Posted on 01/21/2010 9:04:32 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. General David Petraeus said on Thursday it was "disturbing" that a manufacturer had embossed biblical citations on rifle scopes sent to Afghanistan and Iraq, and the firm announced it would voluntarily halt the practice.
"This is a big concern to the Army and the Marine Corps, who have contracted for these particular sites," said Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, noting the religious sensitivities American forces face in the two Muslim countries.
"This is of serious concern to me and to the other commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan because, indeed, it conveys a perception that is absolutely contrary to what it is that we have sought to do," Petraeus told a forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"It is disturbing to us, frankly, that this was done," he added.
President Barack Obama has sought to convince the Muslim world that the U.S. fight against al Qaeda militants should not be viewed as a war against Islam.
Former President George W. Bush heightened those concerns shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington when he referred to his war on terrorism as a "crusade," a remark critics warned raised images of Christian knights attacking Muslim cities during the Middle Ages.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Flames away:
But I agree with Petreous!
If the mil spec for these scopes did not include inscriptions, then the supplier should not be allowed to alter the mil-spec. Thus the supplied equipment does not meet contract, and should not be paid for nor accepted!
How would everyone feel if a Muzzie firm in Michigan got a contract for, say $600 toilet seats, and the firm’s president, Mohammad, ordered his workers to inscribe on them a reference to Jesus?
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C’mon you guys, calm down. Please. First, GEN Petreaus is a good guy. As a general, he is obliged to comment on issues like this that the media elevates to international matters. What else is he going to say? Think about it. Everything this guy says will get international press coverage, including the 1.4 billion or so islamic audience. He has to choose his words carefully, and he will always use the best words to keep his couple hundred thousand troops in the field safe.
When people attack him so easily, in my eyes, they put themselves in the same camp as those who call him “general betray-us”. For crying out loud he’s in charge of the most significant war effort the globe has ever seen.
The troops have no problem with the inscriptions, and were mostly unaware of them until ABC made it a big deal.
Please, have faith in our troopers they are in the field to protect us. Including their leaders.
As long as the enemy can scream ‘allah akbar’, I reckon our rifles can bear God’s word. There are tens of thousands of these things in the field and in the supply system. We’ll be seeing them for some time to come...
Personally, I’ll support Trijicon AND General P.
Kit!
C’mon you guys, calm down. Please. First, GEN Petreaus is a good guy. As a general, he is obliged to comment on issues like this that the media elevates to international matters. What else is he going to say? Think about it. Everything this guy says will get international press coverage, including the 1.4 billion or so islamic audience. He has to choose his words carefully, and he will always use the best words to keep his couple hundred thousand troops in the field safe.
When people attack him so easily, in my eyes, they put themselves in the same camp as those who call him “general betray-us”. For crying out loud he’s in charge of the most significant war effort the globe has ever seen.
The troops have no problem with the inscriptions, and were mostly unaware of them until ABC made it a big deal.
Please, have faith in our troopers they are in the field to protect us. Including their leaders.
As long as the enemy can scream ‘allah akbar’, I reckon our rifles can bear God’s word. There are tens of thousands of these things in the field and in the supply system. We’ll be seeing them for some time to come...
Personally, I’ll support Trijicon AND General P.
Kit!
The good General is merely reflecting the mentality he grew up with in the military; the same mentality that ignored Hasan’s repeated warnings.
I saw Affirmative Action in the US Army in 1969, whereby quotas were filled by promoting according to race, with no regard for merit.
When I asked about it, my drill sargeant told me it was official policy.
OTOH, did any such thing ever occur in "those days" ? I doubt it! Why would that be?
wanna bet the WH leaked it to ABC
Thanks Kit. As long as I am considered “the Infidel” by Islam, I’ve got no problem with the Bible quotes.
Those arms are not issued exclusively for this campaign.
This is a non issue.
The less said about this the better, by high level members of the military. That’s my take on it.
What is all the fuss about?
I know what the fuss is about , the terrorists that take these scopes off dead soldiers will be unable to use them against live soldiers.
Lefties commie traitorous bastards do not want good scopes not to be used against our soldiers.
There are days that I wish I was supreme ruler so I could end this PC BS permeating our society
Reading the thread I’m struck by two things.
First, the general lack of understanding and misuse of the concept “Politically Correct”. Pleasing western PC sensibilities isn’t the issue. Dealing with the culture in foreign lands we are fighting is what we are attempting.
Second, the eagerness and gusto that FR employs to throw the General under the bus. A man who was nearly worshiped just a year ago. The man many wanted for president. Nobody wanting to give him even the smallest benefit of the doubt as an expert on what is needed to fight our wars in Islamic territories, and what might hinder our efforts and unnecessarily endanger US troops.
I hope the General isn’t crowding Sarah Palin under that bus, where so many consigned her yesterday.
One though is that former President Bush declared Islam a “Religion of Peace,” instead of what it actually means, “Submission.”
Our continued psychological denial of dealing with, the islamic multi-headed dragon, that is the theocracy of islam as the governmental culture of muslims in the Mideast will be our undoing.
Can western culture deal effectively with a theocracy that threatens its own existence? So far the answer appears to be no. The reason lies in our ideal of freedom of religion versus the regime of a theocracy.
And so, the PC dance will continue, until we can find a western reasonable way to define our enemy.
Why should we calm down?
There was NO need for the General to say ANYTHING.
These scopes save our soldiers lives EVERY day!
Since 1991, all we have done is go and protect Muslim interests around the world at a cost of trillions to us. If they don’t like our Christian protection and dollars—f’em.
The good General should have said “This is the best damn gun scope in the world and our soldiers deserve only the best. It saves soldiers’ lives everyday, and I’m for anything that save our soldiers lives so they can return back to their families.”
To have a top general fret over something so non-consequential is demeaning and embarrassing.
There’s a cross inside the scope—does that offend those Muslim bastids too?
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Uh...
If the military will now be decommissioning these via DRMO, can I get my name on the list to buy a used TA31ECOS?
The General screwed the pooch on this one, again in my opinion. He didn't have to say anything other than the issue is being addressed and corrected. PERIOD!
By having the top soldier in your chain of command sounding so political and PC, combined with the very restrictive Rules Of Engagement, and a CINC setting artificial deadlines for the completion of a very nebulous mission takes its toll on the morale of those actually doing the fighting.
Sorry that we disagree on this matter, however as one who has experience in fighting a political "war" knowing going in that we won't be allowed to "win", I still believe the General went way beyond what he should have said, if he had to say anything at all!
Yes, I also find emperor bammy to be quite disgusting.
How long before even the word "enemy" will be verboten? Our soldiers lay their lives on the line yet cannot even have a Bible? That will be next. How can you buy this insane garbage?
Yep, well said Winmag and looks like I’ll have to move up the ACOG on my must have list.
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