Iraq images jolt Chile to count victims of anti-communist torture

[dArKeR]

By Louise Egan
REUTERS , SANTIAGO

Pictures of US soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners jogged memories of Chilean victims of ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet at a time when thousands were telling their own accounts of torture to a new government commission for the first time.

"What they did to those prisoners is exactly the same as what they did to us. The hood over the head, electric shocks, rape of men and women, sleep deprivation, total humiliation at every level," said Carmen Gloria Diaz, a former political prisoner, referring to photographs that shocked the world of US soldiers laughing as they mistreated captives in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.

Estimates of the number of people tortured in Pinochet's anti-communist purges between 1973 and 1990 range from 50,000 to 400,000. Stories abound of survivors bumping into their tormentors in the grocery store or in elevators and there are dozens of lawsuits against torturers but otherwise little public fuss is made over the issue.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/06/18/2003175559

[myopic4141]

1. It is time for complacency to be shucked.

It is not Chilean complacency that needs to be awakened; but, American complacency. Where is the outrage against Senator Inhofe's outrage that there is greater outrage against those who committed the atrocities in our name than those who would have committed the atrocities under Saddam's name. Are we not suppose to be more than just better than the Saddam Hussein's of the world. Where is the outrage against our leadership who believe that it is the American way to treat inhumanly any one on any level. To deny one and all the rights they claim are given by God. As civilized as our leaders claim to be, they act no better than the animals they claim they are better than; yet, even animals do not torture or abuse their foes let alone their kind. This nation was billed as a nation that protects the innocent. Now, thanks to Shrubby, this nation has now become known as a danger to the innocent rather than the protector. The ugly American has taken on the many faces within the of Administrations creating a stench that has seeped from the powers of government down to the people. Once the misdeeds of those in government were disassociated from the people, now all are considered tainted by the acts of those from above. It is time to let the true outrage be felt.

[Dirk39]

2. They can count the victims anytime...

...what about doing something to support Chavez right now. He isn't as naive as Allende was, but it's still possible that the Rulers in the USA and their CIA will commit the same kinds of crimes and terrorist acts again, if not worse.
Support Chavez now. After "Mission Accomplished" they don't care about the victims or those,who remember, anyway.
Tell the truth now, instead of counting the victims in 2026.
I don't want my heroes to die, I don't even have any heroes. I don't want to see people, who offer milk to the children and get slaughtered in response. I want them to fight back and send those US-Criminals, those European and American corporations to hell. And I want them to destroy terrorist organisations like the CIA.
I'm so tired of all these lies, and I don't care, if Ketchup-Kerry or Haliburton-Bush leads those criminals and terrorists and drug-dealers.

Hello from Germany,
Dirk