[Peace-discuss] War secretary

[C. G. Estabrook]

[For your delectation, here's some of what the person who presides over
our torture regime (see today's NYT for more) had to say to a secure,
military audience today.  --CGE]


Following is a transcription of the secretary of defense's remarks in
Baghdad, as provided by Federal News Service.

... We had a meeting earlier this week, I think it was on Monday, with
President Bush. And we told him that we were thinking about coming out
here because we wanted to have a chance to look you folks in the eye and
tell you how proud we are and what a wonderful job you folks are doing.
(Applause; cheers of "hoo-ah.")

... In recent days there's been a focus on a few who have betrayed our
valued and -- values and sullied the reputation of our country. Like each
of you I'm sure, and like most Americans, I was stunned. It was a body
blow. And with six or seven investigations under way and a country that
has values and a military justice system that has values, we know that
those involved, whoever they are, will be brought to justice... [Thank
goodness it wasn't a systemic problem --CGE]

You know, the American men and women in uniform over the decades, they
helped to defeat Germany and Japan in World War II and then helped to
rebuild them; they've helped with the folks in Bosnia and Kosovo, and some
of you have undoubtedly been involved in that; they're currently helping
people in Liberia and in Haiti [sic] ... I've stopped reading the
newspapers. (Laughter, cheers, applause.)

It's a fact: I'm a survivor. (Cheers, applause.)

And instead, I've been reading a book about Ulysses S. Grant and the Civil
War...

There were questions -- honest questions -- by the politicians, by the
editorial writers, by the families. Can we win? Is it worth it? Those are
big questions. And you could see that the back and forth and the heartfelt
concern and the questions and the unbelievable criticism of Abraham
Lincoln, and indeed the criticism of generals on both sides -- but they
were steadfast. And those veterans, when they looked back on that conflict
and saw a nation that was together, a single nation, a union, they knew
they had been part of something really big. And it had been worth it.

...It's not going to be an easy path from a repressive dictatorship to a
stable, prosperous, successful country that respects all of the various
religious and ethnic groups, that's at peace with its neighbors, that
understands what human rights are... [Reflexivity alert --CGE]