There Is Nothing More Upsetting. . .

Than the killing of Margaret Hassan. It is now even more evident that despite the fact that a majority of Iraqis want the U.S. out of their country, there are at least a few groups operating on their own with their own agenda. These groups do not care about their Islamic brothers and sisters, they do not even care about their religion. They only care about power. How else can you explain the hundreds of Iraqi patients who poured out of their hospital to protest the kidnapping of this fine woman who adopted not only their country, but its citizens as her own? How else can you explain the murder of this charity worker who not only had nothing to do with this war, but vehemently opposed it? How else can you explain the murder of this Muslim woman during the holiest of holy festivals, Ramadan?

Hassan's death proves that diplomacy will not work. That is, it will not work with the real enemy, Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, and their ilk. We must do everything we can to stop these madmen, not only for us Americans, but for the citizens of this world.

This may sound somewhat right-wing of me, and it may be, but I honestly believe that force is absolutely necessary wherever it is needed, the whole world over. Do I believe that it was originally needed in Iraq? Hell no. Do I believe it is necessary in Iraq now? Sadly, I think so.

From the London Times:

At some point in the past week a gunman blindfolded her, led her into a room and murdered her with a single shot. His accomplice filmed the killing in the hope that the act would be relayed around the world as another blow in the fight against the infidel.

In life Mrs Hassan, 59, was outspoken, tough and fearless. Despite her slim frame she could intimidate a large American soldier as easily as a petty Iraqi bureaucrat. But moments before her death, as she was paraded before the camera, she appeared frail and worn down by weeks in captivity and apparently resigned to her fate.

Al-Jazeera, the Arabic news channel that was given the video and has aired the beheadings of several Western hostages, refused to broadcast what must rank as a new low even by the barbaric standards of Iraq’s insurgency: a woman executed during the holy festival of Ramadan.

The rest of the article is here.

Somehow, I can't help but blame Bush for this woman's death. Tell me if I'm wrong to do so.

Oh, and a nod to Andrew Sullivan for helping to get the London Times to put their stuff online, for free no less.