Since the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) first exposed on April 28 the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal by US forces, more inside stories have been coming out from American media. Now, just like a mirror, Iraq is reflecting dirty deeds violating human rights conducted by the United States.

It can be said that the prisoner abuse scandal exploded like a bomb, whose shocking wave going beyond the United States and Iraq and touching the whole international community. It's inflaming of global indignation is by no means accidental.

Firstly, it was under the allegations of Saddam's dictatorship and violation of human rights that the United States launched the war against Iraq one year ago. The war was waged to "liberate" Iraq and give "freedom" and "democracy" to its people. But one year's time has shown that the US occupation forces have brought little human rights to Iraqis but caused many a human rights disaster instead. The US soldiers humiliated Muslims at will, used force indiscriminately and caused the death of thousands upon thousands of innocent people. The Iraqi people have become increasing aware that the wild talk of human rights by US "liberators", if compared with Saddam's, is only "the pot calling the kettle black".

Secondly, US soldiers conducted humiliations and physical punishment to extremity in prison, which seriously damaged the health and mentality of Iraqi captives. Worse, a few American soldiers even committed sexual violations to prisoners. These acts apparently run counter to the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, and out of tune with the moral codes of modern societies. What worth notice is that the International Committee of the Red Cross said on May 7 that the prisoner abuse scandal is by no means an isolated case, but systematical acts violating human rights. According to the Washington Post reports, abusing of large number of prisoners also exists in American domestic prison system.

Moreover, America always poses as "human rights guard" and "judge of world human rights". The US Department of State publishes country reports on human rights practices every year, making unwarranted charges on the human rights conditions of other countries. At the annual human rights conference of the United Nations, US representatives particularly raise disputes by making indiscreet criticisms. It is only ironic for the "human rights guard" to find its prisoner abuse scandal exposed.

It should be pointed out that human rights is a common issue in the world, and different countries have different conditions on the issue due to various political, economic, historical, cultural and social situations. Equal dialogues on human rights on multilateral or bilateral base are doubtlessly beneficial. If the American authority could take Iraqi as a mirror to check and reflect over its own human rights problems, a friendlier atmosphere for discussing human rights issue can be expected in the world. Urged by the pressure from global media caused by the abuse scandal, the US Department of State had to delay the publication of its human rights reports on how the United States "promoted democracy and freedom" in world scale last year. On the human rights issue, the United States should indeed realize its mistakes now.

By People's Daily Online