Nadine, it's not a war zone. The war is over. It's now a police state. Soldiers who point their guns at a girl running up screaming at them are pathetic. There is more than shooting and killing or threatening to do so as a way of dissuading attack - especially when the size of the threat is small. A big tough guy with fists, or throwing stones might need to be shot, but a shouting girl isn't really a threat to tough soldiers. Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me [childhood refrain].
It isn't a mark of military professionalism to refrain from shooting somebody who annoys you, accidentally-on-purpose. If you think that's professionalism, my side's standards are lower than I like. Which bears out her point!
It would be pathetic to read, "Awarded to Privates Smith and Jones, who refrained from killing this really Mouthy Broad, who was asking for it!! A medal of courage, valour and honour. What heroes, what professionalism. Mouthy Broads should shut up, get back in the chador and back in their house."
Being shot at with regularity? How many casualties have there been among coalition soldiers in the past 3 days?
Google is great! Hey Presto and here's a link. It seems that the for-real lethal fighting was over by 12 April. adn.com
<Overall, the U.S. military said Tuesday that 125 U.S. service members have died and four are missing. The British government said 31 British soldiers have died.
DEATHS
April 14:
Army Pvt. Johnny Brown, 21, Troy, Ala., vehicle accident
Army Spc. Thomas Arthur Foley III, 23, of Dresden, Tenn., accidental grenade explosion
Army Pfc. Joseph P. Mayek, 20, of Rock Springs, Wyo., accidental weapons discharge
Marine Cpl. Armando Ariel Gonzalez, 25, of Hialeah, Fla., vehicle accident
Army Spc. Richard A. Goward, 32, of Midland, Mich., vehicle accident
April 13:
Army Spc. Gil Mercado, 25, of Paterson, N.J., non-combat weapon discharge
April 12:
Marine Cpl. Jesus A. Gonzalez, 22, Indio, Calif., combat
Marine Lance Cpl. David Edward Owens Jr., 20, of Winchester, Va., combat
April 11:
Marine Staff Sgt. Riayan A. Tejeda, 26, New York, N.Y., combat
April 10:
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeff Bohr, 39, San Clemente, Calif., combat
>
Good grief! Jesus Conzalez the last casualty of conflict? What a coincidence. Jesus versus Jihad? Today is Good Friday. I hope he is the last person killed in action.
The USA military has shown so much professionalism that there's no need to scrape up a bit more by calling refraining from shooting a Mouthy Broad a mark of it. The USA and British and Oz forces have done a brilliant job and I will always be grateful to them for what they have achieved. It wasn't as quick as I'd hoped, but it involved fewer casualties on both sides than I'd dared hope for.
The best part is that now, all other thugs will think twice about letting loose their barbarian natures. Syria can be sorted out. Lebanon too. The Palestinians. Israel secured. Pakistan can be leaned on heavily to sort out the Kashmir conflict. By guilt by association, without knowing much about it, I bet the main problem is on the Moslem side than the Indian side. East Timor seems okay now. North Korea will give up their nukes. Hu Jintao can't be too keen on the idea of a major war to his north.
It's a whole new world order. Then, on to ream out the UN and remake it.
Mqurice |
