I tried to rebuild US reputation after Abu Ghraib scandal. It’s happening again | Opinion
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is currently sitting in The Hague awaiting his war crimes trial. The charge is crimes against humanity, resulting from his approval of extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers. The reason he is in legal trouble: He didn’t want to wait for the judicial system. Sound familiar?
How is this any different from the actions of the Donald Trump-Pete Hegseth duo? You may say, “Ah, but those pesky Venezuelans were enemy combatants.” Really? Has Venezuela attacked us? Has Congress declared war? Were these boats armed? I’ve heard zero evidence of it. Were these boat people enemy military? Nope, every report says they were civilians. “Ah, who cares, they’re saving American lives by bombing drug boats.” With that approach, we are clearly heading toward Duterte territory.
Maybe it’s just too difficult to seize these little boats. Apparently not — we just seized a giant oil taker in the same waters. It is becoming obvious the only explanation for bombing little boats is that Trump and Hegseth are enjoying playing tough guy.
I’m a retired Missouri prosecutor. I believe in the rule of law and sanctity of our judicial system. There are no shortcuts to justice.
I’m also a retired American diplomat who served in both Iraq and Kosovo. I worked closely with the host governments trying to teach them the value of independent prosecutors and courts as essential for national security. There are no shortcuts.
In Iraq, I inherited the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, where our military was found to be torturing prisoners. I led the effort to rebuild America’s reputation for fairness and moral clarity. It was an impossible task, and our country is still paying the price 22 years later. Just as memories are beginning to fade (and young people don’t even know about it), we are right back where we were.
Missouri’s congressional delegation should debate a declaration of war resolution. If members of this presidential administration thinks their actions are moral and legal, prove it. Until then, we are stuck living in a country that tells the world: “Do as we say, but not as we do”.
It’s Abu Ghraib all over again. Only this time, people are dying.
Stephen R. Hemphill was a senior adviser for justice at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 2004 to 2005. He lives in Liberty