Dr. Germ and Mrs. Anthrax: Home for the holidays

During the rush to war in Iraq, do you happen to recall two of the most high profile, evil villains in the Baathist party who were responsible for so many of Saddam's WMDs? They were Rihab "Dr. Germ" Taha and Huda "Mrs. Anthrax" Ammash, and boy did we all sleep better at night when they were finally tracked down, captured, and put in custody. And there they remained, in said custody, for two and a half years. You may be wondering when we're finally going to get these two menaces to civilization up on trial and deliver the punishment they so surely and richly deserve for their crimes against humanity. Well, don't hold your breath. We released them. (Hat tip to Truthdig.) Bob Scheer has the details.

Why is it not bigger news that those infamous Iraqi female scientists once routinely referred to in the media as "Dr. Germ" and "Mrs. Anthrax" have been quietly released from imprisonment in Iraq without any charges being brought by their U.S. captors? Don't the newspapers and TV networks that all but pre-convicted them of crimes against humanity owe them (and us) the courtesy of an explanation for the sudden presumption of their innocence?

Yet, when Rihab "Dr. Germ" Taha and Huda "Mrs. Anthrax" Ammash, both of whom were once on a Pentagon most-wanted list, were released after two-and-a-half years, their U.S. captors didn't even announce it. When questioned afterward as to why no war crimes charges had been brought against the pair, U.S. commander Gen. George Casey said in a joint statement with the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, that they "no longer posed a security threat to the people of Iraq and to the Coalition forces." U.S. forces "therefore, had no legal basis to hold them any longer.'

Nor was the acknowledgement that the two Iraqis were still presumed innocent deemed worthy of comment by the very news outlets that had previously reduced them to cartoon-character villains, with only slim wire reports generally announcing the news.

Ok... so we never actually found the Weapons of Mass Destruction. But I seem to recall being assured by Darth Cheney that they most certainly existed, and these two women were at the heart of their planning, design and production. If there was anything to that story whatsoever, don't you think they'd be in line for a trial right after the Iraqis finish stoning Saddam to death?

And yet, off they walk. At least they made it home for New Years. Was this all just more of the spin put out to gin up the war? And if so, what becomes of two women (who admittedly worked for Saddam) who were held by us for over two years and then charged with nothing? Let's remember... working for Saddam was never a sure fire indicator of guilt. Back in the day, refusing to work for Saddam when ordered was probably a larger cause of death than all forms of cancer and AIDS combined.

With all of the upcoming Abramoff scandals, the snoopgate affair and Fitzmas Part II, I somehow doubt we'll be seeing much of this story in the MSM. Just one more thing that falls through the cracks during the war on the world.