No Korans Were Harmed in the Making of this Movie

Peter Lee

May 17, 2005

I just know the CIA has special Koran protection teams at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib.

When they hear a scream coming from a cell, they rush in and make sure the Holy Book is not getting splashed with blood, shit, or spittle, torn by dogs, ejaculated on, crushed under a human dogpile, or violated with a chemical lightstick, while interrogators race against time to protect our soldiers and innocent citizens from the obscene, world-destroying threat of Islamo-fascism.

And I’m positive that, when President Bush talks the war on terror with his national security team, he begins by insisting, First tell me the Korans are alright.

Considering that our Attorney General wanted to define pain short of that experienced at organ death classified as acceptable interrogation practice, it stretches credulity that we refuse to rip up a few books in order to get the intel that might nail bin-Laden or prevent another 9/11.

Common sense aside, there are the awkward facts as usefully collected by Dailykos concerning prior reports of Koran desecration at Gitmo in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Human Rights Watch reports.

Then there’s circumstantial evidence reported by Juan Cole , supporting the thesis that our interrogation practices build on the techniques and scenarios — including Bible desecration — used to train our special ops guys to resist torture when captured.

"I'm a former US (military officer), and had the 'pleasure' of attending SERE school — Search, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape.

The course I attended . . . [had] a mock POW camp, where we had a chance to be prisoners for 2-3 days. The camp is also used as a training tool for CI (counter-intelligence), interrogators, etc for those running the camp.

One of the most memorable parts of the camp experience was when one of the camp leaders trashed a Bible on the ground, kicking it around, etc. It was a crushing blow, even though this was just a school.

I have no doubt the stories about trashing the Koran are true.

I'm sure you must also realize that Gitmo must be being used as a "laboratory" for all these psychological manipulation techniques by the CI guys.

Count on it. The Koran’s having a tough time at Gitmo.

But the printed word’s having a tough time all around.

And I’m not just talking about Newsweek being forced into one of those Stalin show-trial type recantations.

The GOP has labored heroically to redefine the media as “just another interest group” instead of a Constitutionally-protected institution that protects and serves the public’s right to know.

And Big Media is doing its best to oblige, having apparently decided that, when the chips are down, it’s their job to pander gutlessly for the sake of their stockholders.

Now it seems there are a lot of people who think the truth doesn’t set you free…it just makes life extremely unpleasant. We’ve caused so much pain and suffering in the world, the best solution is to keep guilty knowledge at the water’s edge.

That’s the real significance of American information management in the terror age.

Our ability to deny reality is our last line of defense against the ugly truths that are devouring the rest of the world.

It’s our job as journalists and citizens to overcome our stage fright, questions about our motivation, and doubts about the script in order to distract and reassure our fellow Americans with a good, uplifting show.

In the movie we’re trying to make, all good Americans are united in support of the government and its policies, our troubles all spring from other people’s evil, ignorance, and error…

…our way of life is secure…

…and every Koran is safe.

Peter Lee is the creator of the anti-war satire and commentary website Halcyon Days. He can be reached at peter@halcyondays.info.

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