The photos that shocked the world

I really don't know how people can still be shocked at the shameful, despicable policies and actions of the U.S., but at least they are still claiming to be.

Papers apparently aren't published on Fridays in Iraq, but the photos of extreme prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib have hit European publications, and the Arabs are certainly able to see them, as well as TV coverage showing the photographs. Of course, Iraqis have been complaining about the tortures and abuses all along. Perhaps, like most Americans, however, the majority of Iraqis, who had no first hand experience with the prison, are impacted by wide media visual proofs more than by a few stories.

"The expectation is that this is going to be a huge problem to the U.S.-led coalition trying to explain the situation, trying to calm down what are going to be some pretty fiery emotions."

Abdel Bari Atwan, editor of the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper, agreed. "It is absolutely shocking. I think this is the end of the story, the straw that broke the camel's back, for America," he told the UK Press Association.

"People will be extremely angry ... sexual abuse is the worst thing in that part of the world. It is shocking to all Muslims. America has lost the battle completely. I believe there will be more attacks."

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Yeah. I believe there will.

Perhaps it is no coincidence in timing that the U.S. just announced it will put one of Saddam's generals (complete in full regalia of his Republican Guard unit when he met with tribal leaders) in charge of an Iraq armed detachment in Fallujah and is pulling out U.S. soldiers today.

The Fallujah force is expected to include former Iraqi police and soldiers including gunmen who fought against the Americans, particularly ex-soldiers disgruntled over losing their jobs when the United States disbanded the old Iraqi army.

...As negotiations continued, one of three battalions of U.S. Marines packed up and withdrew from most of its positions in an industrial zone in the southern area of the city.

...In an apparent move to help the Fallujah negotiations, U.S. authorities Thursday released the imam of the city's main mosque, Sheik Jamal Shaker Nazzal, an outspoken opponent of the U.S. occupation who was arrested in October.

...Marines in the southern industrial zone began packing up their gear Thursday in preparation for a withdrawal.

This isn't that cut-and-run move the Oaf says we can't choose, is it?

Saddam must be getting the last laugh if he has any idea what's happening. And American troops in the area must be shitting their pants about now. That scene of the four contractors' bodies being dismembered and dragged around town is still pretty fresh. We might want to consider some more reliable helicopters than those Black Hawks have appeared to be for some under-cover-of-night major mass evacuations of American military personnel, instead of trying to pull out one battalion at a time. Just a suggestion.

Anybody heard anything more about hostages since the Italians were executed?

And whatever happened to Izzat al-Douri?

And whatever happened to having bin Laden surrounded in the mountains on the Pakistan border?

Yeah. What.