The most dangerous squad in Baghdad

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040707-025941-5073r

BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 7 (UPI) -- "How'd you end up with us, is this an embed?" the ridiculously young looking soldier asked me as we crouched on the roof of a power transformer station, surveying downtown Baghdad. He's peering down the sight of his belt-fed machine gun at a group of Iraqis located about 500 meters (yards) away towards the Tigris River when he realizes that they're armed.

"Shit, shit, they have weapons," he yells across the roof at his corporal.

"So fucking kill them," comes the pithy reply from the other ridiculously young solider.

"Wait, wait. They're ICDC or ING or whatever the fuck they're called now," yells another. "They're with us."

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[jpgray]

1. If you didn't have this picture in your head already, I worry about you

Because you put young kids in this kind of situation, no matter how much their mothers have loved them etc., you will get this scenario every time. 9/11 wounded, incidentally, is a tragically ironic figure.

Individual soldiers deserve blame for their poor decisions, but the big decision--to send them there in the first place--can't go on their heads. The soldiers are behaving as expected, the behavior of their leaders has been disgusting. The apparent nonchalance about gunning down unidentified Iraqis shouldn't be surprising, though. :(

[qazplm]

2. I dont think its "nonchalance"

I think it is the sanity of an insane situation.

In other words, how in the world do you know if this Iraqi with a gun is on your side and not going to shoot you or is just waiting for you to hesitate and then will shoot you?

You begin to go into self preservation mode after awhile.

Doesnt condone any potential war crimes of course, but certainly the attitude is what is going to happen in such a situation.

If soldiers were overly emotional or sympathetic all the time, they would just break down, being hard is a real psychological defense mechanism.

[jpgray]

3. No, I agree with you

Overly sympathetic soldiers could get killed very easily, and yet a lack of sympathy will only increase the insurgency. It's a no-win situation, and part of the reason so many of us tried to avoid this conflict.

[qazplm]

4. its something I will have to figure

out in a little over a month when I am sent over there...although as an attorney, I wont be in quite the same position on a day to day basis as these young kids, but gotta tell ya, if I am in a convoy, I really don't know how I could think in any other way but that every Iraqi I see is a potential threat to kill me or my fellow soldiers.

[teryang]

5. If you are in an alien culture with no language skill

...you are either dead meat or doing more harm than good. You just don't have a clue what is going on around you.

You do literally act "insane" as you are either a danger to yourself or a danger to others just by being there.