Changes

===Al-Qaeda's use of torture===

===Al-Qaeda's use of torture===

Key to any insurgency is its ability to have the support of the people, or at least their assent. If the people turn against the insurgency, the insurgents have no basis of operations to hide in and the insurgency crumbles. To this end, the terrorists in Iraq have used incredible amounts of intimidation - kidnap, torture, threats and murder - to prevent the local Iraqi populace from cooperating with those who will bring them a free and democratic Iraq (the US/Coalition forces and the Democratically aligned Iraqi government forces). From the ordinary Iraqi's point of view, cooperating with those who will bring them freedom can have a high cost. If found out, the media will splash their name all over the papers, making it easy for the terrorists to target them for reprisals. Family members can go missing or they can. They could be tortured or killed.  

Key to any insurgency is its ability to have the support of the people, or at least their assent. If the people turn against the insurgency, the insurgents have no basis of operations to hide in and the insurgency crumbles. To this end, the terrorists in Iraq have used incredible amounts of intimidation - kidnap, torture, threats and murder - to prevent the local Iraqi populace from cooperating with those who will bring them a free and democratic Iraq (the US/Coalition forces and the Democratically aligned Iraqi government forces). From the ordinary Iraqi's point of view, cooperating with those who will bring them freedom can have a high cost. If found out, the media will splash their name all over the papers, making it easy for the terrorists to target them for reprisals. Family members can go missing or they can. They could be tortured or killed.  

The great tragedy in the Mainstream Media ([[MSM]]) covering up the inhumane torture methods of the terrorists while trumpeting outrage at the far milder US intimidation techniques (Abu Gharib, etc), is that it hides from public view what risks the Iraqi population must take to cooperate with those who would bring them their freedom. In the article, "<b>Media Totally Ignore Al Qaeda Torture Manual</b>" it says, quote: Glenn Reynolds this morning pointed out that “Silence is complicity,” while leading the reader to Don Surber’s piece on the subject which went much further in condemning the media boycott (emphasis added): And yet such false stories as the “flushed Koran” got widespread play in the newspapers and on television. We are hearing those awful “Sounds of Silence” that Simon and Garfunkel warned us about. Whether intentional or not, the message is clear: <b>The United States must be above even false reports of torture, while the enemy is allowed to promote eye removal, blowtorching skin and horrors I won’t go into.</b> The handbook shows that the enemy really is perverted; they are sickos who like to torture people. As much as I admire and respect John McCain’s war service, he is wrong when he says our interrogation methods encourage the enemy to torture our people. The enemy was torturing and beheading people well before 9/11. (end quote) <ref>  

The great tragedy in the Mainstream Media ([[MSM]]) covering up the inhumane torture methods of the terrorists while trumpeting outrage at the far milder US intimidation techniques (Abu Gharib, etc), is that it hides from public view what risks the Iraqi population must take to cooperate with those who would bring them their freedom. In the article, "Media Totally Ignore Al Qaeda Torture Manual" it says, "Glenn Reynolds this morning pointed out that “Silence is complicity,” while leading the reader to Don Surber’s piece on the subject which went much further in condemning the media boycott (emphasis added): And yet such false stories as the “flushed Koran” got widespread play in the newspapers and on television. We are hearing those awful “Sounds of Silence” that Simon and Garfunkel warned us about. Whether intentional or not, the message is clear: The United States must be above even false reports of torture, while the enemy is allowed to promote eye removal, blowtorching skin and horrors I won’t go into. The handbook shows that the enemy really is perverted; they are sickos who like to torture people. As much as I admire and respect John McCain’s war service, he is wrong when he says our interrogation methods encourage the enemy to torture our people. The enemy was torturing and beheading people well before 9/11."<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/13002</ref>

http://newsbusters.org/node/13002 </ref>

Apart from brief mentions on Fox News and CNN, reports on this issue in the days prior or subsequent have been few. As a result, the populace of the US sees daily news coverage of just how ruthless the insurgents are in their attacks upon the populace in the way of guns and bombs, but are not given substantive evidence of the intimidation (torture) which the Iraqi people face. And it is this torture and intimidation which is the direct cause of slowing US progress, hampering the swift end of the insurgency in Iraq. <b>Thinking falsely that the people of Iraq SUPPORT the insurgency and are not merely being INTIMIDATED by them</b>, the US populace is impatient for instant progress and their support for the Iraqi people obtaining their freedom from such a ruthless enemy has swiftly waned. As a result, the US support for the war has dropped and many discouraged American people support the pullout of troops from Iraq.  

Apart from brief mentions on Fox News and CNN, reports on this issue in the days prior or subsequent have been few. As a result, the populace of the US sees daily news coverage of just how ruthless the insurgents are in their attacks upon the populace in the way of guns and bombs, but are not given substantive evidence of the intimidation (torture) which the Iraqi people face. And it is this torture and intimidation which is the direct cause of slowing US progress, hampering the swift end of the insurgency in Iraq. Thinking that the people of Iraq support the insurgency and are not merely being intimidated by them, the US populace is impatient for instant progress and their support for the Iraqi people obtaining their freedom from such a ruthless enemy has swiftly waned. As a result, the US support for the war has dropped and many discouraged American people support the pullout of troops from Iraq.  

CNN Headline News anchor Glenn Beck said that if America withdraws from Iraq, it “would be America’s most shameful act of immorality since slavery,” adding that Democrat Congressional war opponents are “just plain stupid” and “can’t see the future.” Beck claimed that if U.S. forces pull out, a “genocide” will take place that makes Darfur “look like a picnic.” “The blood of the Iraqi children will be on all of our hands,” Beck said. For support he turned to Van Hipp, Chairman and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army who said, "Unfortunately, Glenn, I believe you`re right. And I tell you, <b>if we surrender now, I believe you will see a humanitarian catastrophe much like or even worse than the situation in Darfur right now, the death count -- and the estimate right now beginning in a few months, they could be looking at 100,000 deaths a month.</b> <ref> http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0704/24/gb.01.html </ref>

CNN Headline News anchor Glenn Beck said that if America withdraws from Iraq, it “would be America’s most shameful act of immorality since slavery,” adding that Democrat Congressional war opponents are “just plain stupid” and “can’t see the future.” Beck claimed that if U.S. forces pull out, a “genocide” will take place that makes Darfur “look like a picnic.” “The blood of the Iraqi children will be on all of our hands,” Beck said. For support he turned to Van Hipp, Chairman and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army who said, "Unfortunately, Glenn, I believe you`re right. And I tell you, if we surrender now, I believe you will see a humanitarian catastrophe much like or even worse than the situation in Darfur right now, the death count -- and the estimate right now beginning in a few months, they could be looking at 100,000 deaths a month. <ref> http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0704/24/gb.01.html </ref>

==The Surge and Progress in Iraq==

==The Surge and Progress in Iraq==