Defending Saddam?

CRISIS Magazine - e-Letter

December 17, 2003

**********************************************

Dear Friend,

I'm sure everyone is happy that Saddam Hussein was finally captured.
It's just that some people have a strange way of showing it.

When the world saw images of a disheveled Saddam submitting
passively to a medical examination by a military doctor on Sunday,
the reaction was overwhelmingly joyous. The Iraqis were dancing in
the streets, celebrating the fact that Saddam would never threaten
them or their families again. Here at home, the feeling was much the
same -- relief that this near-inconceivably brutal tyrant had reached
the end of his reign of terror.

But for others, the images weren't cause for celebration. Instead,
they were an opportunity to criticize American foreign policy and the
handling of Saddam's capture.

Sound too far-fetched to be true? Just have a look at what Cardinal
Renato Martino, head of the Vatican's Justice and Peace department,
had to say about it: "I felt pity to see this man destroyed, [the
doctor] looking at his teeth as if he were a cow. They could have
spared us these pictures."

Not pictures of Saddam's mass graves, or torture chambers, or
mutilated subjects... No, the good Cardinal objected to pictures of
Saddam's dental exam.

Bear in mind that these images served a concrete purpose. For one,
it was important that Iraqis -- and people everywhere, really --
could see with their own eyes that the Americans had captured who
they said they'd captured. Especially for the Iraqis, seeing Saddam
without the trappings of his tyranny would help them shake their
long-held fear and dread of the man who haunted their lives. He
wasn't a threat to them anymore.

In addition, the footage showed clearly that Saddam was receiving
humane
treatment: Doctors were caring for his health, confirming that he
had not been injured or abused. Later images showed a washed and
shaven Saddam -- not the kind of treatment that the anti-American
camp would expect of us. It was important to document that treatment
publicly.

And yet Martino not only empathizes with Saddam but criticizes the
government's decision to release these images. Certainly it's
important to remember Saddam's humanity in the months ahead -- as
heinous as his crimes are, he is still a person with human dignity.
But can anyone really say that showing a picture of his dental exam
is somehow demeaning his humanity?

And why pick this moment, when the entire world is celebrating his
capture, to criticize those who caught him? Martino's comments
suggest more than just an opposition to the war but a reflexive bias
against America's actions... even her intentions.

It's important to remember that Cardinal Martino doesn't represent
the official opinion of the Vatican. He is NOT the mouthpiece of the
pope. So why is he so often quoted in the news? During the run-up to
the war with Iraq, even the Vatican -- who loudly denounced the war
-- felt the need to quiet him. It was no longer simply his anti-war
comments that were becoming problematic, but his anti-American stance
as well.

And because Martino has made himself so highly visible, his comments
regularly appear in the news and drown out those of Joaquin
Navarro-Valls, the official spokesman for the Vatican; the Vatican
Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano; and the new Secretary of
Relations with States, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo. It looks like
Martino is pushing his own agenda instead of stepping aside and
letting the appropriate officials in the Vatican speak for
themselves.

What's more, anti-life politicians have taken advantage of Martino's
outspokenness to make him appear to be "the voice of the Vatican" and
drive a wedge between the Catholic laity and true pro-life
politicians who may disagree with Martino's foreign policy. The
cardinal's comments aren't limited to the religious sphere; they
carry weight in the political world as well... without having the
benefit of true teaching authority behind them.

To protest that this despot had to endure a tongue depressor is,
frankly, just silly. The entire civilized world is rejoicing that
this genocidal murderer was peaceably captured -- the Iraqi Interim
Governing Council (IGC) praised the capture and called it a "huge
victory" for the entire human race. Why would Martino do any less?

He did say, "It's true that we should be happy that this arrest has
come about," but then immediately qualified that statement by
cautioning against future violence and saying that it wasn't a "total
solution to the problems of the Middle East."

But who on earth said it was?

Martino spent many years representing the Holy See at the United
Nations. His tenure of the U.N. mission was very successful --
especially in the defense of life in developing countries -- and made
him worthy of his present position.

But the plain fact is Martino's comments make him appear insensitive
to the boon this capture represents for the Iraqi people. Rather than
criticizing the U.S. military for airing 30 seconds of Saddam's early
detainment, he would have been better off expressing his sincere,
unqualified wish that this capture will be the start of a path to
peace and justice for Iraq.

Peace and justice... isn't that, after all, Martino's department?

Talk to you soon,

Deal


******* WHAT REALLY CAUSED THE CRISIS IN THE CHURCH? *******

Sex abuse scandals... irreverent liturgies... homosexuality in the
seminaries... liberal theology preached from the pulpit...

You know all about the crisis in the Church. But you've never heard
the full story. When did the collapse in the Church occur... and what
REALLY caused it?

Fr. Benedict Groeschel knows. He was there when it happened... 10
years BEFORE Vatican II.

What he saw will surprise you.

Click here to learn more:

http://www.crisismagazine.com/products.htm

[Cut and paste into your browser if the link isn't active]

*************************************************************

To subscribe to the FREE CRISIS Magazine e-Letter, and get the
latest news, views, and responses to current issues, send an e-mail
to e-letter@crisismagazine.com and write "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject
line.

**************************************************************

To learn more about CRISIS Magazine, visit
http://www.crisismagazine.com/subscribe.htm

**************************************************************

If you no longer wish to receive the CRISIS e-Letter, please send an
e-mail to mail@crisismagazine.com and write "CANCEL" in the subject
line.

**************************************************************

To change your e-mail address, please send an e-mail to
mail@crisismagazine.com with "ADDRESS CHANGE" in the subject line.
Please make sure to tell us your old and new e-mail addresses, so we
can make the change.

**************************************************************

Please forward this letter to anyone you think might benefit from
it.