The manufactured hysteria over the prisoner mistreatment at Abu Ghraib prison is going to be at the top of the Iraq news as long as the Democrats and the media can milk it, so get used to seeing those terrible pictures and more day after day, all summer long. If there's a single American who isn't disgusted by the way Iraqi prisoners in American care were embarrassed and abused he or she ought to see a doctor. But all this hyperventilation by the media -- and, of course, leading Democrats -- is such a transparent attempt to turn public opinion against the President and the liberation of Iraq that it's already become cartoonish.

It seems that the problem began when some Army reservists -- untrained in interrogation techniques -- were put in charge of Abu Ghraib prison in October 2003, where former Saddam Fedayeen and other insurgents were being held. Major General Geoffrey Miller visited Abu Ghraib, and made a recommendation that the guards set "the conditions for the successful exploitation of internees." By January 2004, "softening up" the prisoners had crossed the line into abuse, which was duly reported to the authorities by Specialist Joseph Darby. Instead of engaging in the cover-up at which the media likes to hint, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez immediately ordered the matter investigated by Major General Antonio Taguba. As a result, Army Reserve Brigadier General Janis Karpinski was suspended from her command within days, and all the soldiers involved were removed from duty. Seven of the guards have been criminally charged so far. Karpinski stated that the CID (Army Intelligence) had taken charge of the cell block, and this still needs to be investigated further. Taguba's investigation uncovered the fact that one man, Master-at-Arms First Class William Kimbro, actually "refused to participate in improper interrogations despite significant pressure," but the media (in their determination to highlight the bad news) seems not to have mentioned him. In fact, though a press conference was held and the news media informed of the investigation on 16 January 2004, the problems at Abu Ghraib and other prisons were hardly mentioned at all until recently.

So the military investigated and corrected the problem, exactly as should be done. End of story, right? Don't be so naive... this is an election year! Someone leaked pictures of the abuse to CBS. After a short delay (at the military's request, due to the already-inflamed situation in Fallujah), 60 Minutes led the charge to wave those pictures in the collective face of the world.

No matter how many times President Bush and members of his administration apologise for this mistreatment, and no matter how quickly it was stopped and investigated, and no matter how many soldiers of whatever rank stand for punishment or incarceration, the Democrats won't stop beating this particular horse until long after its death. Calling for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's resignation is only part of their drive to turn public opinion against President Bush. No one has condoned what happened in that prison -- no one. No one tried to cover it up. But trust the Democrats, abetted by the media, to work all summer to convince the public that President Bush did both.

Donald Rumsfeld's testimony and apology before the Senate prompted the inevitable Vietnam comparisons... then again, the thought of Americans in foreign countries with guns always prompts hysterical knee-jerk Vietnam comparisons, especially from Democrats. While even Senator John McCain (R?-AZ) compared the mistreatment of prisoners by a few guards to the massacre of civilians in their homes at My Lai in 1968, Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) was able to put things in perspective.

"It deserves the apology that you have given today, and has been given by others in high positions in our government and our military," Lieberman told Rumsfeld. "I cannot help but say, however, that those who were responsible for killing 3,000 Americans on September 11th, 2001, never apologized," he said, and that four Americans in Fallujah who were "murdered and burned and humiliated ... never received an apology from anybody." Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and others called for Rumsfeld's resignation, despite the fact that 70% of Americans want him to stay in his position. The American people, it seems, understand that we are fighting a war, and that the enemy would love to see Donald Rumsfeld fired. In a rare statement, Vice President Dick Cheney struck a blow in Rumsfeld's defense. "Don Rumsfeld is the best secretary of defense the United States has ever had," Cheney said, "People ought to get off his case and let him do his job." President Bush stated that Rumsfeld "will stay in my Cabinet." Senator John Kerry (D-MA) called for President Bush to be replaced as well... but since he's the man who hopes to replace Bush, his point of view might be just a little biased and overblown. No matter what President Bush says or does, Kerry will call for him to be replaced, of course.

The perspective many on the Left seem to be lacking is this: in war, terrible things sometimes happen. People are not perfect. A nation which holds itself to lesser standards than the United States of America, however, would cover these things up, hamper the investigation, or even perform these acts and far worse as a matter of State policy the way Saddam Hussein did for over three decades. (Most Arab nations, in fact, use torture in prisons as a matter of course.) This is not what's happening, and the world can see that a democracy polices itself. Those responsible for the mistreatment of Abu Ghraib prisoners are being identified, investigated and will be punished for their misdeeds.

Still, some questions remain unasked. How did those pictures, evidence from an ongoing criminal investigation, certain to drive anti-American feeling both at home and abroad to a fever pitch as well as prejudice the investigation, make their way into the eager little hands of the media? Who leaked those photos, and why?

*UPDATE: When Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick was under investigation by the military for the abuse of Abu Ghraib detainees, his family feared he would be made a scapegoat. William Lawson, Frederick's uncle, tried in vain to get the attention of seventeen members of Congress before sending an email to retired Colonel David Hackworth, who put Lawson in touch with CBS. Whether Hackworth or Lawson was the person who actually turned the pictures over to the media is still unclear, but one thing is unmistakable: leaking this material to the media has increased the danger to American lives, both at home and abroad. It has undermined the morale of our troops and the support for their mission. Was this really done in a vain attempt to prevent Frederick's court martial, essentially an attempt to blackmail the United States? If any plan could be said to backfire, this is the one. And it leads us to new questions. Which seventeen members of Congress did Lawson contact? Why did they remain silent? Did they not have the same responsibility to inform Congress that Donald Rumsfeld did?