Quote:
Report: U.S. to Approve Shooting of Iraqi Looters
Wed May 14, 2003 06:43 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The new U.S. administrator for Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, is preparing a series of security-related measures that include permitting soldiers to shoot looters on sight, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Bremer, outlining his approach at a meeting with senior staff members on Tuesday, also said he was eager to hire more police officers and ban Baath Party members from serving above a certain rank in future governments, the Times reported, citing officials present at the meeting.
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq's cities have faced widespread looting, and a failure to ensure safety and security are among the chief complaints of Iraqis with U.S. forces.
"They are going to start shooting a few looters so that word gets around," The Times quoted an official who attended the meeting with Bremer as saying. "I think you are going to see a change in the rules of engagement within a few days to get the situation under control."
|
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=2738966
I think that Reuters is reliable enough to not get duped into printing fake stuff, so I'll assume for now that it's true. While I think that it gets teh message across to loters, I don't think that it's the best way to treat citizens of a country who are already starting to tell us to leave. I could understand beanbags, rubber bullets and possibly teaer gas to control people, but I don't think it's acceptable to shoot people who are celebrating their new freedom, even if they are out of control. Some Iraqis have already started shooting at looters, a few have been killed, and it's still happening.