**********AbuTorture**********

Bush, in trying to win back the support of people by his speech on May 24, 2004, made a remarkable suggestion.  That was to demolish the Abu Ghraib prison as a gesture of ensuring no Iraqi would ever become subject to atrocities of tyrants like Saddam.  He offered to build a maximum security prison to transfer Iraqi detainees at no cost to Iraqi people!

That is so generous of a man who badly needs American votes in a few months in order not to be re-defeated.  It would not look good to have the Supreme Court justices reinstalling him for a second time.  I think he sincerely believes a democratic government can be “installed” too.  No sarcasm intended.

Iraqi detainees will have no luxury of choosing between the new American made maximum security prison and the old Abu Ghraib.  Some of these detainees may well be Iraqi patriots who fought both Saddam and American led Coalition Provisional Authority.  It is a sad story that is hard to believe by most people, but Iranians know it too well how it happened to Iranian patriots in Evin prison under both Shah and Khomaini. 

It is, of course, the American government that calls them terrorists.  I think it has become a well understood qualifying definition.  That is any foreigner who opposes Bush’s invading a sovereign nation is considered a terrorist.  If he is an American, he would be called unpatriotic.  They have yet to study the matter for a dissent who is a citizen of an allied nation! 

Therefore, the war on terror does not allow terrorists to choose their own prison.  A pun intended, but Iraqi people are not in a position to have a word on building a new maximum security prison either.  They are not ready to understand the meaning of “security” in a democracy.  I think most middle easterners have no idea of how important “security” is otherwise they would not have objected to taking political prisoners in the first place!  Show me a third world country’s government that is not protecting its people by taking political prisoners for maximum security! 

So Bush will build the prison for them and American taxpayers will take the tab!  Iraqis will have ample time to thank Bush when they come to value his generosity.  But I must give credit to Bush at this very moment.  He said he would demolish the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, if, I hope it is only if, the future government of Iraq gives him the permission to do so. 

I forewarn the future government of Iraq to gracefully decline such a generous offer.  I think Bush’s war on terror has already demolished a lot of Iraqi buildings, including Iraqi National Museum for its most precious arts.  He also demolished the building block of the new millennium civilization.  I think that is enough rejoice for one selected president. 

So, please keep the Abu Ghraib prison as a museum.  A museum for the new generation of Iraqis to remember what Saddam did to his political opponents.  A museum for future generations to remember when it comes to in despicable treatment of political opponents there is no difference between a superpower and a puppet like Saddam. 

Did I say a superpower?  No wonder Bush is so anxious to demolish Abu Ghraib.  He is not concerned of what Saddam did in there.  He wants to erase the trace of his own footprint.

Peace,

Mohamad Purqurian

May 24, 2004