These are the photos shown on the US program 60 Minutes, ard mhaca. The photos that ARE being shown around the world, and that have triggered investigations now by th US Congress.

To suggest that anyone who cares about this issue is just engaging in "manipulative crap" is way beyond the pale of reasonableness. This is a widening scandal here in the US, the Bush administration is being challenged for covering it up...and as Ted Kennedy said as he walked out of the closed door briefing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, we have only seen the tip of the iceberg on this.

But as you point out, some will always attack the messenger, as a way to try and discredit/deflect/deny the message.

You are also absolutely correct to say all armies of occupation engage in these practices, and the US military is no different, despite what the former US military Mudcat members say. Of course Vietnam vets here want to deny that there is an in-built component of evil in the culture of military. Because if they don't deny it, they would have to admit to themselves and those whose respect they want to keep, that it is the ability to dance with evil that attracted them to the military to begin with.