Want a Different Abu Ghraib Story? Try This One
Saddam had their hands cut off. America gave them new ones.

Back to the Tortured Iraqis Page
Back to the Government-Media Complex Page
Back to the Political Correctness Page

WONDER LAND

BY DANIEL HENNINGER
Friday, May 14, 2004 12:01 a.m.

By now, some Americans may feel the need for respite from the images of Abu Ghraib and the five hooded barbarians standing behind Nick Berg. This week's column will try to provide some measure of respite.

It is the story of Americans, in and out of the U.S. government, who moved mountains to help seven horribly maimed Iraqi men. It is not always pleasant reading, but there are rewards to staying with it, especially now.

Quite obviously it has been decided, as the handling of the Abu Ghraib story makes plain, that when America stumbles, we are going to have our faces rubbed in it. And rubbed in it and rubbed in it. As far as I can make out, the purpose of this two weeks of media humiliation is that we--the president, all of us--are being asked to morally prostrate ourselves before the rest of the world. Some may choose to do so, but this story should make a few Americans want to simply stand up straight again.

As perfect justice, the story in fact begins in Abu Ghraib prison, in 1995. With Iraq's economy in a tailspin, Saddam arrested nine Iraqi businessmen to scapegoat them as dollar traders. They got a 30-minute "trial," and were sentenced, after a year's imprisonment, to have their right hands surgically cut off at Abu Ghraib prison.

The amputations were performed, over two days, by a Baghdad anesthesiologist, a surgeon and medical staff. We know this because Saddam had a videotape made of each procedure. He had the hands brought to him in formalin and then returned to Abu Ghraib. Oh, one more thing: The surgeon carved an X of shame into the forehead of each man. And the authorities charged the men $50.

Last year, after we liberated Iraq, a veteran TV news producer named Don North--who has worked for major U.S. broadcasters--was in Baghdad with the U.S. to restore TV service. Iraqi contacts there brought him a tape of the men's amputations. Mr. North says dismemberment was common in Saddam's Iraq and that if one walks down a crowded Baghdad street one may see a half-dozen people missing an ear, eye, limb or tongue. He decided to seek out the men whose stubbed arms represented the civilized world's lowest act--the perversion of medicine.

He found seven. Mr. North determined to make a documentary of their story and get medical help for them. How he found that help, if one may still use this phrase, is an all-American story.

An oil engineer from Houston, named Roger Brown, overheard Mr. North's tale in a Baghdad café. He suggested Don North get in touch with a famed Houston TV newsman named Marvin Zindler. Mr. Zindler put him in touch with Dr. Joe Agris, a Houston reconstructive surgeon, who has worked in postwar Vietnam and Nicaragua repairing children.

Mr. North sent Dr. Agris a copy of the videotape of the surgical atrocities, and Dr. Agris said: Send me the men; I will fix them.

But flying seven Iraqi men out of Baghdad is easier said than done. In this case, prodded by Don North and government friends, the famous U.S. bureaucracy gave itself a day off. Paul Bremer wrote a memo authorizing their departure. Paul Wolfowitz told the Air Force it could fly them to Frankfurt. Homeland Security waived visa requirements.

Continental Airlines donated passage to Houston. There, Dr. Agris enlisted a fellow surgeon, Fred Kestler, to assist. The Methodist Hospital donated facilities, and the men arrived in Houston in early April.

Dr. Agris saw that the Abu Ghraib "surgeries" were a botch. They'd cut through the joining of the wrist's carpal bones, "like carving a Turkey leg." Saddam's doctors did nothing to repair the nerve endings, which left the men with constant real and "phantom" pain. Drs. Agris and Kestler had two preliminary tasks: Repair the nerves, and, alas, take another inch off the men's lower arms, to leave a smooth surface for attaching their new prosthetic "hands." They worked for two days operating on the seven men, who then took a week to recover before receiving their new hands.

Those devices were donated by the German-American prosthetic company Otto Bock, at a cost of $50,000 each. They are state-of-the-art electronic hands, with fingers, which respond to trained muscular movements. The rehabilitation and training is being donated by two other Houston companies, TIRR and Dynamic Orthotics. The Iraqi men are in Houston now, spending five hours a day learning to use their new right hands. And oh yes, the brands on their heads were removed.

Don North completed his documentary on what happened to these men in Iraq. I watched "Remembering Saddam" this week. Several of the men insisted on seeing Saddam's home video of the atrocity, and so it's in the film--a bizarre, almost dainty image of forceps, scalpel, surgical gloves and green operating-room garments. Nothing like it since Dr. Mengele. Watching his hand come off, Baasim Al Fadhly says: "Look at this doctor, who considers his career noble and swears to God to be a noble person. Let everyone see this film."

This crime deserves condemnation from international medical societies, such as the U.N.'s World Health Organization, or the Red Cross. And Don North's film indeed should be seen--but may not be. After two months of trying, no U.S. broadcast or cable network will take it. This is incredible. TV can run Abu Ghraib photos 24/7 but can't find 55 minutes for Saddam's crimes against humanity?

On May 23, the American Foreign Policy Council will bring the restored men to Washington. They will visit maimed GIs at Walter Reed Army Hospital. It wouldn't be surprising if they said something positive about the U.S. soldiers who have not been on television the past two weeks.

Then Don North and Joe Agris will fly with the men back to Iraq, to survey the rest of Saddam's dismembered population. "The practice of prosthetics is very archaic," Mr. North says,"for a country where this is such an affliction." Dr. Agris hopes to survey the hospitals and bring in some modern equipment and supplies. "If they let me, I'll do some of the kids," he says. "Let's show the good side of what we can do."

Sure. Why not?
Mr. Henninger is deputy editor of The Wall Street Journal's editorial page. His column appears Fridays in the Journal and on OpinionJournal.com.

Copyright © 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reply 1 - Posted by: MsCharlotteVale, 5/14/2004 12:35:22 AM "After two months of trying, no U.S. broadcast or cable network will take it. This is incredible. TV can run Abu Ghraib photos 24/7 but can't find 55 minutes for Saddam's crimes against humanity?" This is the story of Iraqis who had their hands cut off by SH and through the efforts of some Americans (including the govt), some were brought to the U.S. and were surgically outfitted with working "hands." I'd pass out if this story was reported on network news.

Reply 2 - Posted by: Bmoc, 5/14/2004 1:13:06 AM Perhaps it was this story that has made me misty eyed or maybe it is because our son is coming home for a 10 day vacation from the Air Force... I don't know, but I DO know that the young men and women my son serves this great country with are hard working and good people. I am tired of listening to all the negative things going on in this war. Surely SOME WHERE we can find something good coming out of this.I keep writing my local paper's editor to drop the party line long enough to give us some good news. I am proud of my son and I am proud of my president and my country. God Bless America.

Reply 3 - Posted by: benny1234, 5/14/2004 7:01:59 AM This is a truly great story that needs the widest dissemination possible both in the U.S. and in Arab countries. I am so proud to be an American reading stories such as this! Keep up the good work, you who are involved in this!

Reply 4 - Posted by: Maybeth, 5/14/2004 7:05:30 AM Thank you, Mr. Henninger, for bringing us this story of the TRUE America. Thank you, Don North, Roger Brown, and Marvin Zindler. Thank you, Dr. Joe Agris and Dr. Fred Kestler. Thank you, Paul Bremer and Paul Wolfowitz. Thank you Otto Bock Company, TIRR and Dynamic Orthotics. THIS is the America I know and love, and THIS is the America the anti~Bush crowd is plotting to destroy. Don't let them do it! Are you listening, Ted Kennedy? Do you HEAR me, John Kerry? Are you getting the message, John McCain, Carl Levin and Joe Biden?

Reply 5 - Posted by: dainbred, 5/14/2004 7:59:07 AM Nobody will ever see this movie. It does NOT advance the Left Wing Media diatribes. And it has NO American military losses or brutality. Saddam did this; it gets a pass. Now had BUSH done this; well,it would be headlines till 2015 !!!

Reply 6 - Posted by: gop_guys, 5/14/2004 8:25:37 AM God bless your son number 2. I am very proud of him too. Brave men and women like him make it possible for us to enjoy the peace and freedom that we do!

Reply 7 - Posted by: mobyclik, 5/14/2004 8:28:04 AM Yep, #5 is right. Coverage of Iraq by the Lamestream Media has everything to do with an agenda to destroy the Bush administration and paint America as the most terrible country in the history of the world. We all know that thousands of good things have gone on over there by our military and civilians, but with the LSM, this is not newsworthy. They prefer American deaths and the prison crap...day after day after day after day after day... I'll never understand the minds of the looney left.

Reply 8 - Posted by: brg119, 5/14/2004 8:30:14 AM The likes of the Ted Kennedy's, John Kerry, the sanctiomous (sp) of some of our Senators, especially the likes of Jim McDermont of Oregon, are not worthy to carry the boot straps of our fine men and women in the military. We should let these people know WE DO NOT APPRECIATE THEIR OUTRAGE over the acts of a few and try to paint the entire military with a broad bush.

Reply 9 - Posted by: sherlock, 5/14/2004 8:41:07 AM I think that when we re-electe our President to his second term, the DummyRat party will never have the control that it has had over America for the last 60 years. T The times are a chinging and boy, don`t you know that the Cummie Rats know it! they are clinging to a blade of grass as they slide down a clift, ready to hit the big rocks at the bottom....and i can`t wait to hear the thud.

Reply 10 - Posted by: freedomlover, 5/14/2004 8:44:14 AM I have been ever more disappointed in Fox News. They become more like the MSM every day. I heard ED Hill say recently on "Fox and Friends" that she gets her news from The New York Times and BBC. She also watches "another network" for news. Maybe it is time she, and the rest of the Fox staff, start reading articles like this from Mr. Henninger.

Reply 11 - Posted by: Muncsdad, 5/14/2004 8:46:01 AM Congratulations #2. Enjoy your son's visit. Tell him THANKS! MM

Reply 12 - Posted by: Dolley Madison, 5/14/2004 8:54:55 AM Yes, THANK YOU Mr. Henninger, Drs. Agris and Kestler, and all the other remarkable people in the story! This is the story and the TRUTH about America (got that, sitepests?), and we love reading about it. Again, THANK YOU!!!

Reply 13 - Posted by: lana720, 5/14/2004 9:01:02 AM Dittos to # 4 and 5's comments. To the rest of us - to how many people can you send this link? If the MSM will not cover it - we must - let's roll!!! God bless all who were involved in this restoration.

Reply 14 - Posted by: DCJE, 5/14/2004 9:17:24 AM Hmmmm, another plot hatched in Texas. This is why I love Texans--they are the finest people in the country. Surely FNC or Mel Gibson, somebody, will see that this movie is broadcast. What a fine example of America. I'm sure our American TV channel over in Iraq will air this; if Bremer and Wolfowitz know about this already it should be easy enough to get it shown over there.

Reply 15 - Posted by: jaymidas, 5/14/2004 9:22:37 AM It's not as difficult as you think. Some enterprising company needs to spend $ and 'buy time' for one hour on (probably) a cable network - USA/TBS etc. Forget about recouping costs with advertising. Name recognition for the sponsor is all you'll get. Call it a public service. $300,000 or so should do it.

Reply 16 - Posted by: stopevhillary, 5/14/2004 9:38:14 AM To make emailing this to your friends easier, just email it to yourself. Then forward it to your address book entries. That saves you from typing the addresses.

Reply 17 - Posted by: CEP, 5/14/2004 10:15:53 AM Michael Moore can get his trash fabricated documentaries published and shown. But this guy can't???? Maybe because it's truth and those in the media, can't stand the truth.

Reply 18 - Posted by: Allegra, 5/14/2004 10:24:48 AM #17, you took the words right out of my mouth. Can't we get a campaign going to get FOX to broadcast this?

Reply 19 - Posted by: Allegra, 5/14/2004 10:35:31 AM #15 - maybe then, we should start a fund??? I'll gladly donate $$ to get this thing on the air.

Reply 20 - Posted by: shepsmum, 5/14/2004 10:57:44 AM Much needed piece -- thank you, Mr. Henninger. Thanks to our soldiers, their families and our President, who, God knows has had nothing easy about his service. How dare the MSM try to demoralize us! Don't give in to the despair they are trying to impose on all of us. Shame on them. I've mentioned before that I volunteer at Walter Reed (my honor) and not once -- NOT ONCE!! -- have I heard ANY of the patients or families complain about Iraq or Afghanistan. They are proud of their service and want to continue. And hope Congress continues to support them.

Reply 21 - Posted by: Snowy Owl, 5/14/2004 11:38:00 AM This story makes me so glad to be an American. I hope Ted Kennedy and McDermott and the other America haters will read it, too.

Reply 22 - Posted by: frankie, 5/14/2004 11:48:15 AM Hearwarming story. Just hope our soldiers are receiving the same because America has many amputees from this war as well. The terrorists have been getting their bombs from our ammunition dumps over there, then stringing them along the roadside and connecting them with fuses. No munitions expert, I - just reporting {correctly, I hope} what our back-from-Iraq friend told us.

Reply 23 - Posted by: nattering_nabob, 5/14/2004 12:05:06 PM Wow. You Republican bigwigs who have maxed out on your contributions to Bush/Cheney '04 ought to find a way to pony up a little more dough and make the broadcast of this documentary a reality.

Reply 24 - Posted by: foxglove, 5/14/2004 12:26:49 PM WOW! Thanks for posting this wonderful story. These seven men will be ambassadors for good. Maybe they could tell Teddy & John what a great country America is.

Reply 25 - Posted by: Hazymac, 5/14/2004 12:49:27 PM About 1655, the Lord Protector of England, General Oliver Cromwell, during a bitter Civil War between forces allied to the King versus those supporting Parliament, concluded that Parliament could no longer do the nation's business. He rose, pointed his finger at the lawmakers, and declared: --You have sat too long for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the Name of God, go! Listening to the seditious bloviations of Teddy Kennedy, Pat Leahy, Carl Levin, Charles Rangel, and those who think as they do, I believe it's time someone on our side of the aisle repeated Cromwell's speech. Who will do it?

Reply 26 - Posted by: mama meatballs, 5/14/2004 1:07:46 PM Thank you, #2, for your sacrifice and your son's service. Those who serve are the best of the best.

Reply 27 - Posted by: wes mouch, 5/14/2004 1:14:39 PM I am glad we have some media outlets that aren't adverse to reporting stories about heroic Americans. Bravo, WSJ and all those involved!

Reply 28 - Posted by: diehard, 5/14/2004 1:21:32 PM "After two months of trying, no U.S. broadcast or cable network will take it. This is incredible. TV can run Abu Ghraib photos 24/7 but can't find 55 minutes for Saddam's crimes against humanity?" CBS, 60 Minutes, Dan Blather, where are you????????

Reply 29 - Posted by: Tianne, 5/14/2004 1:23:10 PM #26, Beautifully said. May I also say, God bless your son, #2, and all of his fellow military in Iraq and God bless you and all of the families who are sacrificing so very much. The liberals among us and the mainstream media may not care to recognize the efforts of our best and brightest but there are millions of good and trusting Americans who gratefully and humbly do recognize their efforts and who will let their steady drumbeat of determined voices be heard in November.

Reply 30 - Posted by: Christie, 5/14/2004 3:00:09 PM I got a hunch that Sean Hannity will talk about this on his radio show... Helping the Iraqi people, especially those who have been maimed mentally, emotionally, and physically, to live better lives has got to turn the tide. Nothing this big was ever turned around in a year. Time heals all wounds and with evidence of good deeds such as these, good will triumph eventually.

Reply 31 - Posted by: redfeather, 5/14/2004 3:17:35 PM Is it prudent to show Barry Frank a photo of a pile of naked men?

Reply 32 - Posted by: Yorkiemom, 5/14/2004 6:42:48 PM Can someone tell me why Bill Kristol is not president? Just heard him on Brit's show saying how bad everything is and what Bush should do to correct the situation. No matter how awful Slick was, and he was the worst, old Begala and Carville praised him to the skies. I'm getting real sick of the talking heads.

Reply 33 - Posted by: SheikYerBooty, 5/14/2004 6:47:48 PM E.D. Hill watches al-jazeera and reads the jihad times.

Reply 34 - Posted by: LittleHoodedMonk, 5/14/2004 10:12:56 PM Seems to me that PBS, you know, the people's airwaves, could televise this on 'Nova' or Frontline.'

Reply 35 - Posted by: Frank G, 5/14/2004 11:54:04 PM Well #25 such a speech would mean nothing without the power to enforce it. Besides in the end a new king & parliament returned after Cromwell died.

Reply 36 - Posted by: jkcinsalem, 5/15/2004 12:40:22 AM

Reply 37 - Posted by: liberalslovetaxes, 5/15/2004 1:41:58 AM Ted Kennedy can't hear. He still has water in his ears from Chappaquiddic.