U.S. soldier shot dead in apparent sniper attack in Baghdad, Pentagon sources say. Details soon

CNN ^ | 5/8/03

[areafiftyone]

U.S. soldier shot dead in apparent sniper attack in Baghdad, Pentagon sources say. Details soon

[Archangelsk]

Inform the citizens of Baghdad that if the shootings do not stop, the US will pull back and allow Kurdish/Shia troops enter the city to keep order.

And from that hypothetical vacuum you just created rises a strong theocracy. You sure you want to go there? :-)

[Criminal Number 18F]

The only way to root these guys out will be to have the support of the vast majority of locals.

You GET it, Matt. Unfortunately the Army has a bad habit of putting tank-clanking generals in charge of these things. I watched a three-star (who is actually intelligent, motivated, and has his heart in the right place) throwing 82nd battalions around like King Kong swatting at planes. Apart from their Apaches, I don't believe the conventional forces killed anyone while I was there, except for some kids that wandered onto the mortar range to pick up scrap metal. (Which they did, but not in the manner they intended).

Everything we are succeeding with in Afghanistan (which is probably at the stage Iraq will be at in a year or so) is happening because unconventional forces are doing the grip-n-grin with the locals. When you have made some, er, friends among them, you start hearing about the militia commander who still has a SA-7 hidden in his house, or the mullah who is sneaking out nights to preach jihad.

Everything we screw up, you find some guy trying to reenact the D-Day invasion or at least the helicopter assault from Apocalypse Now.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Travis McGee]

I hope we get some folks on the ground that understand that. We need to use the average Iraqi's desire for a normal life to encourage them to help us.

Or Baghdad 2004 could make Beirut 1976 look like San Diego.

[takenoprisoner]

We need to use the average Iraqi's desire for a normal life to encourage them to help us.

You can't be serious. That or you are an idiot. Meantime, what's an "average" Iraqi? Oh yea, he's the average guy with the grenade. The cinch is which one is he?

[Travis McGee]

"The average Iraqi wants a normal life." You find that the statement of an idiot.

Yeah right. Piss off, moron.

[archy]

Everything we are succeeding with in Afghanistan (which is probably at the stage Iraq will be at in a year or so) is happening because unconventional forces are doing the grip-n-grin with the locals. When you have made some, er, friends among them, you start hearing about the militia commander who still has a SA-7 hidden in his house, or the mullah who is sneaking out nights to preach jihad.

Everything we screw up, you find some guy trying to reenact the D-Day invasion or at least the helicopter assault from Apocalypse Now.

We've got a really serious shortage of Dari speaking military personnel for use in Afghanistan, bad enough that even some old Vietnam-era retreads are being recalled for their language skills, though the Phraselators help. But the old business of winning hearts and minds is not unfamiliar to them, and their age is an additional advantage in dealing with Afghani tribal and family leaders, whose cultural view of clean-shaven staff officers is that they're male prostitutes.

But Afghanistan is not at all a *Done Deal* and if the 30 US casualties there to date are hardly representative of an *Afghanistan Quagmire* it should be noted that Al Quiada is back in business there in a couple of provinces. But we do have one nasty little surprise for them that they don't care for one bit.

Remember the Nungs in Vietnam? Hehhehheh....

[takenoprisoner]

"The average Iraqi wants a normal life."

Meanwhile, you're too stupid to define either.

[NEPA]

Please keep us updated...

Thanks for your concern. We haven't heard from Bryan(my nephew) since he left so I guess no news is good news.

My mother is more concerned for Bryan than I can remember her being for my brothers who served in Vietnam. Maybe she just hid it better then out of concern for us younger kids (I was grammar school then).

My mother lost her first husband in Korea. Her second husband (my father) died when I was 12. She has had a tough life. Bryan took leave and flew home for her 80th birthday in March. He's a good kid who also has had it rough. Abusive father, more or less grew up in poverty; my mother and I helped all we could. He's determined to make something of his life and planned on going in the military as a young kid. He signed up in July, 2001 on delayed entry. He left for basic soon after graduating HS last year.

As a former Army sergeant I'm really proud of him.

[justshe]

WOW....and well you should be proud of him.

I'm glad that you and your mother took a hand in his life and helped him all you could. It might have been the difference he needed to be able to 'make something' of his life. I wish him well.....and hope you hear some positive news soon.