U.S. troops face gangs of children in Baghdad

[ProSense]

Posted on Wed, Sep. 20, 2006

U.S. troops face gangs of children in Baghdad

By Antonio Castaneda
ASSOCIATED PRESS

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Shiite militias are encouraging children -- some as young as 6 or 7 -- to hurl stones and gasoline bombs at U.S. convoys, hoping to lure American troops into ambushes or provoke them into shooting back, U.S. soldiers say.

Gangs of up to 100 children assemble in Sadr City, stronghold of radical anti-American cleric Muqtada Sadr and his Mahdi Army militia and in nearby neighborhoods, U.S. officers said in interviews this week.

American soldiers have seen young men, their faces covered by bandannas, talking with the children before the rock-throwing attacks begin -- and sometimes handing out slingshots so the volleys will be more accurate, the troops said.

"It's like a militia operation. They'll mass rocks on the last or second-to-last vehicle" in a U.S. patrol, said Capt. Chris L'Heureux, 30, of Woonsocket, R.I. "There's no doubt in my mind that they're utilizing these kids in a deliberate, thought-out way."

more...

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/15562275.htm?source=rss&channel=cctimes_news

[Drum]

1. Hmmm...this reminds me of something.....nt

[gratuitous]

2. Typical librul media

Talking about the 6- and 7-year-old throwing rocks, but not a single sentence about all the 3- and 4-year-olds who aren't throwing rocks. How long will it take before some soldier, in country for a couple of weeks, mows down a line of kids? Keep in mind that to meet recruiting goals and avoid the draft, the military is relaxing standards more and more. What kind of hotheads or other maladjusted individuals will slip through?

And, as easily predictable as this scenario is, how many Republican mouthpieces will be shocked, shocked! when it happens?

[donsu]

3. rocks vs the supposedly greatest military on earth

that's what people under occupation do

fight back with whatever they can

a lot of those kids are probably orphans/fatherless/motherless/familyless

and I'm sure, hungry.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. That was my thought, too

How many of those rock-throwing children need no persuading because they already hate the Americans for having killed their parents and/or siblings?

[BoneDaddy]

5. Another example of liberal naivete

I am a liberal but am continually astounded by some ignorant posts.
Why is it so hard to imagine the disruptive powers that be over there could use children this way? In the Iran/Iraq war, children were used as mine detectors and as fighters. Anyone who uses children this way should be drawn and quartered.

That said, I consider a child with a molotov cocktail or a gun pointed at me extremely dangerous. This has nothing to do with rocks vs the best military in the world, this has to do with an enemy who would stoop that low to use children in their war against Americans, knowing full well the predicament that the soldiers would be facing. Their choices are to hold back and potentially endanger their fellow troops and themselves or fire and kill or maim a child, something that would most likely scar an ordinary soldier, not to mention make the front page of every newspaper and magazine. Our soldiers are being placed in no-win situations with much to lose on both accounts....Get them out of there now!!!