Amnesty for Iraqi insurgents?

It was amusing, in a perverse way, to read about the same Republican Senators who back the Iraq war and urge Americans to "support the troops" speak up Thursday in support of amnesty for Iraqi insurgents who have killed or wounded American troops.

AlterNet:

[It began when ]the Washington Post reported that Iraqi officials, hoping to bring insurgents into the political process, were considering offering an amnesty to Iraqis who had attacked American forces, but not to those who had perpetrated attacks on Iraqi civilians.

The aide to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki who was quoted in the story later resigned over the disclosure. Apparently al-Maliki wasn't all that keen to have his plan to let people who had killed American troops off the hook broadcast to the Washington Post.

In the interim, a number of Senate Republicans spoke out in favor of the plan on the Senate floor.

Here's what some of them had to say:

TED STEVENS - "IF THAT'S AMNESTY, I'M FOR IT:" "I really believe we ought to try to find some way to encourage that country to demonstrate to those people who have been opposed to what we're trying to do, that it's worthwhile for them and their children to come forward and support this democracy. And if that's amnesty, I'm for it. I'd be for it. And if those people who are, come forward... if they bore arms against our people, what's the difference between those people that bore arms against the Union in the War between the States? What's the difference between the Germans and Japanese and all the people we've forgiven?"

MITCH MCCONNELL SUGGESTED A RESOLUTION COMMENDING IRAQIS FOR GIVING TERRORISTS AMNESTY. "...might it not just be as useful an exercise to be trying to pass a resolution commending the Iraqi government for the position that they've taken today with regard to this discussion of Amnesty?"

LAMAR ALEXANDER COMPARED IRAQI AMNESTY FOR TERRORISTS TO NELSON MANDELA'S PEACE EFFORTS. "Is it not true that Nelson Mandela's courage and his ability to create a process of reconciliation and forgiveness was a major factor in what has been a political miracle in Africa...Did not Nelson Mandela, win a - the co-winner of - a noble Nobel Peace Prize just for this sort of gesture?"

JOHN CORNYN: IRAQI AMNESTY DEBATE IS "A DISTRACTION." "It makes no sense for the United States Senate to shake its finger at the new government of Iraq and to criticize them... it really is a distraction from the debate that I think the American people would want us to have."

SAXBY CHAMBLISS: AMNESTY IS OK FOR EX-INSURGENTS AS LONG AS THEY ARE ON OUR SIDE NOW. "Is it not true today that we have Iraqis who are fighting the war against the insurgents, who at one time fought against American troops and other coalition troops as they were marching to Baghdad, who have now come over to our side and are doing one heck of a job of fighting along, side by side, with Americans and coalition forces, attacking and killing insurgents on a daily basis?"

Can't wait for McSykes and the neocon bloggers to find a way to support their Republican Senate troops on this one.

No amnesty for immigrants who cut the grass, but amnesty for Iraqi militants who blow up American troops?

Hat tip: Huffington Post.