Jack Bauer goes to Iraq

Iraq is going swimmingly. The New York Times reports that Iraqi forces, ostensibly trained by the U.S., are using torture to get answers out of suspected insurgents.

The U.S. captain, who was stationed where three detainees were beaten, said information led them houses that might be used by Al Qaeda cells and they (shock) got a confession out of him that he had planted roadside bombs that killed 4 U.S. soldiers.

U.S. leaders condemned the torture, though examples at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo may have set a precedent.

The tortures happened in the "thrasher" compound, located in part of Baghdad that still has sewage in the streets and a lack of electricity and clean water.

The surge policy was pitched as a way to provide security, but what use is security if you have to deficate in the street?

I've interviewed several veterans who've talked about making the necessary infrastructure. With the earnestness with which they desired to help the Iraqis, I have immense respect. But they built schools and bridges, and utilities only to have their work destroyed by bombs.

The Pentagon and Bush Administration wonder boys are putting in too little to late to create the security to maintain the efforts of our troops.

Generals in the winter of 2003 told the President, or his advisers, that the plan for the Iraq War was shortchanging the troops.

I was against the war from the start, but if we were going to do it, we should have listened then.

Give the troops enough support while Iraqis and U.S. Americans still thought there was a chance of winning the peace.

Now, Iraq is becoming a lost cause. And the "democracy" we were trying to instill was broken by an arrogant bunch of Neo-Cons. Neo-cons who have set a precedent for the Iraqi soldiers who torture.

Our "leaders" are showing that they are more like who they fear by each passing day.