"Hey Iraqis! The American Soldiers Are There To Protect You!"

[leftchick]

pay no atention to the US massacres of innocent civilians, rape, torture... They are there to PROTECT you. How fucking stupid is this?.......

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060805.wiraq0805/BNStory/International/home

BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. soldiers sent to beef up security in Baghdad were seen for the first time on the streets of the capital Saturday, as Iraqi police used loudspeakers to reassure people that the Americans were there to protect them.

<snip>

Several Stryker armoured vehicles took positions in the mostly Sunni district of Ghazaliyah, one of the city's most dangerous areas. Police used loudspeakers to encourage residents to reopen shops and go about their business normally because the soldiers would protect them.

U.S. commanders hope the presence of heavily armed American troops will intimidate sectarian death squads believed behind many of the killings and reassure Iraqis — especially Sunni Arabs — that they will be protected by Iraq's predominantly Shiite security forces.

Moving the Stryker brigade to Baghdad, however, meant drawing down — at least temporarily — the U.S. military presence in northern Iraq. The brigade was based in Mosul but had subordinate units scattered over a wide area, including routes used by foreign militants slipping in from Syria.

[Robbien]

1. If Iraqis believe that, they must believe in the Easter Bunny also

If our guys are there to protect the Iraqis, then it is the first time they are there to do that.

Gonna be a hard sell.

[Ms. Clio]

2. That's not what Riverbend thinks

"Other areas are being overrun by armed Islamists. The Americans have absolutely no control in these areas. Or maybe they simply don’t want to control the areas because when there’s a clash between Sadr’s militia and another militia in a residential neighborhood, they surround the area and watch things happen."

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_riverbendblog_archive.html#115472425289075262

[leftchick]

3. I would believe her anyday

over the US propagandists

[Ms. Clio]

4. yes, she's certainly in a position to know the truth

I feel so badly for her, her posts just become more and more anguished.

[karlrschneider]

7. Thanks for mentioning Riverbend, I'd forgotten to check the last couple

of weeks. I just feel so terribly sad for her and her family and friends...and all the others too.

[Ms. Clio]

10. what makes me so sad is that she actually had some hope, once

that the U.S. invasion would really mean a better future for Iraq.

I wish my own vast cynicism on that score had been proven wrong, for all their sakes.

[MisterP]

5. oh my God, we're turning into "Mars Attacks"

all we need is Pvt. Jack Black

[converted_democrat]

6. With "protectors" like us, who needs enemies? n/t

[breakaleg]

8. the fact that it was necessary to announce this, shows how they

are currently perceived.

[NNN0LHI]

9. Shock And Awe would have been enough to convince me that Bush...

...was not invading and occupying my country for honorable reasons.

Don

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Protect? Like they did in Fallujah and Haditha?

The Iraqis must be so relieved. No doubt preparing the bouquets and practicing for a chorus of "God Bless America" to welcome their "protectors".

Or, at least the morticians and gravediggers are looking forward to another pickup in business.

[FlavaKreemSnak]

12. The problem is they are protecting them from other Iraqis

that they think might be against the occupation, and according to pretty much everybody except Rumsfeld, the occupation is not very popular there, so there are not many Iraqis who want to be protected from other Iraqis who are anti-occupation and anti-American because a lot of the time it means they are the ones who are going to get killed, and maybe they would rather be protected from the Americans.

[leftchick]

13. I very rarely kick my own threads

but this is just too weird!