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1、LondonReviewofBooksJune3,2004BetweenTwoDeaths:TheCultureofTortureBySlavojZizekDoesanyonestillremember'ComicalAli',Saddam'sinformationministerMohammedSaeedal-Sahaf,who,inhisdailypressconferences,heroicallystucktotheIraqilineinthefaceofthemostglaringevidence?(H
2、ewasstillclaimingthatTVfootageofUStanksonthestreetsofBaghdadwerejustHollywoodspecialeffectswhenthetankswereonlyafewhundredyardsfromhisoffice.)Hedidn'talwaysfailtomakesense,however.ConfrontedwithclaimsthattheUSarmywasalreadyincontrolofpartsofBaghdad,hesnappedb
3、ack:'Theyarenotincontrolofanything-theydon'tevencontrolthemselves!'Iwasremindedofthatwhennewsoftheweirdgoings-onintheAbuGhraibprisonbrokeafewweeksago.GeorgeW.BushwasunderstandablykeentohaveusunderstandthatthephotographsofIraqiprisonersbeingtorturedandhumiliat
4、edbyUSsoldiersdidnotreflectwhatAmericastandsandfightsfor:thevaluesofdemocracy,freedomandpersonaldignity.Thatthecaseturnedintoapublicscandalwas,insomeways,apositivesign:inatruly'totalitarian'regime,itwouldhavebeenhushedup.(Inthesameway,itisapositivesignthatUSf
5、orcesdidnotfindanyweaponsofmassdestructioninIraq:atrulytotalitarianpowerwouldhavebehavedlikeabadcopwhoplantsdrugsthen'discovers'evidenceofthecrime.)However,althoughthephotographswereonlymadepublicattheendofApril,theInternationalRedCrosshadbeensendingtheUSandU
6、KauthoritiesreportsofabusesinmilitaryprisonsinIraqformonths,andthereportswereignored.Itwasn'tthattheauthoritiesweren'tgettinganysignalsaboutwhatwasgoingon:theysimplyadmittedthecrimeonlywhen(andbecause)theywerefacedwithitsdisclosureinthemedia.Theimmediatereact
7、ionofUSarmycommandtothephotographswassurprising,tosaytheleast:theirexplanationwasthatthesoldiershadn'tbeenproperlytaughttheGenevaConventionconcerningthetreatmentofprisonersofwar.Nowadays,itseems,soldierhavetobetaughtnottohumiliateandtortureprisoners.Thecontra
8、stbetweenwhathappenedlatterlyatAbuGhraibandthe'standard'wayprisonersweretorturedduringSaddam'sregimeisstriking.Insteadofthedirect,brutalinflictionofpain,theUSsoldiersfocusedonpsychologica
