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t r u t h o u t | images of war
The Al Jazeera Images of US POW's
Sunday 23 March 2003
There is no suitable measurement for the horror we at truthout.org felt upon viewing these photographs. We have seen a great many wretched things come to pass in the last two years, but little of that - perhaps only 9/11 itself - can rival the woe brought by these images. These are our American children, our sons and daughters, lost in a conflict far from home. The editors and writers of this publication have stood, since the first rumbles of war were heard this past summer, staunchly against an attack on Iraq. Our reasons are myriad, and have been carefully and meticulously detailed on these pages. Manifest among our reasons was a dread that images such at these would become all too common.
There are few areas of service to America more honorable than that of military service. Our sons and daughters step to the line and take their oath because they believe their nation to be the best on earth. Implicit in that oath, however, is a leap of faith on the part of these troops. They trust that they will not be used, that their lives will not be spent, in actions and wars that do not merit the shedding of their blood. They trust their leaders when they put on the uniform. In this matter of war on Iraq, that trust has been betrayed, and these children of ours have paid the highest price for that betrayal.
We take no joy from showing these images. We mean absolutely no disrespect to the brave soldiers who have lost their lives, to their families and friends, and to those who continue to fight. We honor them in our souls, and thank them for their sacrifice and trust. At the end of the day, however, we are an information service. These pictures vividly demonstrate the cost of war in Iraq upon our beloved children. If you would know what war is, what this war has become, then you must look and understand.
May God be with these men and women, and with their families, and with us all.
To view the images click here.
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