While I've been out of pocket for several days there's been much going on in the world. The continuing Iraqi prison scandal has been, in my opinion, overshadowed by the execution of Nick Berg by al Qaida.
I do not think the two are connected in the way it has been described. I think al Qaida watched with interest the response in the American body politic to the prison abuse scandal, the division, the infighting, the accusations, and saw an opportunity to attempt to further divide by providing an atrocity they thought would really get our politicians going.
While I'm angry that the prison scandal continues to dominate headlines while the Berg atrocity has effectively been relegated to the back pages, if at all, in a way I'm glad that has happened.
Were our politicians and media to react with the same or more vehemence to the Berg beheading as they are to the prison abuse scandal, I think al Qaida would be encouraged to proceed with more of the same in a pointed attempt to disrupt and effect our political system.

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