The Iraqi government needs to fight the insurgency with ropes and cameras

While we continue to hear about civilian and troop deaths in the war in Iraq, we also are almost daily hearing about significant captures of insurgents in military sweeps. AP reports:

American and Iraqi troops swept the oil-rich region of Kirkuk for suspected insurgents and captured dozens, while drive-by shootings, roadside bombings and sectarian violence killed at least 29 people in Iraq on Friday

I recall reading the other day of 40 being captured and today it is "dozens". This is great news. My recommendation is that the Iraqi government begin declaring these insurgents as traitors to the country during war time and begin public hangings at dawn after each capture. These hangings should be televised along with a message that the insurgency is doing nothing but rob Iraq of the opportunity to move forward and rebuild their economy.

I realize that my idea will be criticized as replacing one tyrannical government with another. I would argue that my idea is no more tyrannical than the execution of a serial murderer in the US. That is not tyranny, it is a message that the actions of the murderer are wrong and unacceptable to a civilized nation. My recommendation is not based on hatefulness or bloodthirstiness. The fact is that one arm of the insurgency is dedicated to a strong PR campaign designed to demoralize the Iraqi people, the Iraqi and US troops and the US people. Televised hangings linked with the vision of freedom and economic growth would be a strong antidote to the insurgents PR efforts.

An addendum to the idea of televised hangings is to also televise "showcases" of victims of the insurgency. Summarize some key highlights of their life and their contribution to society or their family. Highlight the dream of freedom and how for this one, it was stolen by a power-hungry thuggish organization that needs to be stamped out.

There are other PR messages that the Iraqi government can use. The pen (media) is more powerful than the sword. We all may remember the inspiring video clips the economic growth of the Kurdistan portion of Iraq. We saw the Kurds one after another saying "Thank you" to the coalition for giving them the opportunity to experience this growth. They should also tell Al Jazeera and CNN to quit empathizing with the terrorists or get out of their country. The military sweeps and continued efforts are critical, but careful distribution of a message for the a vision of the future of Iraq is what has the best chance of elimination of the insurgency. Go get the ropes and the cameras.