Iraq President Won't Destroy Abu Ghraib Prison

[Barrett808]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Interim Iraqi President Ghazi Yawar on Sunday said he had no plans to destroy the Abu Ghraib prison despite an offer by President Bush to tear down the jail where U.S. troops abused inmates.

Asked if he would tear down the prison, Yawar told ABC's "This Week," "No. Why? It's a prison that we spent more than $100 million building."

He acknowledged the prison was a symbol of the repressive regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but said it would be unwise and reactionary to destroy all such symbols, given the high cost of rebuilding Iraq.

"We need every single dollar we have in order to rebuild our country instead of demolishing and rebuilding," he said.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040613/ts_nm/iraq_usa_prison_dc&cid=564&ncid=1480

[mhr]

1. Suggested Poster

With the continuing revelations about Abu Ghraib, we need a poster highlighting Rush Limbaugh's comments about the US torture that occurred there. Remember that he said ON THE AIR that this was only "fraternity hazing."

The idea is simple, a picture with Rush in the center, at the top "Pledge IAG" (in Greek letters for Iraq Abu Ghraib), at the bottom "Rush's Favorite Fraternity" or some such.

There is no doubt that the creative types here can photo shop a nice poster around this idea.

Let's make Rush eat his words.

[Tellurian]

3. good idea.. and send him a one way ticket to Abu Ghraib!

he can do a live show from there and get a tan at the same time.

[skip fox]

2. "Full sovereignty means full sovereignty except, well, where maybe

it doesn't." G. W. Bush, from _Essential Quotes_ (i.e., not actual, but the gist of what he is saying).

[Canuckistanian]

4. Good for him.

Shrub wants to see it torn down because it will be become a symbol of US repression.
Amnesty International also wants to keep it up for evidence of crimes comitted within it's walls, both in Saddam's time and the US's.
It look like Yawar is a pragmatist, too, already thinking about important issues to Iraqis.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. First good news I have heard from Iraq in a while

This guy won't last. He has too much sense. I have no doubt that shadowy masked men will somehow breach his security and gun him down.

[Miss Authoritiva]

6. Is that US dollars?

"It's a prison that we spent more than $100 million building."

Okay, so don't tear it down. But with some nice landscaping and clever retrofitting, it could be used for some other purpose.

[hlthe2b]

7. Good.... This was so stupid and simply meant to buy Bush* cover

SOme early suggestions of Iraqi plans to stand up to the Bush bots?