In Tikrit, US Destroys Homes of Suspected Guerrillas

[LeftHander]

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1118-02.htm


"TIKRIT, Iraq - In a tactic reminiscent of Israeli crackdowns in the West Bank and Gaza, the U.S. military has begun destroying the homes of suspected guerrilla fighters in Iraq's Sunni Triangle, evacuating women and children, then leveling their houses with heavy weaponry.


'THIS IS SOMETHING SHARON WOULD DO'
Iraqi women sit next to a pile of rubble which was one of three homes that US forces destroyed overnight. (Photo/David P. Gilkey, Detroit Free Press)
At least 15 homes have been destroyed in Tikrit as part of what has been dubbed Operation Ivy Cyclone II, including four leveled on Sunday by tanks and Apache helicopters that allegedly belonged to suspects in the Nov. 7 downing of a Black Hawk helicopter that killed six Americans. "


This will really help win the peace....

[truthspeaker]

1. because it's been SO successful in the West Bank

[arcane1]

2. thereby turning "SUSPECTED" guerillas....

into ACTUAL ones

:grr:

where do those evecuated families go?


"TIKRIT, Iraq - In a tactic reminiscent of Israeli crackdowns in the West Bank and Gaza, the U.S. military has begun destroying the homes of suspected guerrilla fighters in Iraq's Sunni Triangle, evacuating women and children, then leveling their houses with heavy weaponry.


At least 15 homes have been destroyed in Tikrit as part of what has been dubbed Operation Ivy Cyclone II, including four leveled on Sunday by tanks and Apache helicopters that allegedly belonged to suspects in the Nov. 7 downing of a Black Hawk helicopter that killed six Americans."

:wtf:

I guess we're in Trent Lott mow-the-place-down mode. We'll see what happens alright!

[TacticalPeek]

3. I ain't believing this.

After all the bragging I've heard about how 'right' Abizaid and Sanchez are for this job?

:wtf:

[J B]

4. Abizaid is a Lebanese Christian (i.e. Phalangist).

I had hoped he would not live down to his kin's reputation. That hope has died.

[TacticalPeek]

Or somebody else is calling the shots.

OSP?

:mad:

[leftchick]

9. This Fellow seems to be taking Credit for this Terrorist Act.....

<snip>The American military yesterday proved unable to provide The Independent with any comment on the enclosing of Awja. But Lieutenant-Colonel Steve Russell of the 4th Infantry Division, who came up with the scheme, told The Washington Post in an interview last week: "The insurgents should not be allowed to swim among the population as a whole. What we elected to do was make Awja a fish bowl so we could see who was swimming inside."

.....He should be on trial for war crimes... :grr:

[LeftHander]

6. Reprisals

Plain and simple....kill one of ours we kill 100.

Kill ten we destroy entire villages.

[11 Bravo]

5. Hearts and Minds.

Sigh...

[Barrett808]

7. "Collateral damage won't be a problem"

Nice.

[leftchick]

8. you do not "win peace" with war....

that is chimpthink....

[bridge]

10. Best news I've heard all day...

I hope I haven't offended some of you more sensitive souls but, you know, war is hell...

[Barrett808]

11. Um, so you're advocating collective punishment as a policy?

Just want to be clear.

[arcane1]

13. nothing brightens a day like killing people and leveling their homes

takes a sick mind to be delighted at that sort of thing if you ask me. Did 9/11 make you laugh?

I hope I haven't offended any insensitive souls :eyes:

[NickB79]

16. But didnt you hear?

Major combat is over, silly! What war, there is no war anymore! <sarcasm>

Are you so blind as to not see that, by levelling homes where women and children lived, we are turning even more of the Iraqi population against us? Yeah, we keep looking so much better than Saddam everyday, right. Every home you demolish, you convert even more people to the resistance's cause!

This is the WORST news I've heard all day. Your "good news" is gonna help get more American soldiers killed! Does that sound like good news to you?

[freesqueeze]

12. Burn the Village to Save It (2003)

Just like Morley Safers story during Vietnam, this will not help the cause. Americans will not stand still and let our military punish the families of those ACCUSED of crimes.

The story I read in the Dallas Republican News said that these were the houses of the families of those that were suspected of downing our helicopters. This article called them terrorists.

Horrible policy and incredible abuse of the word terrorist.

May Allah forgive us!

[Barrett808]

14. Riverbend's reaction: "I'm so angry it makes me want to break something"

Difficult Days...

They've been bombing houses in Tikrit and other areas! Unbelievable… I'm so angry it makes me want to break something!!!! What the hell is going on?! What do the Americans think Tikrit is?! Some sort of city of monsters or beasts? The people there are simple people. Most of them make a living off of their land and their livestock- the rest are teachers, professors and merchants- they have lives and families… Tikrit is nothing more than a bunch of low buildings and a palace that was as inaccessible to the Tikritis as it was to everyone else!

People in Al Awja suffered as much as anyone, if not more- they weren't all related to Saddam and even those who were, suffered under his direct relatives. Granted, his bodyguards and others close to him were from Tikrit, but they aren't currently in Tikrit- the majority have struck up deals with the CPA and are bargaining for their safety and the safety of their families with information. The people currently in Tikrit are just ordinary people whose homes and children are as precious to them as American homes and children are precious to Americans! This is contemptible and everyone thinks so- Sunnis and Shi'a alike are shaking their heads incredulously.

And NO- I'm not Tikriti- I'm not even from the 'triangle'- but I know simple, decent people who ARE from there and just the thought that this is being done is so outrageous it makes me want to scream. How can that ass of a president say things are getting better in Iraq when his troops have stooped to destroying homes?! Is that a sign that things are getting better? When you destroy someone's home and detain their family, why would they want to go on with life? Why wouldn't they want to lob a bomb at some 19-year-old soldier from Missouri?!

The troops were pushing women and children shivering with fear out the door in the middle of the night. What do you think these children think to themselves- being dragged out of their homes, having their possessions and houses damaged and burned?! Who do you think is creating the 'terrorists'?!! Do you think these kids think to themselves, "Oh well- we learned our lesson. That's that. Yay troops!" It's like a vicious, moronic circle and people are outraged…

The troops are claiming that the attacks originate from these areas- the people in the areas claim the attacks are coming from somewhere else… I really am frightened of what this is going to turn into. People seem to think that Iraq is broken into zones and areas- ethnically and religiously divided. That's just not true- the majority of people have relatives all over Iraq. My relatives extend from Mosul, all the way down to Basrah- we all feel for each other and it makes decent people crazy to see this happening.

(more)

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

[leftchick]

17. It is heartbreaking to read this....

Yet, Riverbend blog should be must read for every American to know the real deal. This is sooo sad..... :(

[Wwagsthedog]

15. Where is DuctTapeFatwa?

Some educated observations about these acts of democracy and freedom are in order.