Giant badgers terrorise Iraqi port city

[Barrett808]

Source: AFP

Giant badgers terrorise Iraqi port city
by Karim Jamil

BASRA, Iraq (AFP) - The Iraqi port city of Basra, already prey to a nasty turf war between rival militia factions, has now been gripped by a new fear -- a giant badger stalking the streets by night.

Local farmers have caught and killed several of the beasts, but this has done nothing to dispel rumours of a bear-like monster that eats humans and was allegedly released into the area by British forces to spread panic.

Iraqi scientists have attempted to calm the public but, amid the confusion and mistrust spawned by the ongoing guerrilla war, the story has spread like wildfire in the streets of the city and the villages round about.

Mushtaq Abdul-Mahdi, director of Basra's veterinary hospital, has inspected the corpses of several dead badgers and tries to reassure his fellow citizens that they are not a new post-war arrival in the region.

"These animals appeared before the fall of the regime in 1986. They are known as Al-Ghirayri and locally as Al-Girta," he told AFP. "Talk that this animal was brought by the British forces is incorrect and unscientific."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070711/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestanimal

[Ian David]

1. Are they sure it's not Tom DeLay's hair?

[atommom]

14. Yikes! No wonder they're terrified.

:scared:

[maxsolomon]

2. the diabolical british with their advanced badger technology!

:eyes:

[Nihil]

53. First reported in June ...

http://newsbiscuit.com/article/badgers-to-be-sent-to-iraq-134

<snip>
British badgers will be sent to serve with UK forces in Iraq under
plans unveiled jointly by the Ministry of Defence and DEFRA today.
<snip>



:-)

[Rue]

3. Just when I thought the war couldn't get more surreal.

EDIT: Tom DeLay's hair, that's a good one.

[dysfunctional press]

4. badgers...? we don't need no stinkin' badgers...

[OnyxCollie]

19. LOL! nt.

[Ian David]

5. Stephen Baldwin and Bruce Boxleitner will star in the Sci-Fi Channel original film about this. n/t

[dflprincess]

6. Are we talking about the Wisconsin National Guard?

n/t

[underpants]

7. Thanks Barrett I was wondering what the lates "Giant Badger" news was

:rofl:

:wow:

I have to link this into the Lounge

[xmas74]

9. I already did it for you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=6707260&mesg_id=6707621

matcom will be so pleased to know his news stories are now GD material!

[Barrett808]

8. Looks like Iraq has its own Chupacabra:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra

[soleft]

10. Or maybe something like this

[Barrett808]

11. Yikes! That is one pissed-off badger.

I'd give him a wide berth.

[Occulus]

26. Holy CRAP! WARN a body next time!

That picture almost gave me a heart attack!

[soleft]

31. wish we could send a couple of those after *

[LiberalEsto]

38. Reminds me of Dick Cheney

right down to the feral snarl

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

12. Meanwhile, Samarra is overrun with a fungal infection, and Baghdad's been hit with

SNAKES! SNAKES! BIG FAT SCARY SNAAAKES!

[NickB79]

17. Someone call Samuel L. Jackson

"I've had it with these mutha fuckin' snakes in this mutha fuckin' warzone!"

[Canuckistanian]

20. Badgers Badgers Badgers Badgers

http://imgred.com/

[Yukari Yakumo]

25. Mushroom Mushroom

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/badgers/

[here_is_to_hope]

37. Snake! Snake! n/t

[roody]

42. Please explain the Cindy image.

[closeupready]

13. Is his name Bucky?

n/t

[BeyondThePale]

15. notice that there are no golden gophers or wolverines around

the Badger defeated them soundly!

Go Bucky

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

16. Look like this guy?

[truedelphi]

23. So to solve the problem, the Iraqis need only to call in the Ohio State football team?

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

27. You think you're provoking me...

But I, in fact, attended the Oxford on the Olentangy.

Go Bucks!

[OnyxCollie]

18. I want to make friends with a badger. (Dead Milkmen) nt.

[closeupready]

22. there we go.

A familiar face, his! :D

[CountAllVotes]

21. hmmm ... Sasquatch I see

I've been wondering what happened to Bigfoot. I see he's relocated and reproduced *again*. }(

:dem:

[Dragonbreathp9d]

24. Is this for real?

[rodeodance]

28. Wisconson Badgers---hey Bucky would not like this story!

[BrainGlutton]

29. Badger! Mushroom! Oh, look, a snake!

http://weebls-stuff.com/toons/badgers/

[0rganism]

30. Is there anything about Iraq that does not suck?

Seriously, if I were a national guard reservist on my third tour through that hellhole trying to dodge sniper fire and avoid IEDs, the last thing I'd need would be some giant badger kicking my ass.

[Karenina]

44. Get back to the bunk only to find a

CAMEL SPIDER!!!

[BadGimp]

32. BADGERS?!?!?!?!?

We don't need no Stinking BADGERS!!

[Theres-a]

33. Awwwww

Those two come in peace.

[OnionPatch]

40. Definitely friendlier looking than the badger picture up the thread!

Those two are total cuties!! :loveya:

[Hand]

43. Ha! Give 'em a few months...

They'll be mean mofos. I'm not sure any animal is willing to tangle with a badger--well, maybe a T Rex. :scared:

[damntexdem]

34. Badgers? We don't need no stinking badgers!

;-)

[Jersey Devil]

35. Mygod!! It's Hugh!

[ejbrush]

39. Ha!

Right. Next thing you'll try and tell me this badger is guarding a harem of exotic dancers....

[guitar man]

36. oh shit, here we go

"Today, the pResident* announced the presence a new threat in Iraq, extended tours to 18 months and ordered another troop surge" :hide:

[Joey Liberal]

41. Sounds like a republican to me n/t

[Gopens]

45. Well, Lancelot, Galahad and I ...

... perhaps if we built a giant wooden badger ...

[badgervan]

46. Comment From a Wisconsin Badger....

If I were a monster badger anywhere in Iraq, I would not be showing myself to a population that seems to be issued AK47's at birth. And you would think that an RPG ( another weapon of choice in the middle eastern household ) might do a number on this mammal - I don't care how big it is.

[slampoet]

47. Well Giant Badgers would explain all the Headless corpses......

[silverojo]

48. And I thought Republicans were paranoid:

They've been around since 1986, and these bozos think the Brits just brought them to Iraq now? What's Arabic for "Freeper redneck"? :eyes:

[trashcanistanista]

49. When they say "giant", uhm,

how big are they? Aren't "regular" badgers the size of racoons? Just asking ....

[muriel_volestrangler]

50. Up to 30 lbs

And they do have a reputation for viciousness, though I think they are solitary, which is one bit of good news. So it's like a largish feral dog.

[Nihil]

52. Try this for size ...

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/Big+Ass+Badgers/

[SKKY]

51. La Chupa Cabra! La Chupa Cabra!!!

[Crowman1979]

54. MOTHER NATURE'S REVENGE!

Think about it, giant badgers and squids make headlines on occasion. Wouldn't be surprised if there are more giant species that will re-emerge in the future. Wouldn't be surprised if a kraacken of some other sea monster starts destroying ships.