Article

2008-05-12 Iraq

Parading of fighters' bodies taunts Mahdi Army - Like bagged deer on the hoods

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Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-05-12 11:07|| || Front Page|| [6 views ] Top
File under: Mahdi Army

#1 That's not cricket. The Iraqi brass is gonna have to teach their subordinates a few things about military decorum and etiquette.

Posted by Zhang Fei">Zhang Fei 2008-05-12 11:27|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2008-05-12 11:27|| Front Page Top

#2 ZF, I agree with you. But there is a certain propaganda function that needs to be performed. This is doing it, they need to come up with a better tactic.

Posted by AlanC 2008-05-12 11:30|| 2008-05-12 11:30|| Front Page Top

#3 I agree, punishment is merited. I suggest the offenders be sent to bed without dinner. Or if that's too harsh, maybe a 5 minute time-out in the corner. In the meantime, let the parade of bodies continue!!! It would be nice if they gave Muqtada himself a "ride" like that.

Posted by Scooter McGruder 2008-05-12 11:34|| 2008-05-12 11:34|| Front Page Top

#4 We don't understand the Arab mindset, but this stuff prolly has great PR value for the IA. And, public acceptance and support is what is needed most by them in these street fights.

Posted by wxjames 2008-05-12 11:56|| 2008-05-12 11:56|| Front Page Top

#5 Scooter McGruder maybe a 5 minute time-out in the corner

Ima Aghast Effendi! ...at the plain Harshness of the penalty...

Consider me offended.. Harrumph!

Posted by RD">RD 2008-05-12 12:01|| 2008-05-12 12:01|| Front Page Top

#6 While this offends our western mindset, it is still accepted in the arab and African areas of the world. It is good propaganda for the IA to show Basra that they succeeded in their task.

Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader 2008-05-12 12:09|| 2008-05-12 12:09|| Front Page Top

#7 If you wanna dance, you gotta pay the piper.

Posted by JohnQC 2008-05-12 12:57|| 2008-05-12 12:57|| Front Page Top

#8 The assumptions in the article are that it was the Humvees beeping and the Iraqi troops shooting off guns... and that there must be internal storage for dead bodies in the vehicles. Are any of these assumptions justified? I'm quite sure I remember all sorts of things strapped to the outside of vehicles during the 2003 invasion, not to mention in WWII movies.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-05-12 13:02|| 2008-05-12 13:02|| Front Page Top

#9 Desecrating a corpse is prohibited in law, even if he had been the worst criminal on earth, said Maen Zaki, a former member of a government committee that handled legal issues arising from operations to restore order in Baghdad.

I guess cutting off heads and dragging bodies through the streets is an exception to the rule? What about the Palestinian car swarms that pick apart the bodies? Double standard seems a pale description of this cognitive dissonance.

Posted by RWV 2008-05-12 13:46|| 2008-05-12 13:46|| Front Page Top

#10 They're just playing an old Iraqi game called, "Who's the Most Ghastly Monster". The pot is full and the stakes are high. Remember they live there, they have a lot more at stake than us. If this can help freak the Mahdis out and give them an edge, I think they should go for it.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2008-05-12 13:53|| 2008-05-12 13:53|| Front Page Top

#11 Shoulda sent them back to Tater the old-fashioned wa....Onager, I say!

Posted by OyVey1 2008-05-12 14:28|| 2008-05-12 14:28|| Front Page Top

#12 It's probably great PR if you're an Iraqi. I'd say let them do it, but try to funnel them in the direction of doing less of it as time goes on. You can't change this behavior overnight. Perhaps just painting little black turbans on their humvees or something instead will do the trick.

I find it interesting that the Iraqi forces are so willing to do this. It tells me they probably feel they have public support. That's a good thing.

Posted by gorb 2008-05-12 15:11|| 2008-05-12 15:11|| Front Page Top

#13 I thought of disapproving, and I thought of cheering. Then I thought "not my problem". This is (allegedly) IA troops, on an IA-organized, government-planned, government-ordered operation. No US or Coalition troops involved.

Not My Problem. If it pisses off Iraqis, hey, they're closer than we are, and have regional elections coming up fairly soon. Their problem, their decision.

Transporting corpses tied to the outside of vehicles isn't the worst thing we've seen on Muslim streets these last fifteen years.

Posted by Mitch H.">Mitch H. 2008-05-12 16:09|| http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]">[http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/] 2008-05-12 16:09|| Front Page Top

#14 I thought of disapproving, and I thought of cheering.

Mitch - I concur, but recall that Ms. Corrie's estate, or supporters, or somebody, tried suing Caterpillar for her death while supporting Gazans. Wonder if some "support group" has lawyers at hand to litigate Hummer? Been tried before.

Posted by Harcourt Jush7795 2008-05-12 18:02|| 2008-05-12 18:02|| Front Page Top

#15 No body remembers the taking of trophies in Laos?
What about the rangers in Somalia?
Or the contractors hanging from a bridge?
We are all diminished.

Posted by Skidmark 2008-05-12 22:18|| 2008-05-12 22:18|| Front Page Top

#16 I'm going to lose much sleep over this one (sarcasm/off).

Posted by Snash Oppressor of the Mohammatans aka Broadhead6 2008-05-12 23:39|| 2008-05-12 23:39|| Front Page Top

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