this one is for you, salaam al-aqaaid: instead of removing the "offending" elements the prisoners didn't like, perhaps they needed to be reminded "THEY WERE PRISONERS FOR A REASON!" Yes, I do believe that the US troops went overboard. But, if you have a problem obeying the law, and exhibit questionable, threatening behavior that gets you put in prison in the first place, then maybe you should consider your own shame. It is a prison. It's too bad those idiotic Islamist fanatics don't realize that the real shame is what they put on their families for being caught and made prisoners in the first place. Doesn't Allah demand you martyr yourself for him? Yet you chose to be taken prisoner, instead of fighting for your cause. The real shame lies with those cowards who were caught and subjected to such torture, not the guards.

I think Turkey is a good example of the differences between Islamic culture and Arab culture. Me personally, I think that as long as we're hung up bashing Islam instead of addressing the Arab culture that perpetrates the continued ignorance and repression of the Arab people victory will elude us in this war. All this bombing stuff and running the streets yelling "death to America" is about education, not religion. The people doing that are living in squaller and need someone to blame. It's in the interests of leaders like Arafat to put that blame on the west. He damn sure wouldnt want to let them see his account balance. Maybe if they taught the kids how to read and write instead of improvised munitions 101, the Arab people could get themseleves out of the hole they have dug themselves into.

"Maybe if they taught the kids how to read and write instead of improvised munitions 101, the Arab people could get themseleves out of the hole they have dug themselves into. " Kinda sounds like the plan for Iraq, doesn't it?

Mr. Kaplan has escaped. I do not know why, Germans first informed him that they will transport him to Turkey then after a time try to arrest him. In Turkey we usually do not give criminals time to escape, but I do not know about German legal procedures. Maybe because of legal issues the y could not arrest him before. Turkish government sets his mind to arrest him. As Europe countries acknowledge him as a criminal there is nowhere for him to run. A correction: I previosly gave Mr. Kaplan's name as Cemalettin Kaplan. Cemalettin Kaplan was the founder of that organization. I think he had died because of natural causes. Now, the leader is his son Metin Kaplan.

Yes. Some fools around here in Germany. Many german politicians are upset. Me too. Mr. Kaplan feared the handover to Turkey I gues.

This Kaplan incident getting weirdier every day. According to what I have heard from radio this morning; a higher German court broke the decision of sending Kaplan out of Germany.

It is terrible. A lower german court - originally competent for this case - said that Mr. Kaplan can't be send back to Turkey for at least two month until this competent lower court decided in the way the higher court jugded. I would call it sad news but I am to upset with this news. This way we will loose the war against terrorism. The problem got its roots in the opinion of the competent lower court that Mr. Kaplan would not get a fair proscecution in Turkey and they feared for his human rights. I trust the turkish courts. So should german courts.

Yeah, that's not the first time something like this has happened(though the first with Deutchland). Extradition of murderers to the US gets blocked from time to time becuase of the 'fear of human rights violations'(read as 'we don't like American law). All to common I'm afraid.

That is even weirder. Turkey has changed its entire Judgement system to make it paralel to EC Judgement system. Also, anyone in Turkey has a right to go European Human Rights Court if he thinks Judgement is against his human rights. I think this decision is entirely politic and anti-Turkey prejudgemental.

A german court in Hamburg - where the terrorist cell which comitted the 9/11 tragedy had its roots - even freed two cell members because the US don't allow the court to interview a verdict held in the US who said that his "comrades did nothing wrong."