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2004-10-14 Afghanistan/South Asia
Questions Arise Over Karzai's U.S. Guards
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Posted by Steve White 2004-10-14 12:29:09 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 
Boucher was responding to a New York Times article which said the Dyncorp guards, at best, reinforce the stereotype of Americans as ``brawny and boorish.'' The article was titled, ``The Intimidating Face of America.''

Less than a year ago guards hired by the Times were accused of thuggish behavior
My family has a property in the green zone in down town Baghdad on Abi-Nuas street. The New York Times rents the adjacent property. For several weeks now my brother Ali Al Ali has been denied automobile access to our property by security guards. Until two days ago we thought this was a coalition security measure. Now we known these guards are not coalition personal but are instead the private security force employed by your news paper.


The NYT is in no position to be throwing stones.

Posted by lk 2004-10-14 5:16:13 AM||   2004-10-14 5:16:13 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 But that's the New York Times. They're special.
Posted by Pappy 2004-10-14 11:13:25 AM||   2004-10-14 11:13:25 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 The Old Gray Whore™
Posted by Frank G  2004-10-14 11:27:18 AM||   2004-10-14 11:27:18 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 â€œWhat the hell do you have to do to be "brawny and boorish" in the land of brawn and boorishness?”

LOL

Whatever it is, I hope they keep it up.

I’d rather have an international reputation as crazy, tough cowboys than loveable, soft Europeans.
Posted by Anonymous5032 2004-10-14 11:32:52 AM||   2004-10-14 11:32:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 What they need to do is cultivate luxurious, bushy beards (I'm envisioning the stoning scene in Life of Brian), affect native dress, and wait for the testoterone drenched reaction a la that reporter the other day who had tendencies. Its only boorish if one of us acts that way; if its a native, it elicits admiration for his honest, unspoilt nature.
Posted by trailing wife 2004-10-14 11:49:24 AM||   2004-10-14 11:49:24 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 This reminds of the article they ran during the Afghan fight. Apparently some of our soldiers were not PC when they killed or captured Taliban fighters. Some of the combatants were treated roughly even after they surrendered. Now I am no expert on combat arms but I don’t know how to capture somebody ‘nicely’ and make them fell ‘comfortable’ about being a prisoner. Clearly none of these reporters ever laced a boot and walked a post. I can’t imagine what the security detail for Kharzai is going through each day. BTW I thought the guards were Seals? When did that change?
Posted by Cyber Sarge  2004-10-14 12:26:16 PM||   2004-10-14 12:26:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 I bet each and every one of his guards are former Seals or SF...now they have less red tape and oversight to do their tough job
Posted by Frank G  2004-10-14 12:28:14 PM||   2004-10-14 12:28:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Everyone is missing the most ironic part of all of this brouhaha. The incident being reported is between one of the bodyguards (complete with "soul tuft") and (warning: PUT YOUR HOT COFFEE DOWN NOW)a couple of French and German officers (with a gaggle of reporters) trying to crash a reception of the French defense minister and Karzai!! At least the German officer had some common sense and told the reporter as they left with their yellow stained tails between their legs that "I am brave but not in front of a man with a machine gun". I am not making this up even if the reporter may be.
Posted by Jack is Back! 2004-10-14 4:44:02 PM||   2004-10-14 4:44:02 PM|| Front Page Top

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