Civilian casualties
: Denton has his dander up over Arab press “hysteria” over 15 reported civilian casualties in a Baghdad market (though it’s still not clear whether those deaths came from a U.S. missile or Iraqi anti-aircraft what-goes-up-must-come-down incidents):
Hell, 15 dead: that’s a quiet day in the Arab world. Even imagining the United States was targeting civilians, its efforts are laughable compared with Saddam — 5,000 dead in the chemical attack on Halabja in one day — or Assad — 30,000 shelled to death in Hama — or pretty much any other Arab ruler. Arab governments — and their press and public — should first practice moral judgment on themselves and eachother, before turning their outrage on the United States. And, before they complain about a new hectoring colonialism, they should first show they’re capable of governing themselves by some means other than torture and massacre.
