Video: US Troops Taunt Iraqi Children With Water

Hmmm....well being prior military I can assure you that the military is a pretty good cross section of society from upper-middle class on down.

In that rather large group of people there are a fair amount of a**holes. Thus you can deduct that the military will have about the same proportion of people that make bad decisions.

If the situation looks as it does, as soldiers taunting Iraqi kids with water, then it was a screw up un their part and they should be verbally disciplined. Other than that it i ridiculous to tie this to any of the far more disturbing activites we have heard of soldiers commiting in the past. Nor does it make sense to label the military as a whole based on this video.

So my two cents is

- bad decision by US soldiers
- not indicative of military as whole
- soldiers on ground I assure you are mostly good people
- Iraq a bad place to have our boys so get mad at politicians

I can see how this happened.

Think about it, you're an American who came into Iraq with good intentions. After being a few months there, you've been shot at, killed a few people and almost been blown up by a mortar.

And then you go to schools and be nice to kids, and give them lolies.

They repay you by throwing rocks ok you. OK.

Now, think about this:

You see some "American Liberators" driving past waving a bottle of water around and acting like they are going to pass it (and maybe others) out. Filled with hope, you chase after the truck. The Americans continue to show off their nice clean bottled water and even make moves to pass it to you... but they don't. They just keep driving. Still... there's that bottle and there's hope so you keep running. Finally, when you can't run any further, the guy in the back carelessly dumps the bottle on the ground. Before you can even get to it (while panting and hurting from such a long run), some older kids grab it and pop you a couple for your efforts.

I can see it from both sides. The soldier doing that should be punished.

Also lets not forget this:
IN A WAR, NO ONE WINS and WARS ARE NOT FAIR.

It was bound that something like this would happen. Lets just hope it dosn't happen again.

Originally posted by PisTonZOR
I can see how this happened.

Think about it ...

...

It was bound that something like this would happen. Lets just hope it dosn't happen again.

Let's stop a moment and think about the little production company riding shotgun in the truck.

HAS this happened before? Who was the cameraman and why was he filming the episode in the first place? Was it a spontaneous act for #s and giggles? Or staged? The voices are obviously American, one even asks "Are you getting this?"

Why is the clip cut off where it was? To eliminate the not-so-happy ending? Where the kids start beating the snot out of each other in one big dogpile?

What the hell are they doing riding around taping crap like this? How SOP is it to take a video camera on patrol or even some sort of transport mission? After Abu Ghraib aren't cameras verbotten?

So my question is, was this a spontaneous act or was it a planned attempt of illustrating to the people of that neighborhood (and to the world) who has the carrot and who carries the stick?

How much organization was put into this mission? And who smuggled out the video publishing it on YouTube?

yup , you heard me exclement idea - entice children , the families and relatives of your " insurgent heroes " to closely follow US vehicles .

it is perfect defensive strategy .

if the kids get a sudden warning , and go to ground - that is a perfect " ambush coming " alarm

if the kids do not get warned off - ooops the insurgents just tried to kill thier own next generation - ataboy .

PS - before people start whining " thats using human sheilds " be sure to go back and modify / write your replies to threads where it is pointed out the islamist insurgents regularly use human sheilds - and make sure you condem them too

Originally posted by CX

Originally posted by selfless
this is not supprising at all.

don't expect much from people who were lost enough to join the army.

Whilst this is out of order in my opinion, i would just like to remind you that not all soldiers do this and maybe you should be gratefull that they were "lost enough" to join the forces and do the job they do so you have the freedom to sit there from the comfort of your armchair and post such things!

CX.

Well my opinion is that i will do way more for peace by not doing violent acts then those who claims they are killing others for the sake of peace...

You can't say you want peace when you kill others it just doesn't work... it's all a lie for economic reasons....

No not out of order just the sad truth.

Originally posted by osram
Thats the reason why I dont even go into military service: I dont believe in society. It's a show. A comedy. I dont believe in none of it's aspects. And that's the only way to go.

Mod Note: One Line Post – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 11/23/2006 by 12m8keall2c]

Originally posted by PisTonZOR
I can see how this happened.

Think about it, you're an American who came into Iraq with good intentions. After being a few months there, you've been shot at, killed a few people and almost been blown up by a mortar.

Are you kidding me? good intentions? maybe delusional in the minds of the people who joined the army because they played first person shooters and thought it would be cooler to do it for real... but no war in history will ever have good intentions, it's all bassed on a delusional system in the first place.

slavery of the mind.

Good ole Yankee ingenuity, ignorant_ape? So in that case, the kids really are being played for fools?

How soon till they catch on and start looking gift horses in the mouth?

Last century I was to Morocco a few times. There, right off the boat, swarms of street urchins greet the tourists, hocking trinkets, offering guide services (advised to get one). On the way back to the ferry, if you aren't buying, it becomes a beggars' frenzy.

Many a seastory had been told of the Philipino kids who swim out to meet the liberty launches looking to be the first to get a hand out, or youthful exhuberance in a traditional greeting.

I'm sure this scenario is played out where ever there is poverty in play. And young entrepeneurial spirit in the making.

... from those who want a hand up. Pity is what comes to my mind.

Hmm... thanks to instances like these, the stereotype of the American @$$#0!3 coninues to grow. I guess occupying a foreign country for no reason isn't enough anymore.

On a side note, why is it that people doing stupid things so often choose to record the events? Don't they realize that the footage they record will be used against them if it's found?

It is funny how people like Syrian Sister are talking about those "evil americans" yet praise her wonderful "resistance fighters" who are and have killed more innocent civilians than coalition forces.



[edit on 23-11-2006 by RetinoidReceptor]

If they are taunting them big deal taunting is something done by everyone it causes no harm. What is worse taunting them with a bottle of water or using them as human shields.

Originally posted by RetinoidReceptor
It is funny how people like Syrian Sister are talking about those "evil americans" yet praise her wonderful "resistance fighters" who are and have killed more innocent civilians than coalition forces.

there will always be people that only see something from one view point and ignore the rest

Originally posted by RetinoidReceptor
It is funny how people like Syrian Sister are talking about those "evil americans" yet praise her wonderful "resistance fighters" who are and have killed more innocent civilians than coalition forces.

According to some numbers of the people who actually DO bodycounts (not unlike US Armed Forces) on Iraqi Civilians, that is not Correct:

IBC

Who did the killing?

* 37%. US-led forces killed 37% of civilian victims.
* 9%. Anti-occupation forces/insurgents killed 9% of civilian victims.
* 36%. Post-invasion criminal violence accounted for 36% of all deaths.
* 11%. Unknown agents (11%).

What was the most lethal weaponry?

* Over half (53%) of all civilian deaths involved explosive devices.
* Air strikes caused most (64%) of the explosives deaths.
* Children were disproportionately affected by all explosive devices but most severely by air strikes and unexploded ordnance (including cluster bomblets).

Mod Edit: Excessive Bolding.

[edit on 23/11/2006 by Mirthful Me]

* 9%. Anti-occupation forces/insurgents killed 9% of civilian victims.
* 36%. Post-invasion criminal violence accounted for 36% of all deaths.

^ Exacly. If you add that up, that is more than the coalition forces.

Well show us the home movies the "other" bad guys are making and I am sure we'd all be more than happy to condemn those too. Or is CNN'n'em (as I like to call American news) doing that ? Frankly I wouldn't know because I don't watch it.
But I haven't seen too many links and posts all over the net pointing us to the bad behaviour of them like I have seen these.
Seems like every day there is a new one. Keeping a diary just ain't what it used to be huh?

My point being that the only home movies I have seen that have been getting so much attention are pretty much like this and are usually just as sick and disturbing. They're everywhere.

I find it most unnerving that anybody could try rationalize this kind of behaviour.

I also find it quite sad that this, on top of all the other bad news we're getting every day, is what is coming out of America going to Iraq to 'liberate them'.

Originally posted by bodrul

Originally posted by RetinoidReceptor
It is funny how people like Syrian Sister are talking about those "evil americans" yet praise her wonderful "resistance fighters" who are and have killed more innocent civilians than coalition forces.

there will always be people that only see something from one view point and ignore the rest

LMAO that was some fast photo shop action... Good for you. But can you deny the tactics employed in the picture? Who hides among civilians and uses them as pawns?

As for population control please. Israel could depopulate the entire region very fast if it wanted to. We know about the arab muslim idea of population control as they spew it from every orrafice everyday, about how they need to wipe away israel and the west from the world.

As for ignoring a view point I bet if they stopped attacking israel there would be no problem. Egypt and turkey are able to live in peace with israel.
Question do you ignore the other view point?

I've been looking at the palestinians and it must suck to be them.

On one hand you have neighboring arab muslim countries where alot of the palestians are from since they are a cross section of people made up of refugees from surrounding countries who obviously don't care about them except for use as a pawn against israel. A fanatic militia who does not want peace and has the impossible goal of genocide of israel at the cost of their own people. I believe the palestinian economy is about a third of what it was before they started yet another infitada.

And on the otherside a people who want peace but keep getting attacked so they return in kind.

What a screwed up place to be if your a palestinian who just wants to raise your kids in relative peace. I feel bad for them the most and at the same time blame their "brothers" for perpetuating this sad state. What are they resisting? The fact that they bomb Israeli citizens time and time again so the Israeli army goes into the terrorist bases and stops the flow of terrorism.

When hamas and hezbolah and their sort stop using their own people as human shields then you'll see much less death of innocents. Stop hiding missles in civilian homes and isreal won't bomb them and bulldoze them.

In fact aren't there about a quarter of a million arabs that live in Israel as citizens? "thats some bad population control" as you like to imagine it.

I could only imagine if a quarter of a million jews tried living in an arab country.
So lets be real and place the blame where it belongs. Israel is there and isn't going anywhere.

So the people over there have a choice move on and live or continue making the region the armpit of the world and die. As pathetic as it is I think they have chosen to die and try take everyone with them.


[edit on 23-11-2006 by American Madman]

Originally posted by Souljah

Originally posted by RetinoidReceptor
It is funny how people like Syrian Sister are talking about those "evil americans" yet praise her wonderful "resistance fighters" who are and have killed more innocent civilians than coalition forces.

According to some numbers of the people who actually DO bodycounts (not unlike US Armed Forces) on Iraqi Civilians, that is not Correct:

IBC

Who did the killing?

* 37%. US-led forces killed 37% of civilian victims.
* 9%. Anti-occupation forces/insurgents killed 9% of civilian victims.
* 36%. Post-invasion criminal violence accounted for 36% of all deaths.
* 11%. Unknown agents (11%).

What was the most lethal weaponry?

* Over half (53%) of all civilian deaths involved explosive devices.
* Air strikes caused most (64%) of the explosives deaths.
* Children were disproportionately affected by all explosive devices but most severely by air strikes and unexploded ordnance (including cluster bomblets).

Stats are like opinions everyone has them and they fit one's agenda. Terrorists do not report their fallen comrades as terrorists when the bodies are brought to the morgue.

Funny how for every"the US has bombed the wrong target" headline there are significantly more "terrorist bomber kills 50 in crowded market" headlines.


[edit on 23-11-2006 by American Madman]

[edit on 23-11-2006 by American Madman]

The topic is: US Troops Taunt Iraqi Children With Water

How did we get into the Israeli/Palistinian issue?

anyone that thinks thats funny definitely has issues.
that was a cruel and uncalled for.

yea, there maybe some bad people there, but theres bad people everywhere. theres probably more bad people in this country than any other.

it was obvious that they are really thirsty. thats not a funny thing whatsoever.

i dont really see anything funny about genocide.... and thats practically whats happening to these people. and our soldiers laugh at this because they are brainwashed to believe these are evil people, when they are just regular people like us... they are just alot less fortunate.

anyways..

everyone has their opinions, and are entitled to it. and my opinion is that this is not funny at all... and just one word.... KARMA.


kthnx peace

Originally posted by intrepid
The topic is: US Troops Taunt Iraqi Children With Water

How did we get into the Israeli/Palistinian issue?

I was just contrasting the outrage that people have for taunting people as opposed to using them as human shields. Sorry.