Iraq : Danger seen in angry Iraqi youth

Boston Globe via Yahoo! News ^ | 05/08/03 | Patrick Healy

[TigerLikesRooster]

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Abraham Ghanan's body is stunted by malnutrition -- a 16-year-old whose sallow frame is fit for a boy of 10 -- but he keeps his arms strong, he says, in hopes of throwing grenades with perfect aim someday.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Disgruntled youths in Ba'athist ghettos of Iraq looking for trouble, stoked by old regime loyalists. It is interesting that this reporter only hung out in Saddam's one-time stronghold.

[David Isaac]

As far as I know, Israel is the only nation that has even attempted to make terrorism a non-paying proposition. They have exacted a price for almost all acts of terror committed against them. Usually they receive nearly unanimous condemnation (even from us) for such acts of self-defence. But if you will note, not very many El Al flights are targeted by their enemies.

The simple point is this, acts of terror should be punished very severely, especially if the nests of the terrorists are known (and many such are known). The price of terrorism should have been raised to such a level that only the totally insane would even consider such a thing.

When one looks at the way in which this country has dealt with criminals, beginning with the era of the Warren Court and continuing with some of the hijinks of the ACLU, it is not difficult to see the parallel with increases in the number and severity of crimes in this country with the same rise in acts of terror. Spare the rod, spoil the child.

[AmericaUnited]

''There is no work. There is no fuel. There is no cooking gas,'' Saeed says

I'm sick and tired of the pathetic whining of these ingrates. But, 6 months - one year from now, it will be very different.

[tkathy]

A message of personal responsibility vs. blaming others for problems needs to be preached to these losers.

[American in Israel]

Indeed, but they do not want to listen, rage is a virtue in the Islamic Creed.

This malnourished brat did not get this way in the month we have been there. Let him and his friends build up their arms, they will need that strength to carry their dead.

Somehow I do not see the shift from "Be afraid of the Republican Guard" to "Be very afraid of the skinny teeny bopper army" as effective for the Media. But then reality is something that mixes poorly with the Media nowadays.

[Diogenesis]

... stoked by the Boston Globe with its vested interest.

[TigerLikesRooster]

RE #7

Amen!

[Nebr FAL owner]

I'll say it again ! Iraq has 35+ years of infrastucture construction to get caught up on !!! Start getting these disgruntled young men into building trade apprentice programs & get the rebuilding going as fast as possible . This will get Iraq back on its feet & keep the prime recruits for terrorists busy doing something that is 1) useful 2)pays 3)helps make Iraq a modern society.

[Burkeman1]

Once the cheap cheeseburgers start flowing I would imagine many of these "angry" teens disappear.

[WOSG]

It's a pity the US isnt doing more to re-educate these youths - we could create a nation of allies or a nation of enemies depending on how we behave NOW. We need to be putting on IRaqi TV the kind of 'de-programming' that explains what the US, freedom, civil society, tolerance and individual responsibility are all about.

And of course get the electricty and water up and running.

[WOSG]

"Iraq has 35+ years of infrastucture construction to get caught up on !!! Start getting these disgruntled young men into building trade apprentice programs & get the rebuilding going as fast as possible . "

Right, if I was Jay Garner, I'd be *hiring* every warm body who wants to work for a pittance. Get them off the streets ... and then back *on* the streets rebuilding the roads, homes, etc.

"This will get Iraq back on its feet & keep the prime recruits for terrorists busy doing something that is 1) useful 2)pays 3)helps make Iraq a modern society."

Righto!