[PornoDoggy]

Anyone who resorts to calling someone a socialist because they oppose the war in Iraq is on really shakey fucking ground criticizing anyone's rhetoric.

The fact that an Iraqi has been put into detention does not mean he is a terrorist.
How many thousands of people has the U.S. released with no further action after detaining them for months - and in the case of Gitmo, years? Do you think they are doing that because they are nice guys, because they are soft on terrorists - or because they can't prove anything even under the less-strict requirements of military tribunals?

Nobody with any sense is arguing that the military needs to act like the cops, get warrants, have probable cause, yada-yada-yada, in order to detain someone. This is a combat operation, after all. Deciding to detain really is a "grab em all and let God (or higher authority) sort them out."

I am saying is that the United States has long had standards for treatment of detainees. My reasons for not wanting those standards weakened has everything to do with tactics and long-term goals, and has nothing whatsoever to do with sympathy for terrorists or concern for innocent Iraqis.

It has a everything to do with the poor dumb son-of-a-bitches* on the ground in Iraq - OUR poor dumb son-of-a-bitches. Remember them? They are the ones who are going to have to face these guys for the next couple years, since the Iraqi faux Army certainly won't be able to do it. There is enough fuel on the fire (and weapons left laying about for the taking on account of fighting with a piss-poor but politically expedient battle plan) already - no point in adding more.

(* Timon, before you get your panties in a knot and throw a hissy-fit, I'm paraphrasing that noted American leftist, General George Patton).