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Epistemological Slaughter in Iraq

What is the difference between a police commando and a gunman dressed as a police commando?

The war in Iraq is a philosopher’s mirror, presenting all the quandries of classic philosophy in the media of blood and bombs.

Take, for example, the epistemological question presented by this morning’s news that 150 Iraqi educators and researchers have been kidnapped by what the Associated Press refers to as “gunmen dressed as police commandos”: What is the difference between a police commando and a gunman dressed as a police commando?

Police commandos have guns, right? Iraqi police have been observed taking people off the streets to hold in secret prisons, right?

So, how come the news media is referring to these people as “gunmen dressed as police commandos” and not just police commandos? How was that decision made?

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Date: November 14, 2006

Author: Peregrin Wood

Categories: general, media, mysteries, war and peace

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(487 votes, average: 3.03 out of 5)

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  Alan

  in November 15th, 2006 @ 00:00

  Before I read the story I assumed this was yet another case of the U.S. supporting Shia militias while decrying Sunni militias, but it looks like we’re starting to get smart. The militia was Shia, the U.S. has apparently been pressuring Iraq, and there were actaully arrests made–senior police officials in the distrcit where the kidnapping occured.

  I’m currently reading Tom Friedman’s From Beirut to Jerusalem.This same problem of private militias has plagued Lebanon and kept the central governmne t from being effctive.

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  Ralph

  in November 15th, 2006 @ 13:20

  Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this the same Interior Ministry the U.S. raided last year, where they discovered people partially skinned alive, tortured with power drills, and burned with acid?

  Could someone please explain to me why my tax dollars are going to support torture?

  I know, I know, don’t be so naive…

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  Ralph

  in November 15th, 2006 @ 13:31

  Oh, there is an answer to the question: “What difference is there between a police commando and a gunman dressed as a police commando?” It’s just a very confusing one.

  There may or may not be a difference. An armed police commando is definitely a gunman dressed as a police commando, but a gunman dressed as a police commando may or may not be a police commando. See?

  Yeah, the Iraqis are just as sure who’s police, who’s army, and who’s a member of a death squad.

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  An American Mick

  in November 16th, 2006 @ 10:28

  Saddam, pre-Kuwait: Respected leader of a valuable ally in the Middle East; heavily supported by US government.

  Saddam, post-Kuwait: Ruthless dictator, author of genocide and other war crimes, seeker of WMD, to be removed from power at the earliest possible date.

  The definition depends only on whether or not they’re firmly under the control of the US government, apparently.

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  Alan

  in November 17th, 2006 @ 02:52

  I was hanging out in a London bar back in 1988 or so and started talking to a Brit who managed hotels. He had worked in Kuwait and told me if anyone ever attacked Kuwait the U.S. would protect it as a vital interest. My reaction was, what’s a Kuwait and who would want to invade it. Looks like young Nigel knew what he was talking about.

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  An American Mick

  in November 17th, 2006 @ 13:32

  I had a similar impression during my year in Ireland – Europeans are far more aware of global current events than we are here in the US.

  I was very familiar with Kuwait, but only because of my military background. When Saddam invaded Kuwait, I thought he was being suicidal. He knew better than anyone what the US would do about it.

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  An American Mick

  in November 17th, 2006 @ 13:36

  Incidentally, it’s the private militia factor that makes me think Iraq will be far worse than Yugoslavia. The fault lines among the Iraqi militias seem to be less clear and more numerous than those among the warring factions in Yugoslavia.

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  Alan

  in November 17th, 2006 @ 15:48

  I’m not sure I understand the political/military significance of Kuwait, I mean, what’s our interest in it–just oil? I think 17% of our oil comes from Saudi.

  I’ve been meaning to read up on Yugoslavia for some time now–and have a small collection of books at hand. My understanding about the balkans is that it broke apart based on language groups. language even became an issue. For instance, Greece insists up and down that Macedonian is just a form of Greek, while the Macedonnians say it is a separate language. Becasue of this you will find textbooks on the Macedonian language few and far between. To confuse the issue there is also a province of Greece named Macedonia, so the country has been using the name Macedonia with some trepidation, but it seems Greece, a strong U.S. ally, isn’t going to fuss about that.

  In Lebanon the militias are again broken down along religious/ethnic lines, although everone speaks the same language. Whenever one group doesn’t think they’re getting a fair representation in the country’s politics, they bring in outside armies, like Syria or PLO or the Iranian support for the relatively new and poor Shia group there.

  It seems there is definate ethnic slant to the Iraqi hostilities, as those picked up by militias are a certain ethnicity determined by their names–the militias look at the ID cards to decide who to torture. but the militias aren’t well defined? sounds like foregn money is being poured into continuing the hostitilities, no doubt funded for the most part by Iraq’s Arab brothers who stand to gain from continued instability in the region and the resulting higher oil prices? Similar thing happened in palestine, without the oil. the arab world wanted to rule palestine,every country was running a private army there as part of various wars, but never took into consideration that palestinians might want self-determination. If you follow the money for the private militias, where will it lead?

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  An American Mick

  in November 20th, 2006 @ 14:55

  Pretty much just oil – lots of oil, and their political influence in the oil market. They were a stabilizing factor on the price of oil for a long time. The Kuwaitis LOVE Americans…well, not so much Americans, but the money they bring to the table, and investment opportunities in the U.S. Kuwait is, per capita, possibly the richest Arab nation (but I don’t know that for sure). At one time, every Kuwaiti kid was chauffered to school in a limo.

  Kuwait also provides the US with a very friendly Persian Gulf port.

  The hostilities in Iraq today run along the same lines that were drawn over 1300 years ago, right after Muhammed died. The Shiites and the Sunnis have been battling ever since, in many different theaters, over their interpretations of what Muhammed meant, and over who should have succeeded him. The only thing that has ever really squelched them has been brutal secular governments that feared their passions.

  Iran is primarily Shiite. Syria is primarily Sunni. Each of them supports militias on the respective side of that fence. I have believed since Saddam Hussein was deposed that the only real end to hostilities in Iraq would be cooperation between those two countries in brokering a truce, and the total withdrawal of westerners. The result would be a fiercely anti-American coalition government rife with distrust.

  For decades the U.S. backed Saddam. The U.S. government knew that he was a bad man, but that he was better than the devil they didn’t know. Our leaders knew about his genocide, but considered it to be his country, his concern.

  Now, we have the devil we didn’t know.

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  Anonymous

  in December 3rd, 2006 @ 12:51

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