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US Army Uses Iraqi Children As Human Shields Again
Twenty-four Iraqi children were killed Wednesday by a suicide car bomber targeting American soldiers handing out sweets after entering their Baghdad neighborhood precisely to warn of a possible attack.
Twenty-four Iraqi children were killed Wednesday by a suicide car bomber targeting American soldiers handing out sweets after entering their Baghdad neighborhood precisely to warn of a possible attack.
Some 20 more children were wounded in the blast, while a US soldier died and three were injured, hospital and US sources said. "A driver approached one of the US Humvees and then detonated his car," said Sergeant David Abrams.
[...]
"Children gathered round the Americans who were handing out sweets. Suddenly a suicide car bomber drove round from a side street and blew himself up," Hassan Mohammed added.
The last such attack involved a triple car bombing against US troops inaugurating a water treatment plant in western Baghdad on September 30. Forty-three people were killed, including 37 children who had gathered to take candy from the soldiers
Who is more to blame? The Iraqi resistance targeting occupation military soldiers or the coward US army hiding behind Iraqi kids?
The attacks that target Iraqi civilians should be condemned whether they're carried out by the US army (like the daily attacks) or by others (like some ethnic attacks against mosques and individuals). Yet, the attacks targeting military convoys that kills Iraqi civilians gathering around them is another story, or at least a more controversial one. Civilians shouldn't be put in danger by sending military troops close to their homes.
Niki linked to a US soldier's blog some months ago quoting him saying: "I'm going to probably buy alot of candy when I goto the PX in the camp. That way, I can hand it out to the kids. They'll be more likely to help us avoid things we wouldn't otherwise be able to avoid if not for them". Maybe some of these quotes were the reason why A 3 star General approved an "order" that all milbloggers have to tell their chain of command about their blog . It seems we won't be enjoying some new smart quotes any more...
Using kids as human shields is such a shameful US Army policy.
On a second note, we're still searching for the family member who disappeared in Baghdad yesterday. All of my family and friends are searching in hospitals and morgues around the city, in addition to many visits to all Iraqi police stations, Iraqi Army jails, Iraqi special forces jails, Iraqi armed militias jails, and the US army jails and prisons. We were told that even if he was detained no information is usually available in the first couple of weeks.
We're not announcing his name for security reasons, in case he was kidnapped by a (non-governmental) gang.
Some 20 more children were wounded in the blast, while a US soldier died and three were injured, hospital and US sources said. "A driver approached one of the US Humvees and then detonated his car," said Sergeant David Abrams.
[...]
"Children gathered round the Americans who were handing out sweets. Suddenly a suicide car bomber drove round from a side street and blew himself up," Hassan Mohammed added.
The last such attack involved a triple car bombing against US troops inaugurating a water treatment plant in western Baghdad on September 30. Forty-three people were killed, including 37 children who had gathered to take candy from the soldiers
Who is more to blame? The Iraqi resistance targeting occupation military soldiers or the coward US army hiding behind Iraqi kids?
The attacks that target Iraqi civilians should be condemned whether they're carried out by the US army (like the daily attacks) or by others (like some ethnic attacks against mosques and individuals). Yet, the attacks targeting military convoys that kills Iraqi civilians gathering around them is another story, or at least a more controversial one. Civilians shouldn't be put in danger by sending military troops close to their homes.
Niki linked to a US soldier's blog some months ago quoting him saying: "I'm going to probably buy alot of candy when I goto the PX in the camp. That way, I can hand it out to the kids. They'll be more likely to help us avoid things we wouldn't otherwise be able to avoid if not for them". Maybe some of these quotes were the reason why A 3 star General approved an "order" that all milbloggers have to tell their chain of command about their blog . It seems we won't be enjoying some new smart quotes any more...
Using kids as human shields is such a shameful US Army policy.
On a second note, we're still searching for the family member who disappeared in Baghdad yesterday. All of my family and friends are searching in hospitals and morgues around the city, in addition to many visits to all Iraqi police stations, Iraqi Army jails, Iraqi special forces jails, Iraqi armed militias jails, and the US army jails and prisons. We were told that even if he was detained no information is usually available in the first couple of weeks.
We're not announcing his name for security reasons, in case he was kidnapped by a (non-governmental) gang.
For more information:
http://raedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/2005/0...
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A suicide car bomber drove up to an American military Humvee swarming with Iraqi children and detonated his explosive on Wednesday, killing one US soldier and at least seven Iraqi children, the U.S. military declared. Iraqi officials put the death toll as high as 24 .
Three American soldiers and many Iraqi civilians were wounded in the late morning blast, a statement from Task Force Baghdad said. The explosion also set a nearby house on fire, the statement added.
Police have reports that 24 were killed and18 wounded, police Lt. Mohammed al-Heiali said. Another police officer, Lt. Ali Abbas, said that 19 bodies, including 11 children were brought to al-Kindi Hospital, The AP reported.
In other violence Wednesday, gunmen killed an Iraqi soldier while he was driving his car in western Baghdad, police said.
Meanwhile, a Sunni official said the tortured bodies of 11 Sunnis, who had been executed with a bullet to the head, were found in Baghdad Tuesday after having been arrested by police commandos two days earlier. Their bodies were found dumped in the north of the city on Tuesday, he added, according to AFP, and "all bore torture marks and bullet wounds to the back of the head."
http://www.albawaba.com/en/news/186239
Three American soldiers and many Iraqi civilians were wounded in the late morning blast, a statement from Task Force Baghdad said. The explosion also set a nearby house on fire, the statement added.
Police have reports that 24 were killed and18 wounded, police Lt. Mohammed al-Heiali said. Another police officer, Lt. Ali Abbas, said that 19 bodies, including 11 children were brought to al-Kindi Hospital, The AP reported.
In other violence Wednesday, gunmen killed an Iraqi soldier while he was driving his car in western Baghdad, police said.
Meanwhile, a Sunni official said the tortured bodies of 11 Sunnis, who had been executed with a bullet to the head, were found in Baghdad Tuesday after having been arrested by police commandos two days earlier. Their bodies were found dumped in the north of the city on Tuesday, he added, according to AFP, and "all bore torture marks and bullet wounds to the back of the head."
http://www.albawaba.com/en/news/186239
Since when is giving out sweets using kids as human shields? That guy who held is 19 month daughter against him as he fired at the police was using his kid as a human shield.
maybe you didn't read...
"I'm going to probably buy alot of candy when I goto the PX in the camp. That way, I can hand it out to the kids. They'll be more likely to help us avoid things we wouldn't otherwise be able to avoid if not for them". Maybe some of these quotes were the reason why A 3 star General approved an "order" that all milbloggers have to tell their chain of command about their blog . It seems we won't be enjoying some new smart quotes any more...
Using kids as human shields is such a shameful US Army policy.
"I'm going to probably buy alot of candy when I goto the PX in the camp. That way, I can hand it out to the kids. They'll be more likely to help us avoid things we wouldn't otherwise be able to avoid if not for them". Maybe some of these quotes were the reason why A 3 star General approved an "order" that all milbloggers have to tell their chain of command about their blog . It seems we won't be enjoying some new smart quotes any more...
Using kids as human shields is such a shameful US Army policy.
Haven't seen the blog, but to me it sounds like "if we give the kids candy maybe they will like us and not want to kill us when they get older"
Show me the blog. Show me how this is "policy" and maybe I'll believe you.
Show me the blog. Show me how this is "policy" and maybe I'll believe you.
click on the link in the article
Why do people need to twist tales of tragedy into some kind of planned event? Linking this tragedy to the notion that the kids are being used as human shields is a stretch of sane imagination. I was there. The kids tell us where IED's are hidden so we can disable them and keep innocents from becoming casualties. The troops in Iraq are not sick bastards who look for ways to brutalize the people. The troops are humans who feel the same for kids that people do anywhere. Think about it. Wouldn't you do something to see a child smile, like handing out toys or candy, or clothes? When you can't be with your own kids, or brothers or sisters, and there is a language barrier, simple smiles are rewarding.
Great post- Nice to here a voice of sanity at IndyBay.
This post is absurd. A suicide bomber killed the children. End of story. These sickening elements of the Iraqi resistance are clearly religious fascists.
Travis writes, "A suicide bomber killed the children. End of story." But apparently not, since (s)he goes on to gratuitously add, "These sickening elements of the Iraqi resistance are clearly religious fascists."
Presuming that the bomber was targeting the U.S. troops and was thus, by definition, a part of the Iraqi resistance, does Travis have some additional information that the bomber was either religious or a fascist?
And while the act of this one bomber is despicable -- presuming he saw the children before triggering his bomb -- it and other resistance bombings account for a miniscule number of deaths of children compared to the approxiamately one million such deaths caused by U.S./British/U.N. shootings, bombings and (especially) sanctions over the last 15 years. It's the latter that we should focus on condemning.
Also, while I wouldn't accuse the U.S. troops of using the children as human shields in this incident, it is despicable of them, and probably a war crime, to try to turn the children of the occupied population into informers.
Presuming that the bomber was targeting the U.S. troops and was thus, by definition, a part of the Iraqi resistance, does Travis have some additional information that the bomber was either religious or a fascist?
And while the act of this one bomber is despicable -- presuming he saw the children before triggering his bomb -- it and other resistance bombings account for a miniscule number of deaths of children compared to the approxiamately one million such deaths caused by U.S./British/U.N. shootings, bombings and (especially) sanctions over the last 15 years. It's the latter that we should focus on condemning.
Also, while I wouldn't accuse the U.S. troops of using the children as human shields in this incident, it is despicable of them, and probably a war crime, to try to turn the children of the occupied population into informers.
The original post was about the blown up children-- not about sanctions or US bombings-- so I commented on the absurdity of blaming US soldiers for their murders. As far as I know the only people blowing themselves up in that part of the world are religious fascists so I feel fairly confident in making that assertion-- if different facts come in I'll change my position. When the anti-war movement makes stupid claims it makes us look......Stupid.
"When the anti-war movement makes stupid claims it makes us look......Stupid."
Raed isnt part of the antiwar movement. Hes an Iraqi living in Baghdad.
see
http://raedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/
Raed isnt part of the antiwar movement. Hes an Iraqi living in Baghdad.
see
http://raedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/
both sides are attacking the other without concern about the presence of non-combatants
each treats the presence of the other as justification for attack
it's the inevitable nihilism of occupation, as graphically portrayed in "The Battle of Algiers", where the most cold, merciless practitioners of violence were most effective
it does call into question the judgment of US commanders when they encourage their troops to engage the public this way, knowing that they are targets
also, note the Sunni/Shia angle here, as I've posted on a number of occasions, Rahul Mahajan and others have said that al-Zarqawi is trying to foment a sectarian religious war in Iraq by targeting Shia (considering Shia Islam to be heretical), and this would have the hallmarks of such an endeavor
each treats the presence of the other as justification for attack
it's the inevitable nihilism of occupation, as graphically portrayed in "The Battle of Algiers", where the most cold, merciless practitioners of violence were most effective
it does call into question the judgment of US commanders when they encourage their troops to engage the public this way, knowing that they are targets
also, note the Sunni/Shia angle here, as I've posted on a number of occasions, Rahul Mahajan and others have said that al-Zarqawi is trying to foment a sectarian religious war in Iraq by targeting Shia (considering Shia Islam to be heretical), and this would have the hallmarks of such an endeavor
Do you really believe that US soldiers use kids as shields? It has always been the practice to pass stuff out to kids.
And what the soldier was referring to was the kids telling you where stuff is. Just the other day got info that led to a weapons cache being blown.
If I make an outrageous comment, that all american soldiers kill children to eat with their meals, it's believed. If I point out the reality, it's disabused as propaganda.
Where is the debate about supporting the resistance now? There were other soldiers present not surrounded by children, but he picked those to go after. That's the whole point.The resistance is about killing all who are not them. If you want to applaud that or high five, you all really do need a change of venue.
I guess that's one cartoon image Carlos Latuff won't draw.
And what the soldier was referring to was the kids telling you where stuff is. Just the other day got info that led to a weapons cache being blown.
If I make an outrageous comment, that all american soldiers kill children to eat with their meals, it's believed. If I point out the reality, it's disabused as propaganda.
Where is the debate about supporting the resistance now? There were other soldiers present not surrounded by children, but he picked those to go after. That's the whole point.The resistance is about killing all who are not them. If you want to applaud that or high five, you all really do need a change of venue.
I guess that's one cartoon image Carlos Latuff won't draw.
It has been a practice of U.S. forces to give local kids candy since WWI. No member of the U.S. military is hiding behind kids. It's a shame that you condem persons who are serving our country and loosing their lives; but not the person who set the bomb off knowing that these kids were there. Or is that your intention to evade that fact. Maybee you should concentrate your energies toward some thing positive.
You may say that they are "serving our their country" BUT WHAT THEY ARE REALLY SERVING IS A LYING, GREEDY WAR MACHINE A.K.A. IMPERIALISM
The military is made up of other Americans, people that have more in common with you than the folks your heart is bleeding for. They represent you and serve you. The fact that your government sent them there is something to take up with your representatives. Taking out your anger on the troops is not the way to go about it. But it is easier to laugh at a young man or woman burned and scarred than to unseat a politician.
It has been a long standing practice to put day care centers in federal buildings. AKA human shields.
It has been a long standing practice to put day care centers in federal buildings. AKA human shields.
It has been a long standing practice to put day care centers in federal buildings. AKA human shields.
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