War With Iraq

[Prophet Tenebrae]

Not been verified - and as it's US troops, best to take it with a lot of salt.

[Al]

[s]Unregisted User God Bless America wrote on 02:07, 24th Mar 2003:
Today despite all the grim news coalition soldiers found a secret chemical weapons factory. Where are you liberals who were quoting scott ridder saying Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction.


What a remarkably face-saving find for the US! Saddam was being particularly unco-operative by not unleashing all the chemical and biological weapons the US knew he had. Not only that but no one could find them in months of searching. In just a few days the US army finds a chemical factory which conveniently just happens to be in conquered territory. It's almost as if they knew where to look. Possibly because they put the factory there and then "found" it.

[hr]
We are near waking when we dream we are dreaming.

[CarolynSD]

This post has been deleted.

[Prophet Tenebrae]

Not when the US blow up a UK soldier about once a day.

[Cain]

How can there be SO many helicopter crashes, or "friendly" fire mishaps?

Not very inspiring.

[Love being proved right]

[s]Prophet Tenebrae wrote on 02:13, 24th Mar 2003:
Not been verified - and as it's US troops, best to take it with a lot of salt.


It was actually reported by a journalist along for the ride in the jerusalem post. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? ... 8389497622 I would highly doubt that it's made up considering its been confirmed by the pentagon, and the pentagon has been real careful about not sticking it's neck out so far in this war.

On another note the claims of 100,000 civilians being killed seems to be a bit off considering, the AP as well as Iraq are reporting there have been little over 200 civilian injuries but only been 3 civilians casualties. Not bad considering how many bombs have been dropped.

[Concerned Citizen]

[s]Prophet Tenebrae wrote on 02:13, 24th Mar 2003:
Not been verified - and as it's US troops, best to take it with a lot of salt.



You'd trust the Iraqi government over US troops? Give me a break! You remind me of the people who don't believe the holocaust happened, man set foot on moon, or the earth is round.

[Buzzboy]

Killing a Briton a day keeps the Iraqis at bay.

Well it worked in the last Gulf War.

[Al]

[s]Unregisted User Love being proved right wrote on 04:03, 24th Mar 2003:

It was actually reported by a journalist along for the ride in the jerusalem post. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? ... 8389497622 I would highly doubt that it's made up considering its been confirmed by the pentagon, and the pentagon has been real careful about not sticking it's neck out so far in this war.


It has not been confirmed at all. The Pentagon has only despatched personnel to check the story, and the UK spokesman has said that there is no independent confirmation of the reports.

[hr]
We are near waking when we dream we are dreaming.

[I'm Always right]

[s]Al wrote on 12:09, 24th Mar 2003:
[s]Unregisted User Love being proved right wrote on 04:03, 24th Mar 2003:[i]

It was actually reported by a journalist along for the ride in the jerusalem post. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? ... 8389497622 I would highly doubt that it's made up considering its been confirmed by the pentagon, and the pentagon has been real careful about not sticking it's neck out so far in this war.


It has not been confirmed at all. The Pentagon has only despatched personnel to check the story, and the UK spokesman has said that there is no independent confirmation of the reports.



Pentagon sources have confirmed it, I read that article around noon yesterday but it was reported on the news till about 8 because the news channels waited for pentagon confirmantion

[Cain]

Before i burst with anger, has anybody seen the front of the daily record today?

the cover is half filled with a close up picture of the face of a badly beaten US PoW, though it may be a corpse, along with the headline

"Fury over sick parade of PoWs and dead US troops on Iraqi TV "

the story is basically railing against how the Iraqis exploited the PoWs by putting them on TV, which is contrary to the Geneva convention. Which is more despicable, the actions of the Iraqis, or the actions of the Record in using these pictures and manufactured outrage to sell papers?

[Jeff]

[s]Unregisted User I'm Always right wrote on 14:32, 24th Mar 2003:
[s]Al wrote on 12:09, 24th Mar 2003:[i]
[s]Unregisted User Love being proved right wrote on 04:03, 24th Mar 2003:[i]

It was actually reported by a journalist along for the ride in the jerusalem post. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? ... 8389497622 I would highly doubt that it's made up considering its been confirmed by the pentagon, and the pentagon has been real careful about not sticking it's neck out so far in this war.


It has not been confirmed at all. The Pentagon has only despatched personnel to check the story, and the UK spokesman has said that there is no independent confirmation of the reports.



Pentagon sources have confirmed it, I read that article around noon yesterday but it was reported on the news till about 8 because the news channels waited for pentagon confirmantion
[/i]

Was this "confirmation" by the same people who said we'd taken over Umm Quasar (sorry bout spelling) on Friday, when they are still fighting there now and in fact are removing the marines and sending in british troops wiht knowledge of street fighting?

[Jeff]

The propaganda regarding the US PoW is awful, but to be fair the allies broke the Geneva convention first, all be it in a less disgusting way. The geneva convention says that PoW's should not be used for propaganda purposes, and thats what the allies were doing with those shots of the Iraqi PoW surrendering.

[Expert in Unilateral Law]

[s]Jeff wrote on 17:01, 24th Mar 2003:
The propaganda regarding the US PoW is awful, but to be fair the allies broke the Geneva convention first, all be it in a less disgusting way. The geneva convention says that PoW's should not be used for propaganda purposes, and thats what the allies were doing with those shots of the Iraqi PoW surrendering.



I'm not an expert on international law and I'm confused as to how showing troops surrendering is not against the geneva convention but interviewing them is. I understand the reason why but I dont know where the line is drawn.

None the less make no mistake the Iraqis executing POWs, which they did and gloating over thier bodies is a disgusting the display and not the kind of thing our countries would do.

[Cain]

[s]Unregisted User Expert in Unilateral Law wrote on 17:15, 24th Mar 2003:



None the less make no mistake the Iraqis executing POWs, which they did and gloating over thier bodies is a disgusting the display and not the kind of thing our countries would do.
[/i]

The point of my post was how can we be so horrified at the Iraqis using these bodies when the British papers themselves do the same damned thing, with the exploitative pictures on front pages and broadcast around the nation?

I know that it's classic tabloid mock hysteria, like condemning civil disobedience when they're secretly waiting for it to happen, but it truly got my back up to see the Record this morning.

[Jeff]

I'm not an expert on international law and I'm confused as to how showing troops surrendering is not against the geneva convention but interviewing them is. I understand the reason why but I dont know where the line is drawn.

Not sure what you are saying. The geneva convention says that images of PoW's should not be used for propaganda. The allies showing pictures of them surrendering is clearly propaganda because it is to strengthen resolve back home that things are going well, and also to demoralise Iraqi troops (these images were refuted by Iraqi commanders, as clearly they understood the power these images had on their own people).

[Now an expert in International Law]

First of all I just want to say in some ways I do agree with the liberals here, I think. It is dispicable for anyone to air those photos of the POWs. Those are people's family members. www.drudgereport.com had the entire video up on his website. That is one of the horrors of war no one needs to see.

For those who asked the difference about the american Pow's and the Iraqis is this: Coalition reporters have had troops embedded with them and since they had live cameras already going that is ok. But the reporters could not go interview the pows at a camp where they are held.

Since this was a staged event by the Iraqis. Where they brought the cameras to go see the POW's being held that is illegal.

[Buzzboy]

Right, lets get a few things straight:

1) The news station responsible for videoing and interviewing the US POWs, Al Jazeera, is the national news station of Qatar, NOT Iraq. In fact the interviews were conducted without the permission of the Iraqi government.

So can I please stop hearing about how the Iraqis are broadcasting pictures
of US POWs as this is incorrect. It is the government of Qatar that should be held to account for the action of its reporters in the field.

2) There is absolutely no proof whatsoever that the US POWs and the dead soldiers pictured in the videos have been subject to ANY kind of torture or have been executed.

It disturbs me that people are saying that POWs are being tortured and have been executed by Iraqi forces without any proof that this is the case. The US government claims that these soldiers have been subject to torture and execution, but their claims are based on the same video evidence available to the public, which means they are speaking utter bullshit.

If this War is justified, why are our governments lying to us? What purpose does it serve?

[Oddball]

[s]Unregisted User Buzzboy wrote on 04:25, 25th Mar 2003:
Right, lets get a few things straight:

1) The news station responsible for videoing and interviewing the US POWs, Al Jazeera, is the national news station of Qatar, NOT Iraq. In fact the interviews were conducted without the permission of the Iraqi government.

So can I please stop hearing about how the Iraqis are broadcasting pictures
of US POWs as this is incorrect. It is the government of Qatar that should be held to account for the action of its reporters in the field.

2) There is absolutely no proof whatsoever that the US POWs and the dead soldiers pictured in the videos have been subject to ANY kind of torture or have been executed.

It disturbs me that people are saying that POWs are being tortured and have been executed by Iraqi forces without any proof that this is the case. The US government claims that these soldiers have been subject to torture and execution, but their claims are based on the same video evidence available to the public, which means they are speaking utter bullshit.

If this War is justified, why are our governments lying to us? What purpose does it serve?



In the first gulf war the Iraqis did beat and torture the captive soldiers and airmen. This was strongly suspected at the time based on the videos of them, and was proved after the war. It is not unreasonable to suggest that it is happening again.

Some of the dead soldiers did appear to have headwounds, perhaps indicating that some had been executed. This allegation is hard to prove.

The videos were clearly made with the full co-operation of the Iraqi army/government, which clearly puts the Iraqi government in the wrong. The reporters may also be abusing their position and they too should be dealt with.

[Bush Apologist]

[s]Unregisted User Buzzboy wrote on 04:25, 25th Mar 2003:
Right, lets get a few things straight:

1) The news station responsible for videoing and interviewing the US POWs, Al Jazeera, is the national news station of Qatar, NOT Iraq. In fact the interviews were conducted without the permission of the Iraqi government.

So can I please stop hearing about how the Iraqis are broadcasting pictures
of US POWs as this is incorrect. It is the government of Qatar that should be held to account for the action of its reporters in the field.


actually it was originally on iraqi tv, Al Jazerra rebroadcasted it. There is more anger at Al Jazerra because we expect that out of the Iraqis.

2) There is absolutely no proof whatsoever that the US POWs and the dead soldiers pictured in the videos have been subject to ANY kind of torture or have been executed.

It disturbs me that people are saying that POWs are being tortured and have been executed by Iraqi forces without any proof that this is the case. The US government claims that these soldiers have been subject to torture and execution, but their claims are based on the same video evidence available to the public, which means they are speaking utter bullshit.

Don't be a saddam apologist. I saw the video there were four dead bodies with bullet wounds to the forehead, which means they were execution shots. Look at Iraqi's history there were some 30 pows in the last war that were brutally beaten, and the women were raped.

Your other question bullshit and it was built on your dislike of American, or at least conservative ones. You then back up your feelings by apologizing for an evil hitler like man.