American Soldiers out of Control in Iraq

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
I second MOBIUS on at least one point - the Brits in Basra must be doing something right. I presume the "experts" will give me the typical explaination - Basra is a friendly territory! But what is the hen and what is the egg? Why is Basra friendly?

The Brits have learned peacekeeping operations the hard way, in Belfast, Cyprus and Bosnia. You can't win a liberation war without the support of the civilians. I don't think the "friendlieness" of Basra is the only explaination to the success of the Brits. There are guerilla assaults there too. But you never hear of Brits killing journalists or allies, and hardly ever civilians either (but that happened, I know). I think a good idea to win this war might be for the Yanks to learn from the Tommie's tactics - whatever that is.

Ollie: You have apoint but you ignore the fact that nearly all of Saddam's supporters are Sunni while the south's population is almost entirely made up of anti-Saddam Shiites. Of course we will have more problems from Saddam's supporters then from people who wanted Saddam over thrown.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

We make the Iraqis happy . . . . .

Did you do that?

No, I did not create that graphic -- man, let me tell ya -- I could not create graphics like that if my life depended on it.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
I'm not able to bring myself to bring myself to put forth the effort to take you seriously if you insist on regergitating the same things over and over.

Ah, you do analyse your "debate" style very well, DD. One, you don't offer much other than snarky comments. Two, you go by the tactic of "drive-by postings", named after drive-by shootings. Three, you do regergitate the same thing over and over again.

Well done

[DaShi]

Are you the argument police?

[Drake Tungsten]

Are you the argument police?

I don't know, but I'm the spelling police and this word...

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
regergitate

... is actually spelled "regurgitate".

[DinoDoc]

UR: Here's a quarter. Go call someone who gives a flying crap about you and your opinions about them.

[Kuciwalker]

DD - insulting mods is NOT a good idea

Are you the argument police?

Basically, yes he's a mod

[Winston]

*I'm not home right now. Please leave a message after the beep.*

BEEP.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
UR: Here's a quarter. Go call someone who gives a flying crap about you and your opinions about them.

Do I hear hissing and snarling in this thread?

[DaShi]

Originally posted by skywalker
DD - insulting mods is NOT a good idea

Are you the argument police?

Basically, yes he's a mod

So mods can insult other posters? UR's attack came out of nowhere but his own personal grudge against DinoDoc. It was one of his usual snarky, "drive-by postings" that he has tried on me (quite unsuccessfully, I might add. ) over and over again.

[Chemical Ollie]

As if Iraq wasn't enough, how about Afghanistan

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3300951.stm

The peace of Hutala village has been shattered.

US military helicopters, take off and land, throwing up dust devils.

Villagers, sitting on their haunches, watch impassively.

They are huddled around a heap of hats and shoes, which have been ripped by shrapnel.

Marbles are scattered across the ground.

Nine children and one man died here on Saturday morning, when two US-military planes, targeting what a coalition spokesman described as a "known terrorist", opened fire with rockets and bullets.

Picking up a dusty hat, villager Sarwar Khan says: "This is all that remains of one of my boys".

His two sons and one of his nephews were killed.

---

What moron would send two attack aircraft against a single person hiding among civilians (and only a minor taliban leader)?

Well, at least there are now nine (future) terrorists less, aren't there?

[SlowwHand]

Re: American Soldiers out of Control in Iraq

Originally posted by MOBIUS
Too many Iraqi civilians are dying from U.S. soldiers sometimes resorting to deadly force in a reckless and indiscriminate way...

Iraq: U.S. Military Responses Imperil Journalists



I know the job is dangerous - but for crying out loud!

This reminds me of the most lethal recorded friendly fire incident of the war...

In the line of fire

The convoy attacked was in the open in well marked non military vehicles...

Still, that is only journos after all...

Iraqi Civilians Fall Victim to Hair Triggers

If you're REALLY keen...!



'Within the rules of engagement!!?'

The point is that if the US isn't going to accept the Intl War Crimes treaty (apparently with good reason!), then it MUST deal with its troops instead of whitewashing every friendly fire incident there is and letting the killers off scott free! If soldiers knew they could be punished for such negligence - perhaps less innocent people would die?



Perhaps less US troops would die too...

This is probably the biggest blindside of the US forces there is - they seem incapable of dealing with this kind of operation...

There needs to be training - all UK troops are trained in this manner, and greater accountability for the consequences of such actions!

[Patroklos]

You can also assume that the Brits can focus their attention a little more, occupying one major city of ****tes. Nothing against the brits, but there are a smaller force occupying a much smaller area and thus are not so prone to spreading themselves out and making easy targets. Also, bieng that Basra is the only major port in Iraq and commerce will of course start their first, and already has, the populaton their is feeling the benefits of freedom now instead of later.

-Pat