I don't think we should be using kids as human shields

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=323524&sid=SAS

Suicide attack in crowd of children in Afghanistan

Kandahar, Sept 18: A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd of children today in southern Afghanistan, causing multiple casualties, as NATO troops handed them gift items, officials said.

"A suicide attacker detonated explosives strapped to his body in a crowd of children where the troops were distributing pens and notebooks to kids," a district police official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

He said 24 children were wounded, four of them in a critical condition, while officials said NATO peacekeepers were also injured.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed a bomb had exploded near a patrol in the city of Kandahar, causing "multiple casualties".

[Buzz Clik]

1. Using kids as shields is horrible, but who is doing that?

You need to explain.

[NNN0LHI]

4. The trick is for soldiers not to be passing out goodies to little kids

There are NGO's who are supposed to be doing this. Not armed soldiers.

Don

[Buzz Clik]

12. My dad did the same thing with German children in WWII.

He was simply being a human being, not using kids as shields.

I really dislike the tone of this thread.

[leftchick]

26. was that after the children were liberated?

and before US convoys were routinely targeted by suicide bombers. Times change.

US knows full well these stupid human tricks do not earn good will and will always be seen as targets by the resistance forces. Logic 101 is lacking in the US command.

[Buzz Clik]

30. Your cynicism is thick, to say the least.

It's your opinion that giving little things to kids is a "stupid human trick"?

I really don't understand the need to despise everything even remotely related to US troops.

[leftchick]

37. I don't blame the troops

I happen to be related to and friends with several US troops who are serving and have served overseas recently. I blame the stupid ass shits who command them and sent them there. Throwing cheap gifts and candy towards Iraqi and Afghani children is stupid, pointless for sure at this stage and dangerous for the children. Period.

[Tulum_Moon]

44. I agree

This is sick. Soldiers would not use children as human shields.

[Totallybushed]

2. How are

we using children as human shields? Your comment makes no sense to me.

[bryant69]

3. I'm not going to pretend I don't understand what you mean

I do understand - and what a reprehensible thing to say about our troops.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Dhalgren]

5. It is awful to say about anyone, unless you have real, valid

proof that it is true. Most times that accusation is made it is untrue - and the people making the accusation know it. This was sarcasm and it was quite effective...

[Buzz Clik]

13. Sarcasm? If the title of this thread was sarcasm, it was asinine.

[Dhalgren]

23. When the point is missed, the point is missed.

It is asinine to say that US troops use children as shields. It is also asinine to say that any fighters do this, unless there is verifiable proof supporting the claim. Yet, that accusation is made about this or that group of fighters all the time. And if we really are "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here", then we all are using Iraqi children as shields...

[Buzz Clik]

24. As to this quote of yours:

"And if we really are "fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here", then we all are using Iraqi children as shields..."

I totally agree.

[wuushew]

6. Irregardless of our intent, we should stop

Western soldiers are targets in Afghanistan. Being in close proximity to children places them at risk.

To safe guard their lives, such hearts and minds work should cease as a military function.

[bryant69]

7. It's interesting that a guy is willing to kill children

to get to the soldiers, he blows himself up in an attempt to murder as many people as possible - and the villians? The soldiers he was trying to blow up.

Bryant

[sweetheart]

22. Really though, there are more discrete ways to

give school supplies to kids, like in school, where they are not PR tools for the new redcoats.

[deaniac21]

28. Irregardless = "not a word"

[Buzz Clik]

31. Correcting grammar/spelling/word usage adds NOTHING to the discussion.

[deaniac21]

34. Then you must be unwilling/to/learn.

[Buzz Clik]

36. Did you learn your debate tactics at the Free Republic?

[deaniac21]

41. Who is debating?

:toast:

I just hate to see someone use a term that doesn't exist. I'd want to know if I was being foolish. Can't we all just get along?

[wuushew]

38. how can a non-word be in a dictionary?

irregardless
One entry found for irregardless.


Main Entry: ir·re·gard·less
Pronunciation: "ir-i-'gärd-l&s
Function: adverb
Etymology: probably blend of irrespective and regardless
nonstandard : REGARDLESS
usage Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that "there is no such word." There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead


http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/irregardless

[datasuspect]

39. for cautionary purposes?

notice the word NONSTANDARD in that dictionary definition? the correct usage is regardless (per your inclusion of the dictionary definition).

[MisoWeaver]

18. I agree.

Its a stupid remark

[acmejack]

8. Condemn the bomber not the peacekeepers!

you are way off base on this one. Hell you aren't even in the stadium.

[NNN0LHI]

11. peacekeepers?

:rofl:

[acmejack]

15. So you come down on the side of the Warlords and the Taliban?

Interesting, I am surprised-even for you that is a pretty radical stand. Are you into Opium or something?

Care to explain what their mission is there? It certainly isn't to kill little children by using them as human shields as you so boguslly claimed. Apparently your intention is to incite flame wars this morning?

[NNN0LHI]

20. Our mission is to smoke out international terrorists from their caves

Did you forget already?

Don

[TahitiNut]

25. They were gathering intelligence information from the kids.

:sarcasm:

[acmejack]

27. Hardly.

I truly hate to get sidetracked from the issue of the evil troops using children as human shields. One person's handing out of gifts to build community good will, a time honored method, is apparently now another's tactic of cowardly shielding behind children. I simply find that claim to be craven. As ex Military myself I find it very offensive. But that is just me. It never occurred to me that giving a kid a candy bar was a cowardly act of attempting to hide behind his or her tiny body.

[deaniac21]

35. That is because, unlike the OP, you aren't an aficionado of

tortured logic.

[Evergreen Emerald]

9. "Fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here"

That is using children as human shields. We are hiding behind the children of Iraq so that we can "fight them over there."

[Dhalgren]

10. "Fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here" is, in

fact, using Iraqi and Afghani civilians (including children) as human shields for Americans. That is a good point and one that needs be made.

[treestar]

14. Sounds more like incompetence than an actual intent to use them as

shields. They should learn from this and not do things like that again.

It was thoughtless, at the least. They should not make such public relations moves, it could be dangerous, to anybody.

[hughee99]

16. Wow...

are you sure it wasn't that our soldiers were trying to kill the children (perhaps with poison pens), and this noble citizen (who just happened to have a bomb strapped to him) bravely stepped in and tried to save these poor children from that horrible fate with the only means at his disposal? :sarcasm:

[exlrrp]

17. Condemn the bomber, not the ones passing out school supplies

Holy crap, what is this? Don't you understand the nature of the war? We HAVE to "win hearts and minds." What better way to get Afghanis on the side of the US then pass out good stuff for them like school supplies?

There's nothing in ths article at all about using kids as human shields, youre chery picking the facts of a real tragedy to make your political point. Youre the one using these dead and wounded kids

[NNN0LHI]

19. I will condemn both, thank you very much

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1002-01.htm

Mourning Iraqis Blame U.S. Troops for Massacre of Children

by Sameer N. Yacoub

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Families of the 35 children who died in a string of bombings in Baghdad blamed American troops for the tragedy, accusing them of attracting insurgents to a ceremony where the attacks occurred.

By Friday, tents had sprung up in the el-Amel neighborhood in Baghdad to accommodate mourners who gathered to share their grief from the Thursday attack. In the carnage, several explosions ripped into a crowd gathered to celebrate the inauguration of a new, much needed sewage plant.

Residents said that before the start of the celebration, U.S. soldiers called upon the children through loudspeakers to join the crowd, promising them sweets. There were an unusually large number around because the long school holidays were nearing an end.

"I blame the Americans for this tragedy. They wanted to make human shields out of our children. They should have kept the children away from danger," said Abdel-Hadi al-Badri, a cleric a the al-Mubashroun al-Ashra mosque, breaking down in tears during Friday prayers.

Al-Badri's son lost his right leg in the explosion after he ignored his father's warnings to stay away from the U.S. troops.

[deaniac21]

21. .

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

29. Yup.

Who the fuck hands out candy and school supplies to kids in the middle of an unsecured warzone?

[Buzz Clik]

33. Human beings? People who give a shit about others?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

43. Buzz, if they gave a shit about others...

they wouldn't have been using them as human shields in a fucking warzone.

[Buzz Clik]

45. Is your comment hyperbole or logical fallacy?

I cannot decide.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

46. God's honest truth.

Handing out candy in a warzone is like letting a pack of dingoes into a nursery.

[ComerPerro]

32. You know what's interesting, this is how the media spun Israel/Lebanon

It was ok for Israels to indiscriminately bomb civilian areas because "Hezbollah uses civilians as human shields" when they are among civilians.

[enigma000]

40. For what it's worth, the troops were Canadian

They were doing the same thing Canadians have done in many wars and peacekeeping assignments: passing out candy to kids. You know, its the hearts and minds concept.

But I guess someone wanted to get an entrance ticket to the great big brothel in the sky.

The article also doesn't say 4 Canadians died.

[RiDuvessa]

42. Okay....

I don't think that people should strap bombs to their bodies and blow kids up.

:wtf:

[Skelington]

47. At long last !!!!!!!!!!!

Somebody on this thread that makes a point worth making!!!!!!