British soldiers beat up Iraqi teens video

[TequilaMockingbird]

From what I heard from various Brit soldiers over in the UK, they felt the retaliation of some kicking and beating was fair play in exchange for petrol bombs. It's far lighter than they'd have gotten from ANYONE else in the region.

When you are in another country to impose your will on the locals, you cannot allow them to throw rocks and Molotov cocktails at you. Were I the theater commander, I'd give order RoE to allow them to light up anyone who throws anything at them heavier than a nerfball.

Of course, if I were really in charge, we wouldn't be there in the first place, and if we had to go in, I'd've asked for a Declaration of War (remember those? sounds kinda quaint, I suppose...), and then I would have gone in with three times as many soldiers. I would have had an actual plan to reconstruct the country and provide security.

I would not have disbanded the army. Brilliant move, that.

Team Bush is so unimaginably incompetent it boggles the mind. They will go down in history as one of the worst administrations this country has ever seen.

The point I was making is--are you (and others) crusading for traffic safety as much as you want us out of Iraq?

"But but but...where were you when _____________ was taking place? Huh? I didn't hear you raise a stink about it."

Tell me how Iraq is costing us more in material and human terms

The War in Iraq Costs

The loss in respect. The loss in esteem. On 9-11, the world was with us. Now after five yrs of Bush, we are pretty much hated, feared, despised...

Other countries have an incentive to get nukes to deter us.

Yeah, there are a lot of costs, but you know what? This is a gun board, so I'm not gonna argue it, OK?

--------------
I support the torturers.

 

[Fletchette]

Of course, if I were really in charge, we wouldn't be there in the first place, and if we had to go in, I'd've asked for a Declaration of War (remember those? sounds kinda quaint, I suppose...), and then I would have gone in with three times as many soldiers. I would have had an actual plan to reconstruct the country and provide security.

I would not have disbanded the army. Brilliant move, that.

Team Bush is so unimaginably incompetent it boggles the mind. They will go down in history as one of the worst administrations this country has ever seen.

Maybe, maybe not. But Bush and co. is off topic. I was simply stating that the Brits seemed to be taking a lot of criticism for slapping around a few young adult Iraqis that had just thrown grenades at them. Frankly, I could see myself doing the exact same thing (and sleeping well at night).

 

[shootinstudent]

Frankly, I could see myself doing the exact same thing (and sleeping well at night).

Have you ever actually seen someone "slapped around" like these troops were beating those Iraqis? Moves like that can easily kill or maim for life. Kicking people who are unconscious on the floor, and headbutting another are deadly force.

I think it's wrong to dwell on these incidents, since all they do in the long run is make life worse for all parties involved, but I can't imagine why people would defend this behavior. What good can come of it?

 

[Spiphel Rike]

A headbutt is deadly force???
Is that important? Aren't rocks, grenades and petrol bombs the same? or worse even?

 

[Fletchette]

Have you ever actually seen someone "slapped around" like these troops were beating those Iraqis? Moves like that can easily kill or maim for life. Kicking people who are unconscious on the floor, and headbutting another are deadly force.

I think it's wrong to dwell on these incidents, since all they do in the long run is make life worse for all parties involved, but I can't imagine why people would defend this behavior. What good can come of it?

Perhaps I did not see the same video you did. I did not see anyone beat unconcious. In fact, I did not see anyone actually bleeding. I do not see this as life-threatening.

In any case, I am not defending the act of beating captured prisoners (troops shouldn't do it), I am simply saying that punching someone who has just thrown rocks, petrol bombs and grenades is not what I consider to be a 'war crime'.