were just as bad as what Saddam Hussein was doing. What kind of excuse is this? Torture is unacceptable regardless of who does it. If anything, it is even worse when committed by the very people who claim to be bringing freedom and democracy to the region.

The UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Amnesty International, and the Human Rights Commission should take action on the atrocities. A committee of investigation must be formed and given all the power and support it needs to establish the facts and bring culprits to trial. The perpetrators should be tried at the International Criminal Court or even at a special war crimes court, such as the ones formed for Rwanda and Bosnia. International humanitarian law does not absolve heads of states or army commanders from responsibility when it comes to crimes against humanity. Should we see George Bush and Tony Blair tried for the war crimes they have committed in Iraq and Afghanistan? One would hope so. Most likely, however, the state of silence and indifference will continue, and so will the atrocities. As a result, the credibility of international organisations will continue to erode.