Suddenly Genuflecting to Geneva
Tensions between Iran and the West continue to mount. Britain suspended all talks until the return of their compatriots seized last week. Prime Minister Tony Blair was indignant, vowing to "ratchet up" the pressure on Tehran until the sailors are returned and the issue has now been referred to the UN Security Council. And as if things weren't precarious enough, we had Bush flexin' some Navy muscle in the Gulf. Man, it's almost as if he is trying to provoke a war or something...
But what I find most interesting about this whole situation is the lengths some will resort to in order to foment a conflict with Iran they so pine for without noting any sense of irony in their protestations. Yesterday, Iran released video of the captive sailors, including footage of the lone female in the group wearing a traditional Islamic Hijab or headscarf. Cries of foul rang forth, with some claiming that the video is against the Geneva Conventions which forbids such displays. What I wish to know is where were similar cries of outrage when Saddam Hussein was paraded before the cameras (in his underwear no less) for all to see. Oh yea, that's right. That was our doing, so that must make it OK, Geneva being "quaint" and all.
As I have discussed previously, this is one of the consequences of the Bush administration's circumvention of Geneva. Historically the US has always set the standard for what was expectable on the world stage. The same still holds true today, though in a far different context.
More from Cernig and Meteor Blades.
(Filed at State of the Day)
But what I find most interesting about this whole situation is the lengths some will resort to in order to foment a conflict with Iran they so pine for without noting any sense of irony in their protestations. Yesterday, Iran released video of the captive sailors, including footage of the lone female in the group wearing a traditional Islamic Hijab or headscarf. Cries of foul rang forth, with some claiming that the video is against the Geneva Conventions which forbids such displays. What I wish to know is where were similar cries of outrage when Saddam Hussein was paraded before the cameras (in his underwear no less) for all to see. Oh yea, that's right. That was our doing, so that must make it OK, Geneva being "quaint" and all.
As I have discussed previously, this is one of the consequences of the Bush administration's circumvention of Geneva. Historically the US has always set the standard for what was expectable on the world stage. The same still holds true today, though in a far different context.
More from Cernig and Meteor Blades.
(Filed at State of the Day)
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