Army psych unit tries to persuade Iraqi insurgents fight is over

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) -- At an open-air market in Saddam Hussein's hometown, an American soldier wades into a mistrustful crowd and hands out flyers seeking information on the fallen dictator's fugitive deputy -- a display meant to demoralize insurgents. One man tears it up with a menacing smile.

At the same time, soldiers from the U.S. Army's Psychological Operations unit are trying with limited success to get fellow soldiers to erase threatening messages painted on battle gear and ease their treatment of Iraqi residents during nighttime raids.

Beneath the surface of Iraq's conflict, soldiers from Psychological Operations, or "psyop," are trying to reduce the friction between coalition forces and the Iraqi people. In three-man teams, soldiers from the unit talk with Iraqi police, elders, religious leaders, teachers, and other civilians to win cooperation and help in persuading insurgents to give up. They also try to inform fellow soldiers about ways to build trust with local Iraqis.

"In the worst case scenario we want Iraqis to see us as a necessary evil. In the best case, we are a solution," said Sgt. Ervin Willis, from the Army's 362nd Psychological Operations Company, which supports the 4th Infantry Division in Tikrit.

More: http://www.nola.com/iraq/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?a0423_BC_Iraq-WinningMinds&&news&emergency

????????

This oughtta do the trick. My god.

[Mikimouse]

1. Meanwhile, back at the ranch (pun intended)...

the * psych. machine tries to convince America that the mission has been accomplished.

[lcordero]

2. disobeying an order gets soldiers sent to Leavenworth

At the same time, soldiers from the U.S. Army's Psychological Operations unit are trying with limited success to get fellow soldiers to erase threatening messages painted on battle gear and ease their treatment of Iraqi residents during nighttime raids.

The chain of command will be more than happy to tack on other charges.

[jonoboy]

3. doomed to failure unless they drill the soldiers on how to treat

civilians..if Iraqi's relax and then soldiers burst into their house and rip up the place..take away the men..they will only want to retaliate worse.
The psychologists need psychologists !

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. That, IMHO, is where the major problem lies.

[LibertyorDeath]

4. Haaaaaaaaaaaa! That has about as much chance of working

as Bush learning to speak extemporaneously.

[dbt]

6. It's a little late for THIS shit, innit?

After we've spent the better part of a year largely behaving like jackbooted thugs toward the Iraqis, they're somehow supposed to believe we're not that bad after all?!?!?!

Now what was that line about a "kinder, gentler machine gun hand..."

:freak:
dbt

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

7. Good point... Bushco believes the world is populated by Freepers

wha accept anything from them blindly without qualification or logic.

[htuttle]

8. There is a lot of truth to that

That's probably why so many of Bush's international efforts fail so miserably. They can only play to the home crowd.