Punishment for looting in Iraq

[auxilary]

ok, fyi, I am not a liberal. Although I support the US army, I just don't agree with some actions. I would never join the military because I would have problems executing given orders. So, please don't think of me as some hippie schmuck walking around berkeley holding NO TO WAR! signs. Because I usually roll down my window and yell "get a job" or "I love war" to those people.

[Tony D]

OK, so let me get the facts on this straight (from the little clip).

This group of guys was looting. Stealing wood.

As a result of their getting caught in the act of looting, they get scolded for bringing a kid along with them instead of putting him into school, and their car gets crushed.

Later, while being interviewed, one complains "I'm a Taxi Driver, and the car was my livelyhood."

 

That's it, right?

 

Well, I guess Mr. Taxi-Driver should spend more time taking fares around instead of using his vehicle to transport and aid looters.

 

This is indeed a "kinder and gentler" service that I was in---I guess this punctuates the difference between "War" and "Police Action".

 

During a time of war and occupation, with civilian population being governed by martial law, the standing order for looters was (twenty years ago at least...) SHOOT ON SIGHT!

 

Now it's a scolding and lesson they likely won't forget.

 

The only problem I have with the clip is that there was no reason to shoot the vehicle, and were they in my charge, the ammo would have either been expended into the LOOTERS, or the car simply crushed. It's a waste of ammo, and my tax dollars.

 

Given the duty they are tasked with, I think the looters got off easy, and the chaps in the armored vehicle did what they thought best at the time.

 

Second guessing a situation like that is severely counterproductive, and the general tone of the posts calling these guys names shows a gross disregard for the facts quietly stated in the clip.

 

I wonder if theri orders really WERE shoot all looters on recognition, and they instead did this.

 

That would seem a more humane action than shooting them.

 

Or perhaps because there was a child with them, they knew they would NOT be shot, and therefore thought they could loot with impunity.

 

This is not the USA, it is a warzone under martial law. Our rules of neighborhood conduct for our local constables do not apply there.

[Trevor]

Not my words, just interesting thoughts:

Liberals claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war. They complain about his prosecution of it. One liberal recently claimed Bush

was the worst president in U.S. history. Let's clear up one point: We didn't

start the war on terror. Try to remember, it was started by terrorists

BEFORE 9/11. Let's look at the "worst" president and mismanagement claims

 

FDR led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us: Japan did. From

1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost, an average of 112,500 per year.

 

Truman finished that war and started one in Korea, North Korea never

attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average of 18,333

per year.

 

John F. Kennedy :Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never

attacked us.

 

Johnson : Vietnam From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year.

 

Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent, Bosnia never

attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three

times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.

 

In the two years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush and the US Military has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Lybia, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.

We lost 600 soldiers. Bush did all this abroad while not allowing another terrorist attack at home. Worst president in history?

 

The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but...

It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch

Davidian compound. That was a 51 day operation.

 

We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time

than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records.

 

It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to

destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Teddy Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.

 

It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in

Florida.

[Tim240z]

 

The only problem I have with the clip is that there was no reason to shoot the vehicle' date=' and were they in my charge, the ammo would have either been expended into the LOOTERS, or the car simply crushed. It's a waste of ammo, and my tax dollars.

 

[/quote']

 

Not to knit pick, (but rather to add some brevity to this post), I'll bet they used more of the tax payers money in fuel for that tank than they did in ammo!! and I bet by a HUGE MARGIN!!!

 

Tim

[Guest gtmattz]

just my $.02 here, but if that little clip was not staged, I would much prefer our troops 'punish' looters in this manner than with the methods employed in previous conflicts (shoot on sight). The actions of the tankers in that video show an amount of compassion for human life, but also let the people know that looting is not to be allowed. Also leaving that mashed up car out in the street is a good sign to other would-be looters to think twice, maybe the next group of soldiers wont be so nice.........

 

now, I am not happy that our guys are over there, nobody wants their fellow countrymen to be shot up, but since they ARE over there, I will support them 100%.

[Guest Nic-Rebel450CA]

Yes, I support the poor guy who is only following orders, but I cannot support the decision to send him over there and show the world that "might makes right". Isn't this what we are trying to defend against in the first place? How do we support the troops, but not the motive that sent them there? I wished I had the answer, because it challenged us in the '70s and is still an issue today.

 

I wish there was a little smiley clapping his hands. I couldnt have said it better myself. I support our troops and hope that they come back safely, I just dont support the reason that they are there and those who are sending them there.