Rachel Maddow: Bias defends DADT policy (video: The Rachel Maddow Show)
[ updated: see below ]
In an article at BBC News called, Dutch fury at US general’s gay theory over Srebrenica, the retired Marine Corps general and former NATO commander is contradicted by Dutch Defense Ministry spokesman Roger van de Wetering: “It is astonishing that a man of his stature can utter such complete nonsense. The Srebrenica massacre and the involvement of UN soldiers was extensively investigated by the Netherlands, international organisations and the United Nations. Never was there in any way concluded that the sexual orientation of soldiers played a role.”
While the general will no doubt be hailed as a hero by his admirers among the radical religious right, by casting dispersion upon America’s military allies and by lying to the US Congress, John J Sheehan has dishonored both his uniform and his country .
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UPDATE (19 March 2010, 11:26 am):
Reuters has more reaction to Sheehan’s fantasy scenario from the Dutch government and military unions:
Dutch lash out at gay link in Srebrenica massacre
(Reuters) – Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende attacked on Friday claims by a retired U.S. general that Dutch forces were overrun in Srebrenica in 1995 because of the presence of gay soldiers.
[ ... ]
“The remarks were outrageous, wrong and beneath contempt,” Balkenende told a news conference.
[ ... ]
The Dutch Defense Ministry called Sheehan’s claims “absolute nonsense” and added that gay Dutch soldiers routinely cooperate with the U.S. military in the NATO mission in Afghanistan.
Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen called the claim “the bizarre private opinion of someone without an official function“.
Renee Jones-Bos, the Dutch ambassador to the United States, said in a statement, “I couldn’t disagree more” with Sheehan, adding there was no evidence of his claims in the extensive record of research on Srebrenica.
Military unions were equally angry. Dutch news agency ANP quoted the head of the military union AFMP as saying Sheehan’s comments were “out of the realm of fiction“, while the head of the gay soldiers’ group SHK called his comments “the ridiculous convulsion of a loner“.
(emphasis: mine)
Comments
2 Comments so far. Comments are closed.Mike I predicted that this was a planned statement by the old homophobe General John Sheehan, devised to to be picked up by the Islamic world, to spread intolerance toward gays and lesbians, and create the proper political climate in the United States to support the right-wing military agenda. I wonder who whispered the idea into the Gen’s ear? John McCain?
Now this filthy American right-wing generated lie, that could lead to more horrible persecution of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters is on Al-Jazeera!
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/03/2010319133515778679.html
What’s so criminal about this they probably predicted that a public statement like that by an American general would provoke serious repercussion against Muslim gays and lesbians. They could kill two birds with one stone: keep DADT and inflame more passion and persecution against gays worldwide.
He just spouted the theocon’s standard-issue talking points.
Let’s talk “unit cohesion.” What happens to unit cohesion the next time US troops have to serve alongside our allies?
The bigoted son of a birch should be handed his sword and be shown the door to a soundproof room.