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Politics : Foreign Policy Discussion Thread
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To: D. Long who wrote (5554)5/22/2003 2:26:11 PM
From: Hawkmoon  Read Replies (1) of 15991
 
You're not allowed to have automatic weapons or artillery and rockets in the US either.

At least not without a special license...

My beef with how we've been handling the post-war security situation was perfectly displayed in Al-Faluja, where an anti-American demonstration (the town is a former pro-Saddam powerbase), they were infiltrated by gunmen (possibly fedayeen holdouts) and a firefight ensued killing or wounding over 70 people...

Now, for the life of me, I can't figure out what policy statements were not put out on Iraqi TV and radio stating that publicly carried weapons would not be tolerated. Any unauthorized person carrying a weapon on Iraqi streets would be arrested, and possibly shot on site. Pretty simple, IMO.. It would greatly assist in sorting out the good guys from the bad guys... Or at least provide an acceptable rationale for why our soldiers felt justified in shooting.

Anyone participating in a demonstration in which they observe weapons being carried would have little or no excuse for being part of that group.

There's no doubt our forces are stretched thin, especially when actual combat power (infantry, MPs.. etc) represents maybe 10-15% of our total forces in the region. But establishing some clear public order is paramount to achieving any other nation-building mission, or rebuilding.

And I give us a D, or at best, a C-, in how we have carried out that mission.

Hawk
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