Posted on March 29, 2007
Nine men — five Iraqis and four Afghans — were endlessly tortured by being stabbed, shocked, burned, sexually humiliated, suspended by chains, deprived of sleep and attacked by dogs. The abused were at the mercy of only a handful of individuals: top military officials and, hardly surprisingly, former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
One has to wonder what horrendous acts these men committed to deserve such treatment. The answer is: nothing. These nine men were guiltless of committing any crimes against the United States. People are still raising their eyebrows, wondering just why these foreigners were arrested and detained in the first place. No one quite knows, but the fact still remains that these prisoners are innocent.
Rumsfeld was acquitted from charges brought against him with a mere apology, and didn’t receive as much as a slap on the wrist for these questionable actions. This is astounding, considering Rumsfeld’s exhaustive history of power perversion. The finger has been pointed at him for his missile-happy tendencies, turning the other cheek on bin Laden, bluffing the American public on Iraq happenings, and mistaken classifications of foreign prisoners. Apparently he took the last too far.
The case was brought to court by two human rights groups, Human Rights First and the American Civil Liberties Union. It’s highly admirable that such organizations would finally blow the whistle on a distinguished official.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan blatantly threw out the lawsuit brought against Rumsfeld. According to the Washington Post, Hogan said Rumsfeld “cannot be held personally responsible for actions taken in connection with his government job.” We find it difficult to believe that the defense secretary’s job description included disregarding the rights of the guiltless while ignoring the illegality of interrogation tactics. Hogan also ruled that allowing Rumsfeld to be prosecuted would open the doors for other lawsuits against government officials. And there is a great guest list of officials that could be invited through the doors of the Supreme Court.
This atrocity should not be excused or dismissed. Federal officials, no matter how prominent or seemingly respectable, should be held responsible for their actions, especially when the rights of human beings are encroached upon. If Rumsfeld can’t be held responsible, who should be responsible for this wanton abuse of power?
Courts are not valuable for calling the actions of government officials into question, because apparently officials are exempt from public allegations brought against them. Furthermore, this ruling is not only ignoring freedoms bestowed upon men by our Constitution, but flagrantly parades over rights that should be granted to all human beings — regardless of race, ethnicity or sex. Citizens who don’t enjoy the plush perks of American citizenship aren’t usually afforded U.S. constitutional rights. But most constitutional rights are tantamount to universal human freedoms, and should be afforded to all.
The acquittal of this heinous case is a perfect reflection of how blemished the face of the U.S. judiciary system has become. The reality is that the American judicial system is not above anyone or anything, no matter how tightly it holds to the reins of its high horse. The system certainly should not be above the guarantee natural and unalienable rights.
