Why does it matter how we treat our detainees? There are various reasons, but here is a key one that allies of the administration in particular need to consider:
An under-girding element of the war on terror, and specifically in the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan is that the spread of democratic values is a must for future peace and stability (and for US security). If so, then the way we behave in the war on terror matters greatly. It is more than just an issue of meting out harsh justice to murderous thugs.
How it is done matters to the overall policy goals. If we say that democracy and human rights are paramount (hence, the need to topple Saddam Hussein) and yet we eschew those notions when they are inconvenient, what are we saying to the rest of the world?
Uh, “democracy and human rights” were notably absent from the campaign to build support for the invasion of Iraq.
If there is an imminent threat of a mushroom cloud over NY (or Laramie or wherever), well, who cares about democracy and human rights?
Comment by Matthew Shugart (Guestblogger) — Tuesday, July 11, 2026 @ 3:32 pm
There was discussion of regime change linked to the notion that a democratized Middle East = a lessened threat of terrorism. The main argument was predicted on WMD, to be sure.
However, I specifically directed the comment above to Bush supporters at the moment who tend to subscribe to the idea that a goal at hand is democratization. If one believes that to be true (and it is something the administration currently argues) then it is inconsistent to think that the treatment of prisoners is irrelevant.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Tuesday, July 11, 2026 @ 3:37 pm
I hope you were not implying that every country that esches\ws court procedures in it’s treatment of enemies during wartime is somehow undemocratic.
Lots of Continentals would disagree with you over the years, though most of them would, of course condemn any failure on our part to legalize such proceedings - especially since with their courts they have blanket rights to hold criminals without a hearing for extended periods. That doesn’t per se make them undemocratic.
Neither does Mikhail Khodorovsky’s access to lawyers and legal process aplenty make his detention any less undemocratic.
Comment by Honza Prchal — Tuesday, July 11, 2026 @ 6:36 pm