Break 'Em Out!

I haven't seen any TV news today, so I don't know how prominently this story has played, but to me it seemed underplayed on internet news sites. British forces in Basra conducted a jail break. Literally. They broke right through the wall. Does anyone else find this whole episode disturbing? It raises some serious questions, to say the least.

1. What constructive undercover operation were the two British troops conducting by firing on civilians and police? Is that a way to prove that you have the Iraqis' best interests at heart? Are bullets a suitable substitute for flowers and candy?

2. Under what "rule of law" is the armed invasion of an ally's civilian police station and jail acceptable? That's a fine example the British are setting for a fledgling democracy. I thought the coalition wasn't at war with the Iraqis. There is an agreement by which coalition troops detained in Iraqi police custody are to be turned over to coalition authorities - a new twist on diplomatic immunity. But according to the article, the jailbreak was ordered within three hours of the British command being informed of the arrest and detainment. Well, if it's okay to rush into an invasion of a country, then a rush to demolish a police facility is small potatoes. Never mind the fact that the arrestees were no longer at that facility when the cavalry arrived, and that information could have been found out BEFORE the demolition instead of afterward. (Hmm, there's a WMD analogy in there somewhere.) Meanwhile, that operation allowed hundreds of other potentially dangerous prisoners to go free. Brilliant.

3. Why were the detained troops handed over to Shiite militia? Is there some kind of collusion going on between Iraqi police and insurgent forces? Was this a case of betrayal, corruption or both? That's a little unsettling, don't you think?

4. Will the two undercover troops be brought to justice by their own military for their criminal activity? (Yeah right.)

This is a debacle, pure and simple. When you engage in the type of activity you wouldn't tolerate from anyone else, on foreign soil, you aren't going to make many friends. This will put a strain on Iraqi-British relations, and force the U.S. to pick a side, i.e. side with Britain, and further alienate the victims of this latest atrocity. That'll show those insurgents.

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I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the passing of Simon Wiesenthal earlier today in Vienna at the age of 96. It is impossible to overstate how important Mr. Wiesenthal was, and not just for the Jewish population. He exemplified justice and humanity like nobody else ever could. In spite of his horrific experiences in 12 different Nazi concentration camps, and the loss of 89 members of his family, his deeds were never motivated by anger or bitterness. "I am someone who seeks justice, not revenge," Wiesenthal said. "My work is a warning to the murderers of tomorrow, that they will never rest." Now it is he who may rest, but his work must not.