Two U.S. soldiers killed near Mosul; 10,000 Shiites stage anti-American demonstration in Najaf

Associated Press ^ | 07-20-03

[Brian S]

Two soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division were killed and one was injured in an ambush Sunday when their convoy came under rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said.

The deaths brought to 151 the number of American soldiers killed in action since the March 20 start of the war, four more than the total killed in the 1991 Gulf war.

[Mr Crontab]

Mass sterilization camps? Yeah, that'll advance America interests around the world.

[mr.pink]

Level an entire god-damned city, and then let's see how many show up for demonstrations against the liberators.

How on earth can you use the word "liberators" in the same sentence in which you propose mass murder and devastion?

IMO, It's time to attempt to cool tensions by invitng in peacekeeping forces from the very nations and organizations we pre-war demonized. Our troops are the best fighting forces in the world, but they are not trained to be policemen.

I think Bush realizes this, hence his Liberia olive branch to the U.N.. I'm predicting U.N. troops in Iraq by years end, and I'll applaud that.

[oceanview]

but those UN troops will do nothing, just like in Africa, they will stand around and guard a 100 square yard area at the airport and that's it (ok, maybe the museum too), while chaos rages around them. there is nothing to be gained from that, there are additional foreign troops coming in (Poland, etc) who are actually doing something.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Why do you want to get the UN involved? It has an awful track record in peacekeeping. Kosovo is now a UN colony and has been cleansed (under the eyes of the "peacekeepers" you praise) of most of its remaining serbs.

A far better solution is to turn over authority to the interim government when it still can maintain a shred of credibility and get the heck out on a fast time table.

[PISANO]

Doesn't anyone GET IT? This is the KIND of war that the LEFTIST MEDIA and their cohorts want because it is the only way to set up a NO WIN situation. Complain vociferously that hundreds of thousand of civilians will be killed if we bomb them into the stone age (i.e Japan)

THEN when we are so carefull to minimize civilian deaths and leave their infrastructure in tact THE guerilla forces can come out in force KILL our troops at the rate of 1 or 2 a day (3X LESS than the murder rate of California, I might add) and the SAME leftists who opposed the TOTAL annihilation of the enemy attempt to change the minds and hearts of the American people who supported WAR with the constant DRIP DRIP DRIP of American casualties and indiginous uprisings.

NEVER do you read POSITIVE stories about the reconstruction, NEVER! War is NOT for the weak of heart and spirit, once committed there should be NO TURNING BACK!!Stay the course and don't let the LEFTIST turn IRAQ into VIETNAM!

[oceanview]

you are correct.

but the Bush could have a better media strategy. Start having a daily press briefing from Paul Bremmers office, outline the accomplishments that are going on (along with the failures), it would force some coverage by the media other then the daily media spin about "quagmire" and all the rest. If would also mean that for 1 hour a day, we wouldn't have to hear about Kobe Bryant and Scott Peterson and all the rest.

[mr.pink]

I agree with both your asessments of U.N. troops, but I'll stand by my prediction of them being in there by years end.

IMO, the current situation was entirely predictable and a few heads should be rolling at DOD.

[joesnuffy]

The Christian West cannot "occupy"-"liberate"
The Arab-Muslim Middle East

All we can do in the end is to try to fill the country with moderate muslims
yet these kinds come from and live in the west

The heart & wellspring of Arab Islam is Saudi Arabia

And as long as the Middle East and mosques and islamic centers are allowed to teach
"Pure" Islam and Western Christians try to "occupy" ...what they consider their "Holy Land"
There is gonna be a fight...and you cant fight their ideology by killing them...unless you kill every last one..

Which is against our beliefs...and would earn us even more contempt...

Turn Iraq over to the UN and cut our losses? NATO comprised of troops from those more favorable to us...how to keep out Russia Germany France or other Muslim nations?

Of course if we piece meal Iraq out to foreign troops ...some will be commies other opportunists...the Iraqis will suffer under others...and if we occupy only the oil producing areas...it will make it appear that this was our intent from the beginning...and this was all about oil for us (The Bush-Cheney oil interests)

Or we simply suck it up take our losses and preceed with our programs....and hope the morale of the troops and those back home doesnt fall apart before the next election..?

A tough row to hoe...

[arete]

Stay the course and don't let the LEFTIST turn IRAQ into VIETNAM!

Seems that the administration is doing a fine job of that all by itself without any help from the left.

Richard W.

[oceanview]

true enough on most points, but its better to make the choice to fight islam in iraq, then in NY and DC, its come down to that after 9/11.

[Austin Willard Wright]

I'll to have to admit that you are probably right. The U.S. state and defense department types are far more likely to chose a UN rather than a more prudent withdrawal approach. Kofi is going to want something in return for pulling our Dubya's chestnuts out of the fire, however. What will it be? The small arms agreement, Kyoto accords? My guess is that he will ask for $ and get it.

[Binyamin]

The ultra PC administration trying to fight a Holy war.

If it weren't so pathetic with US troops dying daily, it would be funny.

[mr.pink]

The U.S. state and defense department types are far more likely to chose a UN rather than a more prudent withdrawal approach.

I believe that UN, or other troop involvement opens the window for "prudent withdrawal".

And I'll agree that it won't be cheap.

Hey...anybody seen the Richard Perle lately?...I guess I'd hide too if I were him.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Politically prudent perhaps.....though the pity the results for the Iraqi people...but then the interim government is probably a poor bet too.

[mr.pink]

Politically prudent perhaps.....though the pity the results for the Iraqi people...

You may well be right. However I believe it's of the utmost importance to attempt to change the current dynamic, which the Iraqis view as "America vs. Iraq" to one where there may be a slight chance of it being viewed as the "world helping Iraq". I know that sounds "warm and fuzzy", but I gotta' run and it's the best I can do right now. ;o)

Sadly, I don't see any chance of America's relationship to Iraq being considered anything other than adversarial regardless of anything we do.

[TheDon]

Hmmmm....I wonder how Saddam would have handled an anti-Saddam rally?

[Austin Willard Wright]

Probably the same way Charles Taylor would have. What is your point?

[Brian S]

anybody seen the Richard Perle lately

I stumbled onto this article last week but due to the source (Palestine Chronicle), didn't post it here. I get smacked around enough just for posting from AP, Reuters, AFP, etc. :)

Where is Iraq War Instigator, Richard Perle?

[mr.pink]

I get smacked around enough just for posting from AP, Reuters, AFP, etc. :)

You don't say! ;o)

I check out your linked story later today...thanks.

[arete]

....I wonder how Saddam would have handled an anti-Saddam rally?

Who cares. It was none of our business and should have remained that way.

Richard W.