White House Syndrome

[The bombings prove al-Qaida is] "the most brutal and bankrupt of movements...."

--Condoleezza Rice

"There is nothing they won't do if they think it will work in creating carnage and the political fallout that comes from that."

--Ryan Crocker

Three weeks ago, Iraqi and American military officials offered a dramatic announcement.  They reported that the two women suicide bombers who had hit separate Baghdad pet markets within half-an-hour both had Down syndrome, and had likely been recruited and detonated by al Qaeda.

I had my suspicions, but it didn't stop a wide swath of media from jumping on the story, producing headlines and visuals like these.

Once again, those nameless, faceless evil-doers the White House compulsively talks about had demonstrated what barbarians they are.  Imagine, using mentally handicapped women to kill the father of these now emotionally shattered boys, or to cause blood to flow freely in the streets, leading shell-shocked Iraqi's to simply look down and wonder why.

... If there is anything even slightly redeeming about the whole scenario, and I mean slight, it is that the American military (without the pictures this time, and with much less fanfare, as well) admitted that the Down syndrome claim was false, and that no link to al Qaeda could be demonstrated, either.

Mentally Retarded Pair Used in Bombing  (AOL)
Down’s syndrome bombers kill 91  (Times Online)
Some Witnesses Descriptions, Picture Disagree on Least One Iraqi Market Bomber (DotCommonSense)
Files for Suicide Bombers Show No Down Syndrome (NYT)

(image 1& 2: Ali Yussef, Getty Images. Baghdad.  February 1, 2008. Times Online and AOL.com)