MSNBC's Bob Arnott: Iraqi Hospitals Filled Children with Gunshots - From Saddam's Fedeyeen

MSNBC | 4-10-2003

[SHKMAN1212]

Bob Arnott was just on MSNBC reporting that he had traveled to many of the hospitals in the area and assisted in the care for the many children in the facilities that have been struck by gunfire (he's also a doctor). He said he was unsure what the mood in the hospitals would be but found the doctors and patients to be "ecstatic" that Saddam was gone. He then said that the gunshots were all made by small caliber weapons that the U.S. Army does not have and, when he inquired further about the cause of the wounds, he was told by parents and hospital staff that the paramilitary forces were shooting kids on purpose to make it look like the U.S. forces were inflicting civilian casualties.

[Grampa Dave]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/889446/posts

The above link is Backhoe's excellent documentation of the terrible reality of the criminal thugs under Saddam.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/889446/posts

[Restorer]

He then said that the gunshots were all made by small caliber weapons that the U.S. Army does not have

Presumably these would be .22 type weapons.

Unfortunately, the M-16 fires .22 diameter bullets, although at much higher velocity.

I'm real skeptical of these reports.

[hillsborofox]

No one would believe this information coming from the evil, sadistic, jack-booted American troops alone.

That's why the embedding of reporters is SO important.

A new crop of up-and-coming media stars have acquired a deep respect for our military. You can hear it in their reports and it's refreshing.

[CedarDave]

...I'm emailing it to my "friends" who were so worried about us going to war in Iraq.

Their response (perfectly logical to them) will be "if we didn't go to war in Iraq, these people wouldn't be shooting children". Their attitudes are set in stone and can't be swayed by reason.

[MHGinTN]

I wonder, do you suppose Peter Arnett is proud of his 'interview' for Arab street consumption now?... The Fedayeen are mostly infested with Jordanians, Syrians, Yemenis, Egyptians ... these Iraqi pests mean nothing to such fanatics except as their murders will further inflame the Arab streets as they swallow the lies. The human scum spewed into Iraq to prop up Saddam is topped only by Peter Arentt and his perfidy to the Iraqi children now slaughtered for the propaganda he supports.

[Petruchio]

Easy to tell the difference in the wounds left behind.

[Defiant]

You are absolutely right, it's a hostage situation where his own people are (or were) hostages. I wrote this on March 31:

Saddam's Strategy Exposed!

Now it can be told. Saddam is supposed to be a big fan of the Godfather movies, but you can't be a Godfather unless you have the "muscle" to whack your enemies. So, he has instead taken inspiration from another movie: Blazing Saddles. Remember when the guy about to be hanged put a gun to his own head and threatened to pull the trigger if the townspeople didn't back off and let him escape? That's what Saddam is doing with his population in Baghdad.

The Blazing Saddles Defense may slow things down, and may cause unnecessary death, but it won't work as it did in the movie. But if I were Saddam (or whoever is standing in for him at this juncture) I'd be willing to try anything.

UPDATE: New idea--SNL ought to do a bit where Saddam is confronted by Bush and Rumsfeld. He grabs a gun, puts it to his head and backs out of the room, saying, "Nobody move, or the Iraqi gets it!"

Rumsfeld screams, "Can I shoot him, he's getting away?".

Bush: "We can't, he's got a hostage".

[SHKMAN1212]

Part of his report - in addition to his observations about the types of wounds - was that he was being told this by the parents of the victims.

He was just on again a moment ago and explained again that “there were scores and scores and scores of children being shot by the Fedayeen…” and that US Marines were traveling to different hospitals looking for space to treat the injured.

[Grampa Dave]

One can only hope that if Arnett is still in Iraq, that he makes the wrong turn in Baghdad and runs into some parents of children raped or killed by the Soddomites.

If he doesn't make that wrong turn, and he is still in Iraq. Our Marines should arrest him, tie him behind a Humvee and drag him to a War Crimes Council conducted by Freed Iraqis. Then let them handle this POS!

[GraniteStateConservative]

The parents and medical personnel reported that these were Fedayeen Saddam. This wasn't just a hypothesis by Arnott.

[CedarDave]

It's easy to understand the mindset of the leftist "peace" at-any-cost types, isn't it? (See my #44)

[PhiKapMom]

Makes me cringe too. What kind of monsters use little children as shields?

[fourdeuce82d]

made by small caliber weapons that the U.S. Army does not have

uhhh... 5.56?

[PhiKapMom]

Good point -- who has ordered this? Could this have been in plans all along? Also reported that a lot of terrorist thugs roaming around are NOT Iraqi's but come from other terrorist countries and/or organizations.

[Scenic Sounds]

"he was told by parents and hospital staff that the paramilitary forces were shooting kids on purpose to make it look like the U.S. forces were inflicting civilian casualties."

No one should be at all surprised. This was an ugly, hateful, desperate regime.

[daviddennis]

Here's ANSWER's response. They cite our old pal Robert Fisk. I should warn you that Fisky has really turned up the gore this time.

But where was he when equally innocent Iraqis squirmed, writhed and died in Iraq's torture chambers?

The latest accounts of civilian casualties have them holding at around 1,200. I don't like the fact that 1,200 people died. But Saddam kills about 20,000 people a year under his regime, so it's likely that the war has killed fewer people than Saddam would have unaided by war.

Robert Fisk says pointing that out is an "obscenity" next to the victims of the war. And when you're on the ground, looking at a victim, you can see his point. But that's because you're not looking at the equally pitiful victims of a regime bloodier than war. Put both groups in the same room, and you'd get a healthy balance. But don't count on ol' Fisky to do that any time soon.

Heck, they'd probably unite and punch his lights out for asking the questions. Just as they did last time.

D

PS I will probably be going to the Los Angeles ANSWER protest on Sunday, just to see what's left of it.

PPS Don't accuse Fisky of being dumb. He isn't. In fact, he's a very talented writer, and you can't say he doesn't have guts to get up close and personal with the war. He's not dumb, but he has an agenda. Actually, his agenda is the real obscenity of this war. I can't claim to understand the kind of depravity that would have someone in a free society supporting an evil dictator wholeheartedly, but that's Fisk in a nutshell. He's not dumb, but he is evil.

[PhiKapMom]

I can imagine! Bet he would gladly be joined by others he served with to pick up these thugs one at a time!

[CedarDave]

I wonder, do you suppose Peter Arnett is proud of his 'interview' for Arab street consumption now?...

ABC at the top of the hour reported on the Arab press reporting of yesterday's events -- It is about 5% accurate and is slanted to incite a maximum anti-American response from the Arab masses.

[CedarDave]

What are the chances that Perky Katie (AKA "Karbala Katie") will report this? Slim or None?

[dalebert]

Arnot is becomming Mother Theresa.