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Gifts for all occasions in the Galleria! The "What is the Deal?" Deal-of-the-Week: Netflix DVD Rentals. NO LATE FEES; 40,000+ titles. Try for FREE! May 22, 2005 Emperor Has No Clothes By Jan A. Larson Last week, The Sun, a British tabloid, published a front-page photo of imprisoned former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in his underwear. Predictably, this became news and just as predictably, there were howls of protest that Saddam's rights were violated and that the photos would further inflame anti-U.S. sentiment in the Middle East. A USA Today report on the incident suggested that the release of the photos "... were certain to offend Arab sensibilities and heap more scorn on an American image already tarnished ... ." By contrast, a Fox News report indicated that The Sun said that the unidentified U. S. military official that provided the photos had hoped their release would deal a "body blow" to the Iraqi insurgency. What seems most likely? Insurgents, already committed to killing anyone that doesn't share their radical view of the world are suddenly going to become even more outraged at the United States or the insurgents are going to put down their guns and bombs and sit in a corner and cry like a three-year-old because of an embarrassing photo of a ruthless ex-dictator? The Sun spokesperson that came up with that whopper needs to be institutionalized. While the release of photographs of detainees goes against U. S. military guidelines and may be violations of the Geneva Conventions, it is quite unlikely that a single photo would be the last straw for anyone who is not already opposed to everything the U.S. does in the region. As President Bush commented, "I don't think a photo inspires murderers. These people are motivated by a vision of the world that is backward and barbaric." Unlike the phony Newsweek account of the desecration of the Koran that inspired rioting and killing in Afghanistan, the photo of Saddam seems to have gotten mixed reviews in the Arab world. The USA Today story quoted a few that were outraged including Jordanian salesman, Rawad Nasr, who said the photos were "shocking" and "an insult to human beings." One can only wonder what Mr. Nasr had to say about the photos of the beheadings of Nicholas Berg and others at the hands of the "insurgents." On the other hand, in Bahrain, 21-year-old Ali Yousef said, "I don't care about Saddam, he was a ruthless dictator and he deserves worse." No doubt that the reaction to this story depends on one's perspective. The Arab television network Al-Jazeera, not widely regarded for an objective view of world events, did not show the photos, for "ethical and professional reasons," according to the Fox story. Spokesman Jihad Ballout said, "The photo was demeaning to Iraqis." There is perspective for you. Al-Jazeera won't show any photo that may be "demeaning" to Iraqis, but they certainly don't have a problem showing footage of beheadings. The bottom line to this story? It all depends on your perspective. Someone decided to make news by releasing photographs that shouldn't have been released, certainly not knowing what the world reaction would be. The Sun used them to boost sales. Those that oppose the U. S. actions and presence in Iraq denounced them. Those that are glad Saddam is out of power got a laugh. I, for one, don't really care one way or the other. At the very least, we now know that the answer is "briefs." -- Send feedback to the author. The "What is the Deal?" column will appears weekly on the Pie of Knowledge website. Guest submissions are welcome and encouraged. To submit an article to "What is the Deal?" click here. To subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list and receive early notification when a new column is available, click here. The Pie of Knowledge will never, ever divulge email addresses to any third party for any reason unless so ordered by a court of law. Contributions to the Pie of Knowledge are greatly appreciated. 
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