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Don’t rake up old wounds

Of course, the News of the World was right in publishing those rather disturbing pictures. The media has a duty to report everything that happens in a war and must present both sides of a story as objectively as possible. However, it must be pointed out that the pictures published by the British tabloid are at least two year old. The abuse and violence captured in those video stills is said to have taken place in 2004. Unfortunate and inexcusable as those excesses had been, it’s rather late in the day to highlight them now. Besides, it was an isolated incident. Over all, the record of British troops in Iraq has been good and largely free from controversies.

Basra, the most important city in the country’s South that has been administered and run by the British forces, has largely been peaceful thanks to a tolerant approach by the UK troops. Unlike other parts of Iraq, the southern city has witnessed no major resistance or violence in the past three years of the occupation. In fact, Basra is the only city where there is relative peace and security even as the rest of the country reels under unremitting violence and chaos. Obviously, this has been possible only thanks to the harmonising and constructive role played by the British troops. So it would be unfair to condemn them all now for the sins of some of their comrades. Of course, mistakes have been made by the British troops just as they have been by the US forces but their positive contribution outweighs their shortcomings.

It may, therefore, be in everyone’s interest to close this chapter now. This happened long ago and there’s no point in raising it now. This could only rake up old wounds of the Iraqi people. Instead of trying to revive the ghosts of the past, both the Iraqis and the occupation forces need to focus on the formidable task at hand. That is, the rebuilding of Iraq and restoring peace and order in the war-ravaged country. It is time to look forward, not backward.