What is the U.S. doing to former Iraq regime leaders?

The weapons of mass destruction claims appear to be a fraud, including use of fabricated evidence concerning alleged Iraqi procurement of uranium ore. The “imminent threat” to U.S. security was a hoax, and a deliberate one. But the goal of regime change was real, and it has occurred. And so the U.S. government and military have pursued and apprehended former Iraqi government officials in the aftermath of the War of Conquest. For what purpose?

Isn’t it enough that the former Iraqi leaders be removed from power? What business is it of the United States Government to hold captive Iraqi finance ministers and other officials? Under what law is this appropriate? What sort of treatment are these people receiving from the U.S. military authorities? Are they being forced to divulge proprietary information that is of interest to the U.S., but not legally obtained by such means?

Will the U.S. withhold food, or deny comfort to these captives in order to force divulgence of information about hidden assets, including weaponry or financial assets of the deposed Iraqi regime? What if the detainees refuse to divulge what they know? How long will these people be held hostage, and what does the U.S. plan to do with them ultimately?

It seems likely that the U.S. will warn these people that they must not attempt to play any role in the future governance of the Iraqi nation. But what gives the U.S. such a right to make that sort of demand? If the Iraqi people wanted to make Tariq Aziz their President, for instance, and he won the position in a democratic election — why should the U.S. attempt to void the election or abort the process?

Something seems dreadfully wrong in this unilateral imposement of U.S. will on the Iraqi people. The U.S. has no right to hold these men captive, or to try them in American courts for “war crimes” or any other charges. If the U.S. felt any of these men were deserving of capture and interrogation, they should be turned over to an appropriate international body, and not held by the U.S.

Something is very fishy in all this. In fact, the stench is enormous. And the U.S. media continues to report on these matters without any questioning. The media just parrots what it is told, acting as a public relations service for the Bush administration — and so the American people continue to be mollified and even pleased with the continued dominance of the Iraqi people by the U.S. military under the most corrupt Department of Defense in American history.

And the loyal opposition forgets to oppose or to question. George Orwell would not be surprised at this. The surreality of this world is stark and the acquiescence of those with impaired vision and constrained consciences defies description.

The writer is a member of several falconry and ornithological clubs and organizations. He contributed above article to Media Monitors Network (MMN) from California, USA.