No shades of gray-American soldiers have been disobeying orders

Jewish World Review ^ | April 8, 2003 | Mona Charen

[SJackson]

American soldiers have been disobeying orders. According to The Washington Times, some members of the Army's Civil Affairs Brigade stationed at Umm Qasr are routinely tucking extra cases of bottled water into their Humvees to distribute to thirsty Iraqi civilians. This is against regulations, as rations for soldiers are meant to be kept separate from relief to the civilian population.

But there are problems with the water supply to this region. Though military planners had hoped to have a pipeline and water delivery system providing fresh drinking water to Iraqi civilians running smoothly by now, there have been snags. The drivers assigned to truck water from the pipeline to populated areas have sometimes taken bribes to sell the water to farmers, instead, or have attempted to gouge the locals. The parched civilians who do reach water trucks are frequently trampled in the tumult that surrounds a delivery.

And so American GIs are tucking extra water into their Humvees and handing it out to civilians -- in some cases to the point where our soldiers are going without. The Navy Seabees have also leaped into action, rigging up two reverse-osmosis machines to remove the salt from seawater. "Officially, we're here to generate water for military use," said Petty Officer Ralph Moore, "but unofficially, we do what we can to help."

Has there ever before in history been an invading force that was more careful of enemy civilians than the enemy itself? The coalition is killing large numbers of Iraqis who choose to die for Saddam, but has made it abundantly clear that we are not at war with the people of Iraq and wish to spare them as far as is humanly possible.

The lights and power in Baghdad remain on (except when the regime darkens the capital for its own reasons), and the provision of humanitarian relief has been a top priority since the onset of hostilities. The Saddamites, of course, are trying every disgusting trick they know -- from using schools and hospitals as military bases; to firing from inside mosques; to literally driving women and children before soldiers into battle -- to encourage civilian casualties. Coalition forces have declined to oblige.

Of course there is tragedy in the fate of many Iraqis who feel they have no choice but to die for Saddam. His goons have reportedly entered the homes of thousands, threatening that children would be murdered if older boys and men did not go out to fight for Saddam. But this is part of the ongoing tragedy of Saddam's vicious rule. As Walter Russell Mead has pointed out, for every year that Saddam held power, 60,000 Iraqi children between the ages of 1 and 5 died. Death of innocents is the daily reality of life under Saddam Hussein.

Our soldiers have sometimes expressed incredulity at the suicidal nature of the poorly equipped and utterly outgunned Iraqis throwing themselves at our tanks and armored personnel carriers. I can think of two possible explanations. Some are sacrificing themselves to save their families, and others, Saddam's killers, know that the end is near and fear that their neighbors will exact revenge when the war is over. They'd prefer to die by American than by Iraqi hands.

Continued........

[Arkie2]

Doesn't surprise me.

[JaimeD2]

Since some might construe my last reply as lacking content, I'll elaborate:

First: I wasn't trying to ridicule anybody's ideas but yours, which seemed to uneqivocably support the sarcastically proposed idea that only white males who are also English speaking, Protestant and Republican count. More to the point, the only comment I made on the thread was to you, so how could I have been trying to ridicule anybody else?

Second: It's not race baiting when you make such an assertion, but it is when I try to refute your clearly stated views? That's ridiculous.
"Only white people count."
"You're saying that only white people count? I certainly hope not."
"Stop that race baiting rhetoric."
Yes indeed.

Third: I'm only three of the five things mentioned, so if your comment should be understood as it's written, you're saying that I don't count and can go to hell. I'm clearly going to object to that.

Fourth: I still don't know what you meant in your second reply. But if you're trying to say that your comment, "Why sarcasm? It's true," was sarcastic, might I suggest that you work on your own rhetoric rather than criticize mine?

[Restorer]

Can't we let in Protestant, English-speaking white females?

:)

[Uncle Jaque]

Re. the claim that 60,000 Iraqi children die annually under the tyranny of Saddamn;

How many unborn Americans are butchered under the rule of "Roe v. Wade" each year, pray tell?

I don't suppose anyone will or could do this, but I would be curious as to the percentage of of "Pro-Life" vs. "Pro-choice" positions between the "Support Our Troops" Rally participants and those of the "No blood for oil" Anti-Bush crowd.

Am I the only xzenophobic Neocon in here who suspects that there just might be a connection someplace?

"It's for the Children", of course.
Sure...
Add 'em up!

It appears to at least this one simple Yankee that the practice of systematic, industrialized Infanticide seems to settle, in the main, on one side of the bloody old bathtub, here... both at home and abroad.

In a letter now faded and brittle with age, written home from the front of another war of Liberation back in 1864, an Ancestor opined that the curse of that particular war (which ultimately claimed the lives of over 660,000 Americans) was the direct consequence of, and God's righteous judgement for, the sins of America, both North and South.
He furthur opined that those sins had grown to the point where they could "...not be purged from this Country, but by blood."

And I think before we get terribly myopic in regards to the atrocities of Saddamn Hussaien, we might do well to engage in some introspective soul-searching of our own. In regards to judgement, perhaps America has gotten off, by His Grace, relatively easy.

So far, that is.

Repentance may well be in order within our own national shores and hearts; there is a desperate want for Spiritual Liberation right here at home, every bit as much, I suspect, as there is need for political and tactical Liberation in tyrannical gulags like Iraq.

Might Perchance a Spiritual liberation both at home as well as over there make "Liberation" truly a lasting and complete blessing?

I can't help but wonder if honest conviction, confession, repentance, reconciliation and mutual liberation might be tasks to which our mutual Creator calls us to arise...

Together.

Shalom;
Amen.

[arthurus]

Can't we let in Protestant, English-speaking white females?

Certainly! if they are Republicans, and that's already covered.

[geedee]

[TopQuark]

Very nice! Thank you.

[CholeraJoe]

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.

[packrat01]

(This war, for what it's worth, will probably become known as the Iraq War, not the Second Gulf War.)

Why not Gulf War Part Deux?

Part one, was before the 12 year half-time show...

[TopQuark]

You statement is a bit too strong. However evil the Soviets were, there is something to be said about them taking pretty good care of the eastern front during the WWII. That battle was one collectively.

The point is not even that, however. I think the main thrust of her statement was that the English-speaking peoples fought on the same side, whenever push came to shove. (Her statement was whether she would like the U.K. to join Europe, to which she replied, to wit, "Not at all. I believe in the unity of the English-speaking peoples, it is they...")

[sinkspur]

And I think before we get terribly myopic in regards to the atrocities of Saddamn Hussaien, we might do well to engage in some introspective soul-searching of our own. In regards to judgement, perhaps America has gotten off, by His Grace, relatively easy.

You might do well to take your sanctimony over to the religion thread, where you can beat your breast and holler "shame, shame" all you want.

Any attempt at moral equivalency between America and Hussein's Iraq is, frankly, reprehensible.

[Arkie2]

You obviously don't agree with post 10 from top quark, hence your reply to him with your sarcasm. Sorry if you don't like it but his quote by Thatcher is true. If that offends your multicultural viewpoint, well, that's too bad.

[wardaddy]

None I know of historically....not even the old Brits who were somewhat civilized relatively speaking.

I do have to wonder though....do folks really remember our altruism....Japan seems to, but they are big on honour and whatnot. The Germans and French seem to have short memmories.

Getting the Islmaic world to like us is going to be a tough sell. It would be easier if they ever embraced representational government but they seem predisposed culturally and religiously to embrace governance otherwise.

I'm not implying we should let them die....we should not if we can help but this hearts and minds attempt may work in the short term but will lack legs without fundamental change.

[CholeraJoe]

Great graphic!

[AF_Blue]

RogerCopy.

Having the officer represent the unit at a staff meeting is an excellent oppotunity for this kind of activity.

Sounds like you've lead some excellent SNCOs, or you've trained some excellent officers.

[AgThorn]

looks like the beginning of a "flame war" ... I wouldn't challenge him JaimeD2. You didn't post anything wrong.

[TontoKowalski]

Having the officer represent the unit at a staff meeting is an excellent oppotunity for this kind of activity.

"Chief, I wonder what we'll do about such and such problem? Oh my goodness, I just remembered that I intended to inspect some dark and forgotten corner of the ship. Should take me about two hours."

Sounds like you've lead some excellent SNCOs, or you've trained some excellent officers.

Sort of a mix. More true: I was trained by some excellent CPOs.

One of my favorite memories as a JO...My Chief pulled onto the pier with brand spanking new mattresses for every man on board. The CO comes back from an off-ship meeting to find a well-organized brigade of sailors hauling old mattresses out to a dump truck and hauling brand new ones back to the berthing areas.

CO asked me where they came from. I looked him straight in the eye and said, "They fell from the sky." He gave a little smile and said, "How fortunate," and walked away.

It was never spoken of again.

[Terridan]

I've often wondered why this is myself... then I remember who is in charge of our mass media... best wishes!

[JaimeD2]

Thanks. I think that's probably good advice.