[kimchi lover]

"An old woman shrouded in black -- one of the very few women outside -- knelt toward the feet of Americans, embracing an American woman. A younger man with her pulled her away, giving her a warning sign by sliding his finger across his throat"

Excuse my density but what was the motion across the throat about? Was he trying to tell her that the soldiers were dangerous and that they might kill her?

[ApesForEvolution]

"Excuse my density but what was the motion across the throat about? Was he trying to tell her that the soldiers were dangerous and that they might kill her?"

I believe, as referenced in the above article, that the last time they got excited we left them hanging and they paid the price.

[Tomalak]

The impression I got was he was a Saddam supporter warning her she would die for her "treason". I think reality will hit home to him pretty soon, but right now he probably thinks Saddam will use his genius to retake control of his city.

[arasina]

Excuse my density but what was the motion across the throat about? Was he trying to tell her that the soldiers were dangerous and that they might kill her?

He was probably warning her that if she were seen making physical contact that she would have her throat slit by other Iraqis. Their customs are very different than ours. If you want to read more in a very well researched and entertaining novel, read The Haj by Leon Uris. Excellent historical novel---mostly about Israel and Palestine---but it gave me some insight into what it's like to be a Muslim woman.