Through the Looking Glass

From the surreal world of the Iraq war, one of those headlines that can cause a double take: “U.S., Citing Abuse in Iraqi Prisons, Holds Detainees”. US officials informed the New York Times this week that they refuse to hand prisoners or control of detention centers over to the Iraqi forces, citing recent allegations of torture and mistreatment of detainees in Iraqi-run jails. After events at Abu Ghraib the US is desperate to avoid another such scandal, even one committed by its proxies. Quite apart from the sheer hypocrisy of the claim, this situation reveals the irresolvable paradox of the Iraqi occupation. There is an inevitable tension between the needs of Iraqis trying to rebuild their state, and the US occupation that will always respond first and foremost to the audience back home.