Harris Whitbeck: Iraqis cheer U.S. death

cnn.com ^ | Wednesday, July 16, 2003 Posted: 12:18 PM EDT (1618 GMT) | CNN

[Destro]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Major combat in Iraq was declared over more than two months ago, but U.S. troops in the country are being killed on an almost daily basis.

CNN Correspondent Harris Whitbeck in Baghdad has details of the latest attacks and measures under way to improve security.

[af_vet_rr]

The problem is not the troops, it's the Iraqis. The troops performed above and beyond what they were expected to do. I'm still amazed at how fast the 3rd ID moved.

Don't the Iraqis know when they are beaten?

[Arkinsaw]

And when they apparently realized that this was an attack on a U.S. military force, they erupted in cheers. And that cheering went on for several minutes.

Its not worth on US troop's life to protect these people's Museum or to guard their electrical system from themselves. We ought to be planted over there to protect our national interests. We need to be in secured areas with maximum force protection and when we find national security reasons to sally forth we should sally forth in overwhelming numbers. Let the Iraqis worry about protecting their electrical grid, exports, and relics if they have any desire to do so.

[RussianConservative]

I wonder how long when American soldier goes Rambo on cheering crowd?

[JustAnAmerican]

"And when they apparently realized that this was an attack on a U.S. military force, they erupted in cheers. And that cheering went on for several minutes.

And seconds later every d*mn last one of those Muslim idiots should have been buzzard fodder.

[The Brush]

And when they apparently realized that this was an attack on a U.S. military force, they erupted in cheers. And that cheering went on for several minutes.

I guess it's a good thing I'm not a soldier, my weapon would have "accidentally" gone off sending a number of that crowd to meet Allah.

[Delbert]

33 deaths since May 1st, bad situation. I saw a clip on news this am , an interview with U.S. soldier saying for the most part that he didnt care about these people(Iraqis )
anymore, he now had to protect himself from the people he came to liberate.

[b4its2late]

If this CNN reporter had tape of his claim, I might believe it, but since there is none, I don't.

[Howlin]

[Delbert]

Thats what I was thinking, I would have accidently sprayed the crowd with a few rounds, "just to quiet them down a little". ungrateful ba$tards.

[Lijahsbubbe]

I agree. It seems no matter how many of these articles I see, people keep insisting it's only Saddam's men who are ambushing our soldiers.

[SwatTeam]

And seconds later every d*mn last one of those Muslim idiots should have been buzzard fodder.

You are absolutely correct. That should be SOP.

[RussianConservative]

Go to http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/947260/posts

[Flint]

When that explosion was heard, a group of Iraqi civilians, who were nearby, gathered at the site of the aftermath [and] were watching what was going on.

You don't suppose that the guy holding the detonation device was standing in the middle of that crowd, do you?

[Lijahsbubbe]

Did you see the photo of Iraqis on top of a bombed humvee, tearing it apart? Here's an article I posted last week, that gives actual names.

From Knight Ridder Foreign Service, by Tom Lasseter, July 6, 2003

Fallujah is a sweltering hot city on the bank of the Euphrates, and at 1:30 in the morning, the temperature stood at about 100 degrees. Sweat was dripping down 1st Lt. Eric Moberley's neck as he made his way up one narrow alley after the other.

"Ever since the war ended, the action started," Moberley said. " I don't see an end to it all any time soon. It's like anarchy. The police don't do anything. They won't go out at night because they're afraid."

Col. Joseph DiSalvo commands the second brigade of the 3rd division, the major Army presence in Fallujah. He said he's at a loss about who's shooting at his troops.

"I have no idea," he said. "It could be former Baath party members. It could be mob-type people. It's hard to say because there are so many elements here with agendas."

The violence comes, he said, "in random-type ambushes, (that are) very hard to hunt down and stop because of the randomness."

Many residents say the attacks were first motivated by anger about house searches, but are now fueled by a cycle of revenge that comes out of incidents like the April demonstration. ____________________________________

[b4its2late]

I guess I've got to believe it now.

[arthur003]

Maybe just maybe Saddam had the correct formula to control Iraq.

Total and forceful domination. There appears to be a clear and emerging pattern that the Iraqi people respond only to force and violence.

Hope for a civilized society cannot be obtained a without total and violent domination by some force of military power. The Iraqis have thus far demonstrated that they prefer violence to freedom.

There will soon be an American groundswell to say f**k ‘em.

[angcat]

I think they deserved Saddam!

[talleyman]

In other words, they're a lot like our own liberal loonies