[MadIvan]

Hopefully you've been on FR long enough to realize that a thick skin is something of a requirement to stay on here.

I've been here for nearly 5 years. I've heard all sorts of terrible things said about my country (and yes, about me). Yes, I've got a thick skin. It is inappropriate to the extreme to use this article to bash the lads and their officers, given their bravery, and the fact that a good number returned home in boxes. If an American patriot was on a British board, and our roles reversed, I doubt he would be lingering either if that fundamental element of decency and respect was not forthcoming.

Regards, Ivan

[Cordova Belle]

Ivan, I believe the views that have been offensive to you--and rightly so--represent a minority of posters on FR.

No one in their right mind would disparage with the Brits did in Iraq.

No one.

[EaglesUpForever]

Well, I think you just have to look at whether that fundamental element of decency and respect is forthcoming from whom. Because on any public forum like this, there will be at least some percentage that will just spew forth emotional junk.

Anyway, for my part, I apologize if you took offense at anything I said, and I have the deepest appreciation for your great country and respect the fact that as GW said, we have no truer friend.

I can't think of a Freeper that has contributed more than you, either.

[WaterDragon]

It is inappropriate to the extreme to use this article to bash the lads and their officers, given their bravery, and the fact that a good number returned home in boxes.

And we happen to feel it is inappropriate that you posted an article that made fun of American soldiers, and that you defend the newspaper, the Telegraph, that printed that and other insulting articles.

Among those American troops that the Telegraph mocked were some who also came home in boxes.

And you defend this rag, saying, oh, well...the Telegraph doesn't do that very often, so what's the beef?

[Pukka Puck]

"inappropriate to the extreme to use this article to bash the lads and their officers, given their bravery"

Yet more intellectual dishonesty from Ivan.

We are bashing the author of the ridiculous article and the newspaper that published it. That fact that some have mentioned that the lads sat outside Basra, doing very little for two weeks, is not bashing the "lads", it is simply a very true fact.

[Pukka Puck]

"inappropriate to the extreme to use this article to bash the lads and their officers, given their bravery"

Yet more intellectual dishonesty from Ivan.

We are bashing the author of the ridiculous article and the newspaper that published it. That fact that some have mentioned that the lads sat outside Basra, doing very little for two weeks, is not bashing the "lads", it is simply a very true fact.

The topic of this thread is "Unlike the American troops, we look the Iraqis in the eye". The bashing is of American troops, not British troops.

Yet, you continually want to change the topic and pretend that those of us who are upset with the author of this article are bashing the British troops. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, in the context of discussing the differing roles of the British and American troops as brought up in this article, it is extremely relevant to point out just what it was that the preceded the current peacekeeping phase of the troop deployment.

As Ursus arctos horribilis wrote in post 55,
"The Americans conquered over 300 miles of hostile country charging forward from their base of operations and supplies. This though weeks of constant up close and personal combat.

Now compare the Brits, they never got out of sight of Kuwait City and their base of operations or supplies. They barely got past the outer city limits of Basra during the same time frame as the Americans conquered the rest of Iraq.

I also remember that "soft and easy" MO of sitting by and letting the Sadamnites slaughter the civilians in Basra with artillery, this while the Brit commanders timidly played whist outside the city without proactively intervening. At the same time the Brit combat troops were raising hell and chomping at the bit to close with the enemy and bring it to a halt.

Fact, Americans took Baghdad in one day, they took the entire country in less time than the Brits got to the city center of Basra. And that they were only able to do with full American fixed and rotor winged airpower."

This nothing more than pure fact. This is not bashing of the lads, as Ivan so dishonestly claims.