Ill-equipped soldiers use excess force

The Washington Times ^ | July 28, 2005 | Rowan Scarborough

[Blood of Tyrants]

I would bet that this general voted for clinton, al gwhore, AND kerry.

[NY Attitude]

Or, how he ever got to be a General in command of troops in a war zone. Something is seriously wrong with this picture.

[OKIEDOC]

Why is the media hell bent on publishing every piece of information no matter how secret or sensitive in nature.

I don't trust anyone working in the media.

[hosepipe]

[ U.S. Army soldiers have used "excessive" and "unauthorized deadly force" in Iraq to defend supply convoys because they did not have the proper weapons, according to a commander's secret internal memorandum. ]

Soldiers in a war, useing excessive force.. WHAT A CONCEPT..
Goebbels would be proud.. Fire this idiot.. NOW...
Before he gets anyone ELSE killed..

[JustAnotherOkie]

Yep, that guy is sure full of crap. That's probably why the guys aren't carrying the 9mm. Maybe a 32auto pimp special would be even better.

[El Gato]

this story really makes me wonder if the General has ever fired a weapon in the past 20 or so years........

More likely he's been badly misquoted. The clueless hear what they expect to hear, not necessarily what is actually said.

[MikefromOhio]

you can always hope for that.....

[Modok]

This general is an idiot!

[El Gato]

The single most dangerous place in Iraq is in a military convoy.

That was certainly true before those running the convoys got their act together. Now it appears to be an Iraqi police station, or Iraqi Army recruiting office.

Just today I spoke with a solider, a woman, who is on her two weeks R&R, but will head back to Iraq to finish her tour after that.

She says the Iraq Police can't shoot for Shiite. Most of her trainees were ordinary police under Saddam, when they were issued five rounds each year, and were expected to turn them back in at the end of the year, under penally of ganji (Actually arrest and detention in Saddam's prisons). Many of them couldn't even put the rounds on the paper.

BTW, she said she was issued an M-9, but carries a 9 mm Glock instead. It wasn't clear where she got the Glock (possibly from a contractor).

[Casloy]

Actually, the most dangerous place in Iraq is outside any government building where people congregate. Actually, for American soldiers it is still convoys, although I am basing it on reports from the news and not statistical evidence.

I think the reason for the announcement of pullouts of big segments of the US Military in the spring is due to the increase in quality and numbers of Iraqi security forces, both police and military. I have no doubt the local police aren't the best in the world, but I am trying to imagine what it would be like if a city like Chicago had to suddenly hire and train an entirely new police force over a period of a year. Add to that they are constantly being targetted and it doesn't make for an easily trainable law enforcement team.

[Unassuaged]

Mmmmmm, Hard-wired reflexes.

[El Gato]

I am trying to imagine what it would be like if a city like Chicago had to suddenly hire and train an entirely new police force over a period of a year.

Many of the "new" Iraqi police are the same people as the "old" police. Even in a dictatorship, there is a need for ordinary police to investigate murders, robberies, etc and to handle traffic, etc. The young soldier was just teaching 'em better ways than they had before. And trying to knock some notion of citizen's rights into their thick skulls.