General: "We are our own worst enemy. Civilian deaths feeding insurgency"

[bigtree]

U.S.: Civilian deaths feeding insurgency

By Nancy A. Youssef
Knight Ridder
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/14903758.htm

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The death of civilians at the hands of U.S. troops has fueled the insurgency in Iraq, according to a top-level U.S. military commander, who said U.S. officials began keeping records of these deaths last summer.

Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who as head of the Multinational Force-Iraq is the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq, said the number of civilian dead and wounded is an important measurement of how effectively U.S. forces are interacting with the Iraqi people.

``We have people who were on the fence or supported us who in the last two years or three years have in fact decided to strike out against us. And you have to ask: Why is that? And I would argue in many instances we are our own worst enemy,'' Chiarelli said.

Chiarelli said he reviews the figures daily. If fewer civilians are killed, ``I think that will make our soldiers safer,'' Chiarelli said.

``That government's legitimacy will be based in part on how we act,'' he said, ``because we are invited guests in that country.''

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. How many of us predicted this exact situation YEARS AGO??

Gee.... DUer's really are dumb..... NOT.

[magellan]

2. Invited guests??

Invited by whom? Oh, that's right -- Ahmed Chalabi and his gang of thugs and criminals!! They were years into their "Iraqi Expatriates on the Lam" tour when the GOP befriended them....

And about those civilian deaths fueling the insurgency, General? You should have bought a clue three years ago. Nice catch, though.

[bigtree]

3. nice catch yourself

that actually slipped by me. :spank:

[Disturbed]

5. The US/UK were not invited to invade Iraq by the

Iraqi people. Most Iraqis view the US/UK Troops and their Regimes as Occupiers and want them out.

[mom cat]

11. Party crashers are not "invited guests:! Saddam was the legal leader ... H

did not invite anyone to come destroy his country.

[magellan]

13. Mom cat and Disturbed

Ay yi yi yi yi.....

[Solly Mack]

4. A little truth on a bedrock of lies

Our presence alone is fueling the "insurgency" - and, yes,(the little truth part) the deaths of Iraqis at the hands of US troops make it worse

but we are not invited guests in Iraq(bedrock of lies)

We invaded Iraq... against international law....for a pack of lies.


a party crasher is not considered an invited guest

and even if the host is unable to toss you out, that doesn't mean your presence is wanted.

[H2O Man]

6. Exactly.

Those who are "invited" do not have a "military occupation." If there is someone in your house, who is armed with a gun, ordering your family around, and killing some family members, you are not going to consider that person your "invited guest."

[Gin]

7. wonder where Chalabi and his army of protectors lives.....not much

in the news about him...but...I bet he is still on the payroll in some way...just behind the scenes.

[Botany]

8. Say what?

``because we are invited guests in that country.''

Who sent them the invite?

[Hubert Flottz]

9. Anyone who never saw this coming with the invasion of Iraq and

Afghanistan were totally ignorant of history.

My 7th grade Geography teacher told me, about subjugated peoples, fighting the hardest to defend their homeland, than for any other reason that humans fight over. War is brutal and should never be taken lightly. Iraq was brought on by a President and his Gang of neocon criminals, "Playing Politics!"

[enough]

10. k&r

[htuttle]

12. "Captain Obvious, reporting for duty!"

:eyes:

[lumpy]

14. Chiarelli "......we are invited guests in that country."???

referring to Iraq. The US guests bombed the hell out of their hosts. What a dickbrain.