Too Much Arrogance

Much is being made of the American withdrawal from Iraq, as if it was some kind of victory. Nothing is farther from the truth. But, the point should be made that one of the reasons that the U.S. is doing it is the fact that the Iraqi government refused to grant immunity from prosecution to the American military. You see, this is a condition for the U.S. troops to stay in a country: no matter what crimes they commit, they can't be judged by that country's legal system. Of course, this leads to widespread abuses and, ultimately, impunity. The U.S. chooses who to investigate and prosecute. As the old "Church Lady" from Saturday Night Live used to say: "How convenient!"

As usual, all this talk about the U.S. standing for the rule of law is bullshit. The rule of law is only valid if it suits American purposes. Even a country such as Iraq, with all its faults and problems, found it too hard to swallow the U.S. outrageous and shameful condition for its continued presence.

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