WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will seek to deflect growing European pressure over allegations that the CIA has been running secret prisons in the region on a trip to the continent next week.

Faced with European demands that the United States explain a newspaper report that secret detention centers to interrogate terrorism suspects were located in two unnamed east European countries, Rice intends to remind the Europeans that they are in a joint fight against an enemy that she says obeys no laws. . . .

"This is a struggle that all free countries, including the countries of Europe, share with us: how to deal with groups of people, individuals, that respect no law, that wear no uniform, that follow no regulations."

Do they respect no law?

Terrorists--Check

Americans--Check (i.e. secret, illegal torture prisons)

Do they follow no regulations?

Terrorists--Check

Americans--Check (i.e. secret, illegal torture prisons)

Do they wear a uniform?

Terrorists-No

Americans--Check

Right, so, as we can logically deduce, if the terrorists began to wear uniforms, then they, too could break the law.  And do stuff, like, for example, set up secret, illegal torture prisons.  On the other hand, people from the U.S. do wear uniforms, so it's just peachy if they respect no law and follow no regulations.  Thanks for clearing that up.  I've been confused about the motive behind this whole war on terror thing.  I thought it was about the terrorists' reprehensible behavior, rather than their lack of coordinated outfits.  Stupid, stupid me.




Having secret, illegal torture prisons makes it a bit hard to claim the moral high ground, doesn't it?




(Cross posted at estragon.  Be warned, though, that it's a person site devoted largely to my year in Japan, with only occasional political ramblings.)