'Spray and slay': are American troops out of control in Iraq?

[Logansquare]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=523993

Ever since the occupation began, there have been regular stories of American soldiers who were attacked by insurgents on the streets of Iraqi cities and reacted by spraying the entire area with wild, indiscriminate gunfire, killing and maiming innocent Iraqi bystanders. Other accounts, however, are even more sinister.

Before he was jailed for a year last week for failing to return from leave, another soldier who served in Iraq, Sergeant Camilo Mejia, said a friend of his, a sniper, had shot a child about 10 years old who was carrying an automatic weapon. "He realised it was a kid," said Sergeant Mejia. "The kid tried to get up. He shot him again." The child died.

[teryang]

1. Excellent critical comments from the British

...on the oddball perspective of American forces.

[burrowowl]

2. Excellent article

also the 'arrogance' of the troops towars the Iraqis, of course the U$ is very arrogant towards the rest of the world and of course 'liberals' in America.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Points the other important factor

the ammount of our kids who are traveling abroad for the first
time with uncle sam... and the lack of cultural sensitivity.

This is literally killing people on both sides

[Karenina]

8. Hmmm...

The philosophy is almost that of the wagon train, and tends to lead to the 'spray and slay' behaviour we have seen," said the analyst.

"It is hard to over-estimate the lack of awareness of most American soldiers in Iraq," <snip>

In the view of British forces, the source added, such attitudes had led to a succession of "fundamental mistakes", and had made senior officers extremely hostile to being put under American command.

<snip>

The US wants Britain to take over from the departed Spanish contingent in the Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, where American firepower is being deployed against militias loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia cleric declared an outlaw by Washington.

"Seeking to adopt normal low-profile British tactics in the wake of American aggressiveness would be difficult enough," said the military source, "but to have to go in under US operational command would be a disaster."

[enough]

4. Along the same lines

see Stan Goff's article called "Open Season in Iraq," drawing parallels with Goff's experience in Iraq at http://www.counterpunch.org/


Thanks for posting this article, Logansquare.

[JSJ]

5. only one question...

...does the government deliberately recruit the troops from the criminal underclass?

[saigon68]

6. Yes they do--they are easier to Brain wash

Look at Platoon and the Michael Fox movie of the soldier rapists-- Those 2 movies are as close as it gets.

[Karenina]

7. "Make him go into the military

It'll make a "MAN" out of him."

Anyone else ever hear that growing up?