What Complicity in Iraq's Chemical-Weapons Use Says About America

[Ben]

What Complicity in Iraq's Chemical-Weapons Use Says About America:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/08/what-complicity-in-iraqs-chemical-weapons-use-says-about-america/279019/

[Ben]

Exclusive: CIA Files Prove America Helped Saddam as He Gassed Iran: (http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/08/25/secret_cia_files_prove_america_helped_saddam_as_he _gassed_iran)

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/08/25/secret_cia_files_prove_america_helped_saddam_as_he _gassed_iran?page=full

[Ben]

And finally from the Young Turks:

Why Do Some Countries Hate America? - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uz0NOCxN_Y)

[Ben]

Quoting from the first article -- and why an independent and free press is absolutely vital: "Not that Americans are "terrible people," as one commenter put it, or that President Reagan and the folks in his administration were terrible people. The lesson to be drawn from this historical episode, as from so many others, is that U.S. leaders do in secret things they'd never do openly. With great power and the cloak of secrecy, the temptation to act immorally proves irresistible."
The role of the press isn't to be cheerleaders for those in positions of power... but to be adversarial to those in power. That's the role of a journalist.
Take a look at Dan Rather:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJhAl8gT1sk

[Prospero]

Good stuff Ben. We turned a blind eye on Egypt too when it used gas in the Yemen in the 1960s.

[broncofan]

It is an interesting history to know in its own right Ben. But let me ask you.

If previous American administrations supported a regime that used gas, do subsequent administrations no longer have standing to oppose its use?

If Truman dropped an atom bomb on Hiroshima (he did) does Obama not have the right to oppose the use of nuclear weapons?

If the United States assisted the mujahideen in Afghanistan, have we no right to object when thousands of our civilians are killed by Al Qaeda?

The first problem with this inference is that we have different decision-makers. The second problem is that even an individual should not be prevented from doing the right thing because they previously did the wrong thing.

None of the articles make these previous points explicit, but this history is usually meant to point out our hypocrisy or question our motives when opposing violence.

[Ben]

CIA helped Iraq use chemical weapons on Iran:

CIA helped Iraq use chemical weapons on Iran - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk35suofbYQ)