'IRAQ USING HUMAN SHIELDS'

Headline news from Sky News - Witness the event ^ | 3/25/03

[jrushing]

Iraqi paramilitaries are using civilians as human shields, Sky News has learnt.

Militiamen facing besieging British troops outside Basra are forcing locals to march in front of them as they fire on soldiers, UK forces claim.

[jrushing]

Do they have teargas over there or is it the case that only cops have teargas and soldiers aren't allowed to use it?

We aren't talking about cops & tear-gas. These Iraqi's troops with AK47's shooting real bullets are hiding behind civilians so the civilians will be hit with bullets that are shot from the Coalition troops who are shooting at the Iraqi troops. It's the same on nights & weekends.

[wingster]

Unfortunately if the coalition is to win this, Iraqi civilians are going to have to die. That's just the facts. I wonder how many of them are willing to risk that they are the one if they could know in advance that Saddam will come down! I'll say most.

If we attempt to fight this war P.C. thru to the end, I guarantee that this will end in disaster and defeat for the coalition. We need to do whatever is necessary and I trust that our leadership will do so. They fully understand the impact of a global PR campaign if this thing isn't under control within a matter of weeks, possibly a little longer.

Unfortunately, if we just shot up the troops that used civilians a couple of times, I'd wager that they wouldn't do it anymore.

But this one guy fighting w/ gloves on while the other has a stilleto, brass knuckles, a pair of numchucks, and some other goodies is silly.

Civilian casualties is a very sad thing. Unfortunately it is also a by product of war. The problem is that most Americans are so unaquainted with the way the rest of the world is that they are appalled at what is normal in other parts of the world and in situations that have occurred in peacetime for so long.

[md2576]

I agree, that is why I posted it, saying we can do an incredible job without killing the human shields, like some here suggest.

[Rome2000]

We'll see how it plays out, but you take a city by beseiging it until the residents starve or fighting them house to house, unless 10,000 years of human warfare doctrine has now been usurped.

For your info, Iraqi TV was housed in a daycare center, which is why we failed to take it out previously.

The rules of engagement are apparently changing as we speak.

[md2576]

Did we bomb the fighter jet "hidden" in the graveyard?

[FatherOfLiberty]

Please read my post 47. I hope that clarifies my position for you.

I'm not saying sacrifice our troops AT ALL! I'm not saying that a soldier may have to take out an innocent civilian. I won't fault him for that. I know that war is very dirty and I am not squeamish about that at all. The part that struck me as "racist" (or whatever term would best fit - I believe we are all part of the same race - human) was the cavalier "bidding war" for the INNOCENT civilians whose only crime was being born in Iraq. For those Iraqis who support the regime, I up the bid to 500,000 Iraqi soldiers to 0 U.S. soldiers.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

You can also take them out by using snipers to kill those on the outer ring, and partisans to push that ring out. This isn't Tyre or Stalingrad, it's Basra with maybe two to three thousand combatants inside. Reduce their numbers by 300 a day and you will have the city soon.

I know they hit the TV center today, but we don't know if anything changed on the ground. SpecOps could have determined that collateral damage wouldn't be too bad, or they could have determined how and when to hit it for least civilian impact.

I am not saying that any civilian death is unacceptable, I'm saying the angst over the militaries concern for civilians is defeatist as best and bloodthirsty at worst. Considering how well we are doing, I think it is working pretty well.

[A CA Guy]

Are all the children color blind?

[Porterville]

damn it, we are the American human shields to take the innocent Iraqis place?? Oh, they all ran home or got ran over by bulldozers you say???

[Porterville]

We can try knock-out gas like the Russians did in that theatre.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Nah, send in a NG detachment from North Alabama. Tell those squirrel hunters to bring their own rifles and give them a six-pack and 5 scratchers for each hostile brought down. Sit back and watch the turkey shoot.

[Gilbo_3]

I'm sad to say- the only way I can think of to force the Iraqis to end this practice of using forced human shields is to show them that it doesn't work; that it increases their value as targets, and that it limits their mobility.

Read my mind, because they wont understand we are serious until we PROVE we are serious...

[FatherOfLiberty]

See my post 47 and 66 for clarification (I hope).

Anyway, you haven't heard anything yet. Just wait till PETA starts shrieking about the abuse of innocent dolphins by using them to help locate underwater mines.

Funny you should mention that...

PETA Slams Use of Dolphins In War

[Centurion2000]

Very well. But even innocent iraqis are not worth one of our soldiers lives. It's not racist to put American lives ahead of iraqis.

[Polybius]

Gun blazing Freerepublic bad-asses are wonderful! Screw the Iraqi people! Turn Baghdad to a glass parking lot! ....we should not blame ourselves for civilian casualities, but I am sickened when I read of people wanting civilian casualities.

Seconded.

People, both the Peaceniks and the "Nuke Baghdad" crowd, really need to realize that Iraq is a country where a small minority of Baath Party sociopaths are terrorizing the remainder of the population.

Remember when Eastern Europe was "the enemy"?

Well, now that the sociopathic Communist Party thugs are out of power, who are our friends in Europe?

It is not the French or the Germans or the Belgians who can no longer remember that America saved them from totalitarianism. It is the Eastern European people who are standing by us as "New Europe" because they are greatful that we caused the fall of their recent Communist oppressors.

When this is all over, the Iraqi people will hunt down the remaning Baathist thugs and terminate them with extreme prejudice. Justice for the atrocities commited by the Baathists against our servicemembers and the Iraqi people will be swift and sure although not "by the book". If we have any common sense, we will not notice because we are tying our shoelaces but we will be shocked, shocked at all the dead Baathists when we look up.

Those Iraqi people are our future allies because we will rid them of their torturer......Saddam and the Baathist Party.

[Polybius]

You can also take them out by using snipers to kill those on the outer ring, and partisans to push that ring out.

Agreed.

This is a perfect enviornment for snipers to practice their vocation.

Throughout military history, snipers have been grudgingly admired, at best, or despised, at worst. Here is a chance for snipers to win the the "Mother Theresa Award for Saving the Innocent".

I seem to be agreeing a lot with you tonight. ;-)

[exDemMom]

Do they have teargas over there or is it the case that only cops have teargas and soldiers aren't allowed to use it?

I'm pretty sure the military has tear gas; the Navy used it on me when I went through boot camp, and I think they still use it to train recruits. Of course, gassing recruits isn't the same as gassing enemy soldiers...

[skr]

I think the problem may be that if the civilians aren't worth anything as human shields, they'll be killed and used as propaganda...see how the Americans massacred the civilians. If the civilians are going to die anyway, then our not shooting at the guys behind them won't help them or us.

[truth_seeker]

"Maybe they really don't believe in Allah."

Twisted and diabolical souls that they are, someone among them can cite a passage in their holy book, to justify such despicable action.

Listen carefully for the condemnation of such acts from "good muslims" because I expect such condemnations may be just a faint whisper.

[EGPWS]

Gingrich said tonight the coalition ought to go to the UN, Al Jazeera and the French and have them beseech the Iraqis to evacuate all civilians from Baghdad and other target areas within 3 days.

If the civilians are still there after that, its not going to be our fault.

The most plausable and reasonable idea I've seen on this thread. No wonder I miss the guy after he left office for he can talk sense thats usable.