On January 9-13, a first-ever international delegation of former prisoners,
families of current prisoners, US lawyers and human rights activists will travel
to hold a conference on prison abuses and march to the Cuban-side security gate
of the US Naval Base to call for the closure of the illegal prison. The protest
in Cuba is part of the January 11 International Day to Shut Down Guantanamo, the
day that marks the 5-year anniversary of the first prisoners being sent to
Guantanamo.
Cindy Sheehan is included in the list of participants.
The position of this blog is that Ms. Sheehan needs to go to Iraq, not Cuba, if she is to achieve her objective of ending the war in Iraq. Let's say the group going to Cuba is successful in closing the terrorist prison at Guantanamo. How is that going to shorten the war in Iraq? The prison issue is peripheral to the main issue, which is the fighting in Iraq.
Cuba is the wrong choice for Ms. Sheehan. If she goes to Cuba, she will be falling off message and wasting her time. She needs to go to Iraq and speak to Iraqi leaders about peace and reconciliation with a passion and conviction that can only come from a mother who has lost her son.
The Bush administration should help her go there and arrange the meetings for her.
3 comments:
Tim, at the very end of CNN's January 3, 2007 Ambush at the River of Secrets, about the death of four soldiers in Iraq, the mother of one of the sons says:
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, 40 years from now, what will this -- this turn out to be? Maybe Iraq will be a prosperous, free country.We, just looking at the now, but I'm looking way ahead years from now. I'm looking at the point when someday an Iraqi person will come up and shake my hand and say thank you. Thank you, that you gave your son. And I'll say it was a privilege. And I don't regret it.
For me, her words are more meaningful than anything Cindy Sheehan has said.
John,
We agree. What Cindy Sheehan has said and done until now has not been helpful in ending the war and bringing about the prosperous Iraq referred to in your comment. Someone needs to talk to Iraqi leaders about peace. Our diplomats have tried, but clearly they have limitations. I believe that someone such as Ms. Sheehan, an American mother who has suffered painful personal loss might have a chance.
Cindy Sheehan is in the wrong place saying the wrong things to achieve her stated goal of bringing the troops home. She needs to be in Iraq speaking about peace.
Folks, I don't think Cindy is the person for you. That "unidentified female" in the transcript is Vicki Strong, Sgt. Jesse Strong's mother. You need that kind of strength and vision and depth of character to even begin to make a real difference. I know because I've stood beside her at memorials, just as my son was at Jesse's side when they were hit. We have shared the grief and the vision, and we still believe.
Semper Fidelis,
Karl's Dad
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