Iraqi boy seeks cover behind U.S. soldier

[sabra]

Pic on front page of NYTimes:



Pic a few frames before above:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/05/potent_symbols_.html

<snip>

It’s a picture of the scene after a bombing in Baghdad yesterday. Adding to the chaos of the bombing which killed at least 21 people and injured at least 66 was a shooter, maybe targeting people in the crowd.

Amid all the Iraqis who are running from the gunfire was a U.S. soldier, standing tall, perhaps looking in the direction of the gunshots, not apparently looking for cover.

An Iraqi boy seeks shelter behind the soldier, a member of the 82nd Airborne Division.

The photo in this posting actually was taken a few frames before the one the New York Times photo editors chose for the paper's front page. That photo has more impact since it portrays the Iraqis actually running for safety.

Still, in both photos, the symbolism is arresting.

[tmlanders]

1. I can't imagine how the Iraqi kids cannot be scarred for life n/t

[AzDar]

2. Jeezus Christ. George W. Bush has DESTROYED that country.

[NightWatcher]

3. it's refreshing to see that somebody thinks that we can help

I hear stories from returning vets that they have tried to help some of the Iraqis, but there are not enough good stories to shape the Iraqi mindset. A neighbor tells of giving the kids food and water and helping families in a few circumstances, but then news will come out of a soldier raping a girl or shooting up a family and the good deeds are all for not. What is really bad is the Iraqis cannot tell the difference between soldier and contractors. Many of the contractors are thugs and are making things tough for the troops that are actually trying to make a difference.

[alphafemale]

4. Human Shield nt

[txindy]

5. I'm more than a little surprised that the soldier does not appear to react to the boy's presence.

A bomb goes off, people run for their lives, and a person that a soldier does not even look at attaches himself to the soldier's side. Shouldn't he be verifying that it's an unarmed civilian (not to mention a child) by his side and not someone out to do him harm? Conversely, that little boy is very lucky the soldier is as calm as he appears and doesn't react violently to an unknown person suddenly behind him and hanging on (it appears) to his waist.

That picture is....odd.

[malaise]

6. Odd as in staged

otherwise the soldier would have reacted. Good spot.

[Breeze54]

8. BS!

:eyes: staged? I doubt it!

[BlooInBloo]

11. I find it hard to believe a soldier would let anyone close enough to take his weapons....

... Then again, I'm not a soldier. :)

[Goat or Panic]

10. It's "odd" because it's so foreign to us

This is an everyday occurrence for the soldier. I would assume that most of our troops have their wits about them at all times and have a good grasp of who is around them. This soldier may have been talking to the kid before the bomb went off and probably knew very well that it was just a frightened child hanging onto him. I don't think it was staged. This crap is unfortunately going on everyday.

[txindy]

13. I never said it was staged, just that it's odd.

I still can't see anyone, highly trained or not, not bothering to look and see who came running up behind him from his right and then is holding onto his waist (it seems) on his left. Not even a glance. Particularly after a bomb had just gone off and people are running.

I'd like to see all of the pictures in that sequence to check if the soldier ever once looks anywhere other than to his right. I know the main action appears to be in that direction, but that's what a diversion would look like, too. We're looking at the picture from the same angle someone setting off a diversion would have before they tried to cause more harm. Surely someone is looking to the left with others looking forward and still others checking behind them. Maybe the other soldiers communicated via headset that it was a child about to latch onto that soldier, so that's why he doesn't react in any way? :shrug:

It's still odd. Not staged. Odd. I'd love to see the entire sequence of photos from this incident.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. Oh, well...that changes everything: Now I'm for the war!!!

That picture has truly persuaded me that going into Iraq was a good idea!

:eyes:

[Cronus Protagonist]

9. Maybe he was trying to steal a grenade or two

:sarcasm:

Hey, a little humor doesn't hurt, right?

:)

[magellan]

12. Kids instinctively seek out authority figures in chaos

The photo is touching, as I think it reveals the best of what could be between our troops and Iraqi civilians. But I doubt the boy hung around the soldier for very long.