America abandons 'iron fist'

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/index.cfm?id=859022003

THE United States military yesterday abandoned its "iron-fisted" hunt for members of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime, as Baghdad suffered its worst day of violence since the end of the war.

Lieutenant-General Richardo Sanchez, the commander of the allied forces in Iraq, said he is switching from raids to a policy of intelligence gathering - amid fears that manhunts are creating more enemies than are being captured.

The decision came as a bomb outside the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad left at least 11 dead and 50 wounded in what appeared to be a new wave of terrorist attacks.

The embassy bomb, hidden inside a lorry, detonated in the early hours of yesterday morning while traffic was heavy, inflicting severe wounds on many passers-by. Two children were counted among the dead.

The explosion - the first attack on non-Iraqi Arabs since the major conflict ended - was followed by insurgents storming the embassy and chanting anti-Jordanian protests, while tearing up photographs of the King of Jordan.

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[fishnfla]

1. "Iron fist liberators"

This is a Vietnam type SNAFU. I think someone pointed out how successful the Brits had been in their dealings with the Iraqis, treating them fairly. Thats the experience that comes from centuries of empire building.

[rocktivity]

3. "We'll end up with a war that has Viet Nam's fingerprints all over it."

--rocknation, September 2001


rocknation

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. But, But, But..........

all of those cripled Iraqi children could be dangerous you know. Their cripled but they could still be a threat.

(so says the Bush Junta)

[Rex]

4. Yes, the iron fist - symbol of tyrants.

Idiots

[T_i_B]

5. Well................DUH!

The Iraqis’ message, Lt-Gen Sanchez said, is that "when you take a father in front of his family and put a bag over his head and put him on the ground, you have had a significant adverse effect on his dignity and respect in the eyes of his family".

No shit sherlock!

We were told that we were going to war to "liberate" the Iraqi's. Why then are we behaving like tyrants ourselves?

[0007]

7. PBS had a good take on this

Accordingly, the tension is building up to fever pitch on both sides with U.S. troops becoming irritable.

[Spentastic]

8. Is this the Onion?

"I started to get multiple indicators that maybe our iron-fisted approach to the conduct of operations was beginning to alienate Iraqis," Lt-Gen Sanchez said"

What? Like people shooting your troops?

When people generalise that military people are stupid they are often wrong. However, this guy is obviously none too bright and he's in charge of more than a few no doubt.

[pinniped]

6. Meanwhile taskforce 20 or whatever it's called continues to...

Secretly inflict terror and death upon all those who oppose Czar Busholai II.