Troops rescue ingrates

This morning in Baghdad, British and U.S. troops rescued three members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), Canadians Jim Loney and Harmeet Sooden and Briton Norman Kember. The three, along with American Tom Fox, were kidnapped by Islamofascist terrorists in November. Fox was subsequently tortured and murdered; his body was found earlier this month.

Note: The radio report I first heard, as well as most of the early (AP-based) stories, used the phrase "peace activists freed." I initially thought that the kidnappers had released them -- set them free. The much more precise verb "rescued" has started to turn up in later headlines, but the ambiguous "freed" still dominates. A Google News search for "activists freed Iraq" returned 1220 matches, while a search for "activists rescued Iraq" found 657.

The CPT statement rejoicing in the men's safe return undoubtedly contained some expression of gratitude -- at least a simple "thanks" -- to the troops who rescued them, right?

Umm, no. It contained an accusation that the troops who freed them -- not the murderous thugs who held them -- were to blame for the months of captivity and the barbaric murder of Fox:

... We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.

Well, then at least the CPT called on the "militants" or "freedom fighters" or whatever to stop kidnapping and mistreating people, right?

Umm, no. They called on the Americans and Brits to stop kidnapping and mistreating people:

... We have been especially moved by the gracious outpouring of support from Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Europe, and North America. That support continues to come to us day after day. We pray that Christians throughout the world will, in the same spirit, call for justice and for respect for the human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally by the U.S. and British forces occupying Iraq.

During these past months, we have tasted of the pain that has been the daily bread of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Why have our loved ones been taken? Where are they being held? Under what conditions? How are they? Will they be released? When?

... We continue to pray for a swift and joyful homecoming for the many Iraqis and internationals who long to be reunited with their families. We renew our commitment to work for an end to the war and the occupation of Iraq as a way to continue the witness of Tom Fox. We trust in God’s compassionate love to show us the way.

Of course, CPT is the group that in 2002 sent "human shields" into Baghdad to protect Saddam's rape rooms from U.S. attack.

Many people, even libertarians and conservatives, admire groups like the CPT, describing them as "idealistic" or "noble." I find them contemptible. Someone at a Denver pro-victory rally had a sign that said it well: "Pacifists are the Parasites of Liberty"

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature, and has no chance of being free unless made or kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

-- John Stuart Mill