Irresponsible "journalism" and the clueless left

[igloo]

BREAKING DOWN DOORS

By RALPH PETERS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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December 29, 2003 -- FILM footage making the media rounds shows American soldiers breaking through doors in the dead of night to arrest the old regime's remaining thugs. Our troops treat the inhabitants brusquely. Women and children wail.

Shown out of context and carefully edited, the clips portray our troops as bullies from a leftwing fantasy. But those nightlight videos are far more interesting for what they don't show or tell.

* Viewers learn nothing of the crimes of the men we seek. The dead-end Ba'athists busted in our recent raids led or ordered hundreds of thousands of midnight arrests under the old regime. And when Saddam's security forces knocked down doors, they didn't just introduce their victims to the nearest wall, then slap on the handcuffs.

Saddam's secret police shot husbands, fathers and sons on the spot. They raped women and girls in front of their husbands, fathers or children. They tortured children as parents watched. Those hauled off "for questioning" rarely returned to their families.

Iraq has long been known for its archaeological sites, from Ur to Babylon. But the instant archaeology of Saddam's regime lies in the mass graves strewn throughout the country. The men our troops are rounding up filled those graves to the brim. They're also behind the current attacks our soldiers.

* Nor do the journalists, so many of whom still long for our defeat, explain why our troops employ the tactics shown in the clips. These raids are like police operations against armed-and-dangerous drug cartels. You go in swift and strong to stay alive. You don't knock on the door and call, "Yoo-hoo? Anybody home? Would you like to shoot first?"

When you launch a raid of the type we're staging in Baghdad and the Sunni Triangle, you strive for overwhelming physical force and stunning psychological impact. The inhabitants must feel powerless and disoriented - and hopelessly outnumbered.

This keeps our troops alive by collapsing any thought of resistance. Going in heavy also prevents casualties among those you intend to arrest and their families.

If you strike with such shocking effect that the target doesn't even think of reaching for a pistol, the results are better for everyone involved. But you cannot go gentle into that good night.

Yes, it's terrifying for the women and children. Even torturers might have been good family men at home. Children love their parents. The arrival of armed soldiers in the middle of the night is frightening to anyone.

But our operations have to be viewed in perspective. Even the most lurid, provocatively edited film clips don't show American soldiers beating bound captives or wantonly abusing family members. There are no courtyard executions, no instances of torture, no rapes.

Compared to the way these regime hardliners treated their fellow citizens, our restraint - under very dangerous conditions - is remarkable. Our troops are only doing what's necessary and they're doing it as humanely as possible.

As a result, we've made great progress over the past few weeks, arresting enemy operatives by the hundreds. With remarkably few friendly casualties.

Our toughened tactics have worked. Attacks on our troops are down. Even the Ba'athist attempt at a Christmas "offensive" was an embarrassing bust. Our enemies sought to kill as many Americans as they could during our most sacred holiday. (Contrast that with our restraint during Ramadan.) But the best they could do was to lob a few mortar shells, fire a couple of rocket-propelled grenades and set off roadside bombs.

It wasn't an offensive. It was a weak rear-guard action by a dying force.

Yet some in our own media - and many journalists from Europe and the Middle East - remain as willfully blind to the crimes of terrorists and assassins as Howard Dean. Just as Monsieur Dean recently insisted that Osama bin Laden - who gloatingly admitted his sponsorship of the 9/11 attacks - should be considered innocent until proven guilty in an international court of law, many child-of-the-'60s journalists always do their best to find the United States guilty until proven innocent.

Where are the reports on the crimes of the men we arrest? Where are the features about the Iraqi families bloodied and sundered by the old regime? Where are the headlines about the support an overwhelming number of Iraqis feel for our military presence and for the chance to build a government of their own?

Instead, we get pundits with no firsthand experience of anything insisting that our tactics are alienating the Iraqi people.

Utter nonsense. Do these self-appointed "experts" really believe that Iraq's Shi'a Arabs or the Kurds are upset because we're breaking down the doors of the men who slaughtered their kin for 31/2 decades? Even most Sunni Arabs don't want the old regime back. How do the pundits explain the flood of tip-offs from Iraqis, who have become our best source of intelligence?

As for the die-hards who staked everything on the old regime, we've already alienated them by taking away their power to torment 25 million people.

You can't win the hearts and minds of those who hate you bitterly. It's foolish to try. Our enemies in Iraq respect only one thing: Strength. Kindness is regarded as weakness.

First win. Then worry about your table manners.

Of course, displays of strength must be targeted accurately. So far, so good. Our soldiers go in strong so that everyone - including the target - comes out alive. We're not creating enemies, we're eliminating them.

Our critics will blame us no matter what we do. The best response is simply to disregard the celebrity reporters and pundits who have been proven wrong so consistently that they hate America with a venom rivaling Saddam's.

The remnants of the old regime can't defeat us. Neither will irresponsible "journalism."

Ralph Peters is a retired Army officer and the author of "Beyond Baghdad."

[igloo]

Interesting silence from the lefties and the jerkoffs who supported King Jerkoff marksimons and his post of a one-sided photo of American soldiers in action...

[jamiroguy1]

You crave attention. This article is lame. That's why no one wants to respond. If it's thought provoking and ground breaking people would be all over it. In other other words, your threads are boring.

[marksimons]

I've been in london all day...

glad to see you missed me iggy...

"Saddam's secret police shot husbands, fathers and sons on the spot. They raped women and girls in front of their husbands, fathers or children. They tortured children as parents watched. Those hauled off "for questioning" rarely returned to their families."

so the US isn't as bad as saddam.

well fucking done.

do you want a round of applause for not being as bad as a brutal repressive dictator?

"Compared to the way these regime hardliners treated their fellow citizens, our restraint - under very dangerous conditions - is remarkable. Our troops are only doing what's necessary and they're doing it as humanely as possible."

is this really what's necessary?

"But our operations have to be viewed in perspective. Even the most lurid, provocatively edited film clips don't show American soldiers beating bound captives or wantonly abusing family members. There are no courtyard executions, no instances of torture, no rapes."

lies.

BAGHDAD - Iraqis detained by U.S. troops have complained of torture and degrading treatment, Amnesty International said Wednesday.

There were also reports of troops shooting detainees, the London-based human rights watchdog said in a report based on interviews with former prisoners of the Americans across Iraq.

Iraqis detained by U.S. troops accused their captors of torture and degrading treatment, rights group Amnesty International reported on July 23, 2003, calling on the occupying forces to bring human rights violators to justice. Detainees also said troops had shot some captives, the London-based rights watchdog reported, in a study based on interviews with former prisoners of U.S. forces across Iraq. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz © tours Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad July 20. The prison had held Saddam's political prisoners, and now is run by U.S. forces to hold detainees. Photo by Chris Helgren/Reuters

Amnesty staff heard complaints that included prolonged sleep deprivation and detainees being forced to stay in painful positions or wear hoods over their heads for long periods.

"Such treatment would amount to 'torture and inhumane treatment' prohibited by the Fourth Geneva Convention and by international human rights law," Amnesty said.

http://majdur.htmlplanet.com/IMN/Iraq/September2003/rape.29sept03.html

Are US Soldiers Raping Iraqi Woman?

Sep 28, 2003

By Bruce Kennedy, JUS

If it is not enough that the US has stolen Iraqis resources, plundered its antiquities and reduced the country to rubble, reports continue to surface of US soldiers raping young Iraqi woman. Proof may also be beginning to surface.

On June 9th, an Iraqi newspaper run by Sunni Muslims charged that 18 US soldiers raped two Iraqi girls aged 14 and 15, a claim of course denied by the US military. One of the girls was subsequently killed by her family for the shame that this act caused.

Since that time, there have been wire reports and underground news items that make further allegations that US soldiers are not only raping the country but raping the woman as well. It has been hard to validate these claims until possibly now.

JUS has received from an anonymous source a series of revolting photographs of three US soldiers violating what appears to be a young Iraqi girl. The photographs are not computer generated and at first pass appear to be authentic however we are investigating the matter further. It is not know when they were taken. The woman in the pictures when her clothing is visible is wearing traditional Shia dress.

The photographs are far to graphic for public viewing however if this photographs are proven legitimate, we will release them to mainstream press, the Human Rights agencies and make them available on JUSPLUS with the necessary censorship to protect the dignity of the victim.

--

[igloo]

Originally posted by jamiroguy1

You crave attention. This article is lame. That's why no one wants to respond. If it's thought provoking and ground breaking people would be all over it. In other other words, your threads are boring.

You are a funny clown....but still a schmuck

Thought provoking and ground breaking...are you kidding me????.......what the fuck would you know about that.....

...you retard

There were no responses from you and your fellow imbeciles because it is written from a well respected author and observer who exposes assholes like you....

I am glad you called this article lame...another glaring example of what a moron you are runs from the truth....

That is why you are your fellow clueless wonders did not respond....you can not when the TRUTH hits you in the balls..

I am not shocked you could not respond...how could you?....it would have been just another embarassment for you added to a never-ending pile of your ass kickings....

Ralph Peters lame??... :laugh:

You moron

[igloo]

Originally posted by marksimons

I've been in london all day...

glad to see you missed me iggy...

"Saddam's secret police shot husbands, fathers and sons on the spot. They raped women and girls in front of their husbands, fathers or children. They tortured children as parents watched. Those hauled off "for questioning" rarely returned to their families."

so the US isn't as bad as saddam.

well fucking done.

do you want a round of applause for not being as bad as a brutal repressive dictator?

"Compared to the way these regime hardliners treated their fellow citizens, our restraint - under very dangerous conditions - is remarkable. Our troops are only doing what's necessary and they're doing it as humanely as possible."

is this really what's necessary?

"But our operations have to be viewed in perspective. Even the most lurid, provocatively edited film clips don't show American soldiers beating bound captives or wantonly abusing family members. There are no courtyard executions, no instances of torture, no rapes."

lies.

BAGHDAD - Iraqis detained by U.S. troops have complained of torture and degrading treatment, Amnesty International said Wednesday.

There were also reports of troops shooting detainees, the London-based human rights watchdog said in a report based on interviews with former prisoners of the Americans across Iraq.

Iraqis detained by U.S. troops accused their captors of torture and degrading treatment, rights group Amnesty International reported on July 23, 2003, calling on the occupying forces to bring human rights violators to justice. Detainees also said troops had shot some captives, the London-based rights watchdog reported, in a study based on interviews with former prisoners of U.S. forces across Iraq. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz © tours Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad July 20. The prison had held Saddam's political prisoners, and now is run by U.S. forces to hold detainees. Photo by Chris Helgren/Reuters

Amnesty staff heard complaints that included prolonged sleep deprivation and detainees being forced to stay in painful positions or wear hoods over their heads for long periods.

"Such treatment would amount to 'torture and inhumane treatment' prohibited by the Fourth Geneva Convention and by international human rights law," Amnesty said.

http://majdur.htmlplanet.com/IMN/Iraq/September2003/rape.29sept03.html

Are US Soldiers Raping Iraqi Woman?

Sep 28, 2003

By Bruce Kennedy, JUS

If it is not enough that the US has stolen Iraqis resources, plundered its antiquities and reduced the country to rubble, reports continue to surface of US soldiers raping young Iraqi woman. Proof may also be beginning to surface.

On June 9th, an Iraqi newspaper run by Sunni Muslims charged that 18 US soldiers raped two Iraqi girls aged 14 and 15, a claim of course denied by the US military. One of the girls was subsequently killed by her family for the shame that this act caused.

Since that time, there have been wire reports and underground news items that make further allegations that US soldiers are not only raping the country but raping the woman as well. It has been hard to validate these claims until possibly now.

JUS has received from an anonymous source a series of revolting photographs of three US soldiers violating what appears to be a young Iraqi girl. The photographs are not computer generated and at first pass appear to be authentic however we are investigating the matter further. It is not know when they were taken. The woman in the pictures when her clothing is visible is wearing traditional Shia dress.

The photographs are far to graphic for public viewing however if this photographs are proven legitimate, we will release them to mainstream press, the Human Rights agencies and make them available on JUSPLUS with the necessary censorship to protect the dignity of the victim.

--

Marksimons.....it was boring without you

Thanks for posting this....I knew I could count on you to prove my point...

Son, once in a while you have to engage a bullshit filter.....even for you, the bullshit meter on this one is off the charts....

BTW retard...to answer your question: "do you want a round of applause for not being as bad as a brutal repressive dictator?"...

No schmuck, that is not the point (did not expect you to get it anyway)....

It is to prove that moronic, clueless assholes like you who spew bullshit and try and portray the U.S. and military as bad as Saddam are nothing but fraudulent blowhards (like you tried with your post of one-sided photos)....

Thank you for reaffirming with this post that my point was easily proved, and Ralph Peters was right on the mark....

Spare me your expected diatribes and ridiculous "sources"....they are useless

Sucker...too easy.....Case closed

[marksimons]

Yes Igloo, Amnesty International chief peddlers of bullshit in the eyes of the world aren't they...

[normalnoises]

Yes Iggy, keep proving you're a racist schmuck. You just proved you condone the torturous activities of our US military upon Iraqi POWs and civilians.

Congratulations on providing us proof of your ignorance and proof you are a clown.

Also congratulations on proving marksimons points with your childish retorts. It only proves you have nothing and cannot defend your words or the words of the asshole who wrote that article of repititous bore and obvious lies and nothing to back his words or yours.

You are lame as that article you posted.

So how is showing proof of the US wrongdoings in Iraq with reliable sources to back it up "irresponsible journalism"?

If anyone is "clueless", it's the right any neocon right wing fascists like you.

You deserve to be shot.

Oh, Igloo.... I forgot to define the word fascist.

fas·cist ( P ) Pronunciation Key (fshst)

n.

often Fascist An advocate or adherent of fascism.

A reactionary or dictatorial person.

adj.

often Fascist Of, advocating, or practicing fascism.

Fascist Of or relating to the regime of the Fascisti.

fascist

adj : relating to or characteristic of fascism; "fascist propaganda" [syn: fascistic] n : an adherent of fascism or other right-wing authoritarian views.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=fascist

It's you all over Iggy.

[igloo]

Originally posted by marksimons

Yes Igloo, Amnesty International chief peddlers of bullshit in the eyes of the world aren't they...

First of all, good job avoiding the point, as usual....no problem, YOUR bullshit and one-sided nonsense was easily exposed...

Secondly, I would like to point a few things out:

"Iraqis detained by U.S. troops have complained of torture and degrading treatment........"

"....based on interviews with former prisoners of the Americans across Iraq........"

"Amnesty staff heard complaints that included prolonged sleep deprivation and detainees being forced to stay in painful positions or wear hoods over their heads for long periods".....

These were from your first article.....think it through son, just a little...put things in perspective, or are you so blinded by your anti-Americanism that is not possible for you.....

Your second article is something that is not even good enough to wipe my ass with, so I will not waste another second on it....

In sum, you were exposed, again...you proved my point, again. You are a one -sided, anti-American blowhard.

You are nothing but a pile of bullshit. Easily proved.

And please do not quote Amnesty...because you could care less what they had to say about how Iraqi's were treated under Saddam. Fucking hypocrite.

Case closed.

[marksimons]

erm... igloo... please.. that makes no sense...

because I wasn't here to post quotes from amnesty about saddam's brutality - which was widely publicised you feel that you can ignore these quotes?

puh-lease.

now isn't the time for the fascist stuff... wrong thread... wrong way of doing it...

the angle to come from is the coporate state, where government and private enterprise are as one... that's a true facist state... with the racism and repression as well...

[igloo]

Originally posted by marksimons

erm... igloo... please.. that makes no sense...

because I wasn't here to post quotes from amnesty about saddam's brutality - which was widely publicised you feel that you can ignore these quotes?

puh-lease.

now isn't the time for the fascist stuff... wrong thread... wrong way of doing it...

the angle to come from is the coporate state, where government and private enterprise are as one... that's a true facist state... with the racism and repression as well...

:laugh: ....You are a FUCKING JOKE!!!!

How fucking dumb could you be?????

No one is ignoring the "quotes" you fucking moron.....I already said PUT THEM IN PERSPECTIVE you fucking idiot......Question the motive behind those quotes the same way you would if someone was giving pro-US quotes you fucking blowhard...

THINK IT THROUGH you bumbling idiot......I know I am asking for the impossible from you, but think it through you jerkoff...

Like I have said in other posts dickhead, no one is ignoring facts......my problem is with your hypocrisy, your selective use of facts and history, and your blatant anti-Americanism...

And again, nice job spinning away from the original topic....which is assholes like you who continually spew BULLSHIT ....nothing but BULLSHIT..

Perhaps you should read Ralph Peters article again....becasue it clearly defines assholes like you and exposes your bullshit....

....."Where are the reports on the crimes of the men we arrest? Where are the features about the Iraqi families bloodied and sundered by the old regime? Where are the headlines about the support an overwhelming number of Iraqis feel for our military presence and for the chance to build a government of their own?

Instead, we get pundits with no firsthand experience of anything insisting that our tactics are alienating the Iraqi people.

Saddam's secret police shot husbands, fathers and sons on the spot. They raped women and girls in front of their husbands, fathers or children. They tortured children as parents watched. Those hauled off "for questioning" rarely returned to their families.

Iraq has long been known for its archaeological sites, from Ur to Babylon. But the instant archaeology of Saddam's regime lies in the mass graves strewn throughout the country. The men our troops are rounding up filled those graves to the brim. They're also behind the current attacks our soldiers"

"....Utter nonsense. Do these self-appointed "experts" really believe that Iraq's Shi'a Arabs or the Kurds are upset because we're breaking down the doors of the men who slaughtered their kin for 31/2 decades? Even most Sunni Arabs don't want the old regime back. How do the pundits explain the flood of tip-offs from Iraqis, who have become our best source of intelligence? "