British capture Iraqi general; Iraq says 4,000 Arabs arrive to stage suicide attacks

Associated Press ^ | 3-30-03 | DAVID CRARY

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Four American infantrymen were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq on Saturday, and on Sunday a driver rammed a white truck into a group of U.S. soldiers at their base in Kuwait. Fifteen people were injured, said Lt. Col. Larry Cox, public affairs officer at Camp Udairi.

[Kozak]

Lets hope they all pose for a group photo.....

[libertylover]

Good, 4000 less terrorists real soon.

[LS]

Yah. Guess we're gonna need a mass grave for this many idiot Saddamites.

[backhoe]

An Iraqi official said 4,000 Arab volunteers have arrived, eager to carry out more suicide attacks against U.S. and British forces.

They do understand what announcements like this mean, don't they?

We will be forced to take no prisoners alive.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Good, 4000 less terrorists real soon...

What's the current terrorist to virgin ratio?

[capt. norm]

Woudn't it be great if we could catch them (all armed with their explosives) at a meeting..."4,000 birds with one stone"!

And wait 'til they find out that their 72 virgins are all in their 70's and are still virgins for obvious reasons and, actually he is to be their reward?

[SolutionsOnly]

this is a great opportunity! Potential terrorists concentrating themselves on buses and driving the road to Baghdad.

One pass with and A-10, and the world is rid of 50 extremists! It's so much easier than hunting them down one by one.

[DoctorMichael]

We need to tell the despots over there in no uncertain terms that this is a war zone and to keep their people out because anyone headed toward Baghdad from Syria or Jordan will be considered an enemy combatant and will be shot.

[wayoverontheright]

An Iraqi official said 4,000 Arab volunteers have arrived, eager to carry out more suicide attacks against U.S. and British forces.

Let's parse this statement a little. First, it is a tacit admission, presuming these Arab volunteers are coming from outside Iraq, that NO IRAQIS ARE WILLING TO DIE FOR SADDAM.

Note the nebulous source. It wasn't the General who was captured that made this statement, it was an "Iraqi official". For what reason would the author keep the source of this statement anonymous? Answer: this is made up, complete wishful thinking on the part of the AP writer.

I'm sorry, I know there was a homicide bombing yesterday, but I believe the only way anyone would die for Saddam now is if he is holding their wife and children and threatening to kill them if the suicide act is not carried out. Men will die for their wives and children but not for Saddam, not anymore, now that it is apparent such an act is completely futile.

[marshmallow]

The "suicide bomb" is always the measure of last resort for the Arabs. They consider it their "ace" card. Unfortunately, for a totally secular regime like Saddam's, it's all a little bit late and a bit hollow to be trying to jump on the "jihad" bandwagon. They seem to think that if they mouth the right words, such as "martyrdom", "4,000 volunteers" etc, then they automatically grow about ten feet tall.

There may be a handful of these incidents in the coming weeks, but the figure of 4,000 is pure fantasy.

[templar]

... that NO IRAQIS ARE WILLING TO DIE FOR SADDAM.

Bad assumption. One that could get you killed if you were there. 4 of ours just died along with someone that was willing to die for him. Lots of Iraqi's are willing to die for Saddam and are doing so on a daily basis.

Never underestimate the enemy. Nothing is ever certain in war. If true (doubtful) the article indicates that 4000 Arabs other than Iraqui's are willing to join the battle against us and are willing and planning to die killing us. If false or grosly exagerated (more likely) the article is probably trying to claim widespread Arab support of Saddam to intimidate us.

[Kozak]

What's the current terrorist to virgin ratio?

Goats or Camels??

[wayoverontheright]

... that NO IRAQIS ARE WILLING TO DIE FOR SADDAM. Bad assumption.

OK, guilty as charged. I should have said "virtually no Iraqis willing to die for Saddam". Is not the importation of suicide bombers indicative of this?

You're right we should never underestimate the enemy, but the enemy in so many ways is not only Iraq, but the fear-mongering, sky is falling leftist media who I feel are overestimating every attempt by our enemies to instill fear in our populace, thereby aiding the cause of the Iraqis.

I'm not sure if this propaganda has changed policy or not, but if it does, it only puts our young people in more danger.

[Tijeras_Slim]

And wait 'til they find out that their 72 virgins are all in their 70's and are still virgins for obvious reasons and, actually he is to be their reward?

We need to start cloning Helen Thomas!

[Pearls Before Swine]

The "suicide bomb" is always the measure of last resort for the Arabs. They consider it their "ace" card. Unfortunately, for a totally secular regime like Saddam's, it's all a little bit late and a bit hollow to be trying to jump on the "jihad" bandwagon.

I hope this analysis is correct. I thought this way also, because Saddam is clearly a secular, power-mad monster who has cynically played the religion card in the past couple of years to bolster his position in a radicalizing Arab world.

Now I'm not so sure this is the right way to look at things. I have been very surprised at the suicidal ferocity of Uday's fedayeen. It is one thing to be in Uday's crew because of the sadistic power it gives, but it is quite another to be willing to mount suicidal attacks against tanks. I hope that Islamist fanaticism is not sweeping Iraq. It makes the war somewhat more difficult, but would make the following peace nearly impossible.

[rolling_stone]

Well I don't know if it is true but I saw one expatriate Iraqi on TV saying that the suicide bomber was a Saudi..I think it was on Fox news...

[templar]

... I saw one expatriate Iraqi on TV saying that the suicide bomber was a Saudi..

Somehow, that doesn't really surprise me. True or not, I wonder why everyone seems to consider Saudi's to be our friends? We have their leaders marginally on our side, but I doubt the Saudi people overall are allies. Maybe they're not overtly against us, but they surely know who the anti-American terrorists are and, at best, say nothing. Many of them are probably covertly aiding them in some manner. IMO.

[blam]

"If you see any hostile intent, take it out."

[templar]

... but the enemy in so many ways is not only Iraq, but the fear-mongering, sky is falling leftist media ...

It's been that way for a long time. Somewhere about halfway through my first tour in VietNam I figured out that the press was to be counted as enemy along with Charlie (O.K., so I was a little slow on the uptake back then). We'd better Identify the enemy pronto (IMO, all of Islam) and their collaborators (Press along with Leftist politicians, professors, etc.) or we're going to end up in serious trouble someday, and lose a lot of lives needlesly.