MI6 boss: US military's 'Darth Vadar kit and wraparound shades' alienated Iraqi locals after invasio

[sabra]

Source: UK Daily Mail

The head of MI6 today attacked the US's use of 'Vietnam-era generals' and 'Darth Vader kit' for turning post-war Iraq into a shambles.

Sir John Sawers, who took over as spymaster 'C' last month, said the wraparound sunglasses and flak jackets used by rank-and-file American soldiers only served to distance themselves from the Iraqis.

Sir John also revealed he found 'serious disorder' when he was sent to Baghdad as the UK's special representative in 2003.

He told the Chilcot inquiry that the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA) was not well led by Jay Garner, a retired US Lieutenant General.

Sir John said: 'I was very disappointed by the quality of the senior figures who were mainly retired Vietnam-era generals.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1234844/MI6-boss-US-militarys-Darth-Vadar-kit-alienated-Iraqi-locals-invasion.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Sneer." - xCommander AWOL (R)

"Screw the Eye-rackis, and all the rest of yas. We Republicons had Shock & Awe to doo doo, and war profits to make. Sneer. Smirk."

- xCommander AWOL (R)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_35igJnloijA/RlStBlcwloI/AAAAAAAAAio/XDKEiB5Q5eA/s400/bush+sunglasses+aa.JPG

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Shades cover up the gleam in our eyes." - xVP Dickie 'Five-Military-Deferments' Cheney (R)

"You know how gleamy we republicons get when we are acting tuff n' stuff, and counting up our massive war profits n' stuff. Sneer."

- xVP Dickie 'Five-Military-Deferments' Cheney (R)

[Threedifferentones]

38. Fuckinng smirker indeed.

This discussion about soldiers' appearance is absurd, how the fuck can you make friends while delivering "shocking" violence? Oh, just act like GWB, duh...or Obama?

[WriteDown]

3. Guess they shouldn't have worn flak jackets?

:shrug:

[Bragi]

9. "Argumentum ad absurdum" is usually lame...

As in this case.

[WriteDown]

12. Also, they tend to be pretty muscular from all that training...

that is ALWAYS intimidating. Look at soldiers from past wars, they tend to be slender.

[mitchum]

15. Well, roids will do that

[WriteDown]

19. Link to evidence

that soldiers are given roids?

[mitchum]

28. The proof is in the neck...and there is a difference between "given"and "obtain"

[WriteDown]

32. Yeah, that sounds like "proof"

:rofl:

[mitchum]

34. Well, you fucking war cheerleaders wouldn't accept proof if it came up under...

that bridge where you dwell,
and smacked you
in your goddamn jingo, would you?

[WriteDown]

35. War cheerleader?

Claiming that soldiers aren't regularly taking steroids and being a war cheerleader are far apart on the spectrum.

Nice strawman though.

[LanternWaste]

36. Much like the...

Much like the "proof" of skinny WWII, Korean, or Vietnam vets. Six of one, half a dozen of the other...

[TheWraith]

4. So sunglasses in the desert are bad? As are flak jackets in a combat zone?

I knew the British hadn't had a real war in a long time, but sheesh.

[SpiralHawk]

6. If you cannot see the eyes of the people who have invaded your land

you might well have some questions about their intentions as they boss and bully you about in their Mythical Quest for WMD and stuff..

I believe Atilla the Hun was the first to learn this lesson about community relations in war zone.

[cherokeeprogressive]

25. Did Atilla wear RayBans, or Oakleys? Who knew they had sunglasses way back then! n/t

[Bragi]

10. Way to deliberately miss the point /nt

[ieoeja]

22. In a "real war" you kill everything that moves.

Iraq was a police action, not a war. And you do not want cops distancing themselves from the people they are supposed to serve and protect.

[Bragi]

26. That's why the Brits adopted a no-armor policy in Basra

Soft hats and no-armor can calm things down. Darth Vaderism always creates heat.

[harun]

27. They had a story on the Brits riding around on bicycles and

befriending the locals. It was a good strategy.

[daleo]

39. No, that's a slaughter or a genocide

Wars are usually extremely violent but they aren't necessarily slaughters. My mother's brother was captured at Dunkirk and lived out WWII in a POW camp, for example.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

31. Real War?

Do you think the invasion of Iraq is a real war?

It sounds like you are calling Brits pussies who need to be in more wars. What was the last 'real' war the US was in?

[NashVegas]

5. "Darth Vader Kit"

[zeemike]

13. This is a sexy look in our violent loving society.

We see it all the time....even the police dress this way.
But don't expect the world to fall in love with it when they know that all that crap they are holding is meant to kill.

[Dr.Phool]

7. I'm sure blowing up their homes had nothing to do with it.

Or killing their families.

And I heard that they really loved the white phosphorus.

[No Elephants]

17. My thoughts exactly, I have a feeling sunglasses were last on the list.

This is about on a par with McChrystal claiming we cannot win in Afghanistan without capturing or killing Bin Laden.

Stick to what you know, fellas.

[Bragi]

8. So true

It was obvious from the outset that the whole outfit was intended to intimidate, not to ingratiate.

[WriteDown]

11. There were a lot better choices...

Personally, I prefer the Boer war. It doesn't offer you the eye and body protection of today's modern uniforms, but check out that hat!

[Bragi]

24. Didn't a "soft hats and no armor" approach work well for the Brits in Basra?

I thought it worked fine, at least until the Darth Vader brigades doomed everything.

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. The shades certainly serve a purpose in protecting the eyesight

in potentially hostile situations, but it should be just common sense that when you are dealing with the public face to face that they should be able to actually SEE your face.

The eyes are the windows to the soul - and the shades separate the people from who they're talking to. They are meant to intimidate, not communicate - just as state troopers used to always wear those mirrored shades. I've not seen them so much recently - maybe they've figured out that people react more positively when they can see your eyes.

[proteus_lives]

16. I think soldiers should wear body armor.

[SIMPLYB1980]

18. Yep. nt

[CrunchMaster]

20. Someone tell MI6 to STFU. We haven't forgotten their role in helping to lie the world into war

"Tony Blair was under mounting pressure yesterday after he refused to withdraw discredited claims by the secret intelligence service MI6 that Saddam Hussein tried to buy uranium to make nuclear weapons."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-niger-connection-tony-blair-forged-documents-and-the-case-for-war-539826.html

[zonkers]

21. Done in by a wardrobe malfunction. Curses.

[Blue_Tires]

23. that sounds more like blackwater's signature "look"

there are tons of photos like these out there....

[groundloop]

29. We shoulda' handed out sunglasses to Iraqi teenagers

We could have started a fashion trend, been ahead of the times.

[NJmaverick]

30. Do not post opinion pieces, editorials, frivolous items, or other stories that are not news.

[Divine Discontent]

37. I'd just say it belongs in the editorial forum or GD.

[daleo]

41. It's news

It's a direct quote from an official inquiry.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

33. Daily Mail isn't a reliable source n/t

[LynnTheDem]

40. That and that killing their kids thing.

I don't think the slaughtering of the babies and little kids was very popular, either.

Funny thing, the people of Iraq love their kids just as much as we love ours. Who coulda known.

[Lurks Often]

42. ugh

Do the sunglasses and body armor intimidate? I'm sure they do, but they also protect the troops from gunfire and IEDs which is the primary purpose.

The two choices (until our political leadership pulls the troops out) are either intimidate the Iraqi's or accept higher casualties.

And yes, I'm sure there will be an argument that if we weren't intimidating the Iraqi's, there might be fewer casualties, it might even be correct, but it might not be correct either. I don't know which way it would work out.