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Lebell 04-24-2004 12:59 AM

Real Iraq pictures
 
...and not pictures of Shuttle astronauts.

http://home.wi.rr.com/davef/iraq.htm

Anyway, I would normally link these, but since it is a soldier's private site and not a media outlet with virtually unlimited bandwidth, I didn't want to bring down his server with too much extra traffic.

So if you want to see what the soldiers see and not what an editor in New York or LA thinks will sell papers, go take a look.

WARNING!

Some pics are VERY VERY graphic.

NOT for the weak of stomach!

tecoyah 04-24-2004 03:59 AM

And yet, we wonder why we are so hated by these people. As I tried to be objective while looking at this, The dead and maimed children flipped a switch with me. I now completely understand why the administration has tried to ban as much private information from getting out, they are afraid.
If everyone could see this , I honestly think public opinion would dramatically change, and support for this war would diminish quickly. Yes, I realize war is hell, and innocent people die, but I guarantee you if these were my children, I would lose it and take out as many of the people who did this as I possibly could. When it is compounded by hundreds(or thousands) we dont actually know how many. You will have a population of armed, revenge seeking parents, trying their damndest to blow you away.
Kind of like what we have there now.

I feel very badly for Joe soldier, fighting civilians on a daily basis, and probably well aware that they are pissed off for good reason. What a terrible position to be in.

Schwan 04-24-2004 04:42 AM

It's very graphic, but it shows what war is all about. If a governemnt is responsible enough to send its troops out to war, regardless of the reasons behind it, it should also be responsible enough not to ban the images portraying the damages caused by it. Very sad.

Sparhawk 04-24-2004 05:15 AM

I found some humor in here, don't know if you all caught it:

http://home.wi.rr.com/davef/44.jpg

absorbentishe 04-24-2004 05:35 AM

The pictures are pretty moving. The photo of just the leg, yeow... But war is war, and we did what we can to elimate civilians being injured/killed, but in the end, there are still innocent lives taken. I'm glad I saw them.

matthew330 04-24-2004 06:49 AM

Tecoyah, I'm amazed at how stupid and naieve you think Americans are. Just to keep it short and sweet, cause there's so much i wanna say, these pictures did NOTHING to sway my opinion of the war.

And trust me - the American soldier over there, isn't thinking when they're getting attacked by these insurgents - "oh these poor fellas, they've gone through so much and we've put them through so much, i feel there pain."

Iraq is a huge frickin place, and these continue to be a small minority.

Arc101 04-24-2004 06:55 AM

Quote:

Iraq is a huge frickin place, and these continue to be a small minority.
Yes and it was even more of a minority who died on 9/11 - and yet people still want revenge for this. Think about it, everyone in Iraq is affected by these deaths, they know that their children could be next. Is it any wonder that they want revenge against those they see responsible. Also they know that despite the 1000's of innocent people that have been killed by the coalition, there is no chance of ever holding anyone to account over those deaths.

feelgood 04-24-2004 07:04 AM

One must wonder why the hell USA invaded Iraq in the first place anyways...

Sure WMD was the main reason but have they found any? Nope.

The cost of the war outweight the cost of freedom

matthew330 04-24-2004 07:04 AM

I would bet that the unfortunate number of innocent Iraqi's that have been killed by the coalition pales in comparison to the number that Saddam's government killed, tortured, raped, etc etc. In fact, I think it's safe to say, we've saved a shitload of innocent lives.

matthew330 04-24-2004 07:06 AM

One must wonder? I'm done wondering. 10 years of ignoring UN resolutions, daily shooting at our planes patrolling no fly zones, etc etc.

irateplatypus 04-24-2004 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Arc101
Also they know that despite the 1000's of innocent people that have been killed by the coalition, there is no chance of ever holding anyone to account over those deaths.

1000s of innocent dead?... you're dreaming. even if that were true, the # of innocent tragically caught in the action has been multiplied many times over by the opposition's cowardice. no uniforms, giving guns to kids, and hiding out in mosques during worship times... yeah, a lot of honor in that.

and i hate to break up the liberal self-loath fest...

but the people who are hating us now hated us long before any war was started.

OFKU0 04-24-2004 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by matthew330
One must wonder? I'm done wondering. 10 years of ignoring UN resolutions, daily shooting at our planes patrolling no fly zones, etc etc.
I would suggest if when refering to ignored U.N resolutions, you state all the countries who have and continue to ignore U.N resolutions. Maybe those countries should be invaded too.

As for the U.S, they told the U.N to piss off. Why? Because George Bush, the ultimate humanitarian of the world wanted to save the poor Iraqi's from their tyranical leader and make the world a better place. At least that's the story this week. Good grief.

Tell me the benefit of the U.S in Iraq and how the world is a better place now since the Iraqi's have the label of terrorists. If the U.S invades Canada and I fight back, am I a terrorist too?

sidenote--My apologies to Lebell. Not trying to derail the thread. I just have a hard time when this conflict is perceived as a war when it isn't one.

matthew330 04-24-2004 09:02 AM

...ahh - and all those countries also gassed and killed their neighbors. Or i guess this is just testement to how ineffective the UN is, and as such, Bush was right to tell them to piss off. It's not war anyway because "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED"

YES!!!

Lebell 04-24-2004 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by OFKU0

sidenote--My apologies to Lebell. Not trying to derail the thread. I just have a hard time when this conflict is perceived as a war when it isn't one.


No offense taken - I knew the pictures would be percieved by the viewer in ways that confirmed what they already believed.

Those against the war would see them in a negative light while those for the war would see them in a positive light.

floydthebarber 04-24-2004 09:08 AM

Sad state of affairs over there.
Quote:

Yes, I realize war is hell, and innocent people die, but I guarantee you if these were my children, I would lose it and take out as many of the people who did this as I possibly could.
I feel the same way, you kill my child and I'll do my best to kill as many as I can no matter what the cost.

Quote:

Just to keep it short and sweet, cause there's so much i wanna say, these pictures did NOTHING to sway my opinion of the war.
Sure didn't change my mind either. The war was not necessary. WMD? ya right. The US has got itself in a pickle now and it's only going to get worse. I'm afraid this is going to come and bite the US in the ass, in a big way and for many years to come. I feel sorry for the troops that are being sent there to do this kind of unjust war.

Quote:

I would bet that the unfortunate number of innocent Iraqi's that have been killed by the coalition pales in comparison to the number that Saddam's government killed, tortured, raped, etc etc. In fact, I think it's safe to say, we've saved a shitload of innocent lives.
Is this where I ask you when is the US going to free some other repressed country:rolleyes:


Quote:

no uniforms, giving guns to kids, and hiding out in mosques during worship times... yeah, a lot of honor in that.
Don't know if I would give guns to kids, but I'm sure most people would resort to gorilla style warfare when up against an army similar to the US's. Fuck honor. Like I said, kill some of my family or countrymen and I'll resort to anything for revenge.

Zeld2.0 04-24-2004 11:33 AM

Well hey if I lost a child like that... I'd go out with my gun and find a way to kill as many of those who did it. And thats the simple truth of human nature.

JBX 04-24-2004 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by feelgood

The cost of the war outweight the cost of freedom

wa, Wa, What? What would be a justifiable "cost" for your freedom? Was the body count in the revolutionary war too much, how about the civil war, WWI, WWII. Yes there is a "cost" feelgood, thank god we didn't have you at the helm or it never would have been paid.

HarmlessRabbit 04-24-2004 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lebell
So if you want to see what the soldiers see and not what an editor in New York or LA thinks will sell papers, go take a look.

Or Matt Drudge, who also linked to the memory hole pics then quickly changed his site to point to the incorrect postings by major papers without mentioning the fact that he did it too. :)

But anyway, I think the point here is that real pictures like this show what war is really like, and they shouldn't be suppressed. I bet this soldier would be in big trouble if his superiors knew that he had taken and posted these pics.

Sparhawk 04-24-2004 12:35 PM

I'd like to point out that only the first 40 or so pics are of the NASA pilot. The other 320 are "Real Iraq pictures."

Seaver 04-24-2004 03:04 PM

Quote:

The cost of the war outweight the cost of freedom
Tell that to the millions of gypsies and jews in the concentration camps.

Tell that to the millions of Ukranians and Russians sent to Siberia deathcamps.

Tell that to the millions in Cambodia who fell under Pol Pot.

Tell that to the millions that died under Mao Tse-Tung.

Tell that to their families that the cost of freedom is too much to pay for.

Tell that to the Iraqi families who's daughters were systematically tortured and raped, then sent home in shoeboxes.

Tell that to the Iraqi families of the men who were dunked in acid baths, only to be medically saved so he could endure it a second time.

Tell that to the Iraqi families who were completely obliterated because of nerve gas.

Tell that to the Iraqi families who filled the mass graves filled with thousands of Iraqis each.

Then tell that to any man in uniform that the thing they fight for, freedom, is not worth the cost.

floydthebarber 04-24-2004 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JBX
wa, Wa, What? What would be a justifiable "cost" for your freedom? Was the body count in the revolutionary war too much, how about the civil war, WWI, WWII. Yes there is a "cost" feelgood, thank god we didn't have you at the helm or it never would have been paid.
If you rise up and fight for your freedom or defend your country it's worth the cost, but if you're attacking and invading other countries to force them into freedom it may change that.

HarmlessRabbit 04-24-2004 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Seaver
Tell that to the millions in Cambodia who fell under Pol Pot.
with the support of the USA
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Ki...er_Herman.html

Quote:

Tell that to the millions that died under Mao Tse-Tung.
You mean from Most-favored-nation china? where your goods from Wal-Mart are currently being made right now?

Quote:

Tell that to the Iraqi families who's daughters were systematically tortured and raped, then sent home in shoeboxes.
I'm unclear whether you mean Saddam's troops or ours.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3554081.stm

Quote:

Tell that to the Iraqi families who were completely obliterated because of nerve gas.
Those were Kurds, actually, you know, the ones we pretty much abandoned after the first gulf war?

Quote:

Tell that to the Iraqi families who filled the mass graves filled with thousands of Iraqis each.
Thank god the killings have stopped and they no longer have to use soccer fields as mass graves. Oh wait, that was a few weeks ago in Fallujah.

You can spout patriotic polemics all you want, the USA has pretty dirty hands in all of this. Look up the current government of Pakistan, for example, and how much support we give them.

Quote:

Then tell that to any man in uniform that the thing they fight for, freedom, is not worth the cost.
Well, in Vietnam it certainly ended up that way. One aspect of freedom is the ability to question the actions of your government.


irateplatypus 04-24-2004 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HarmlessRabbit


You mean from Most-favored-nation china? where your goods from Wal-Mart are currently being made right now?



Mao died in September 1976, normal trade relations and MFN status weren't granted until 1979, 3 years after his death. Just to clear things up, China today is not governed by a Maoist regime.

Quote:

Originally posted by HarmlessRabbit


I'm unclear whether you mean Saddam's troops or ours.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3554081.stm


if you're going to equate a handful of MPs harassing prisoners (and are going to go before the military equivalient of a grand jury for it) with sending the remains of raped and tortured women in shoeboxes back to their families... then i don't know what to tell you.

Quote:

Originally posted by HarmlessRabbit

Those were Kurds, actually, you know, the ones we pretty much abandoned after the first gulf war?

They are Kurdish in ethnicity, but they were still Iraqis.

if you're so certain the US has got its hands dirty in all of these events, i can't imagine why you would resort to posting such irresponsible information to make your point. why go to such lengths to say these things?

KellyC 04-24-2004 04:43 PM

Those images reminds me of the video clips about the fall of Saigon in '75. Very sad....First page is already too much for me....

Seaver 04-24-2004 04:57 PM

Thank you irateplatypus, you beat me to it :D

HarmlessRabbit 04-24-2004 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by irateplatypus
if you're so certain the US has got its hands dirty in all of these events, i can't imagine why you would resort to posting such irresponsible information to make your point. why go to such lengths to say these things?
huh? how is my information irresponsible? Are you denying that the USA and Kissinger were involved in supporting Cambodia?

My point is that you cite Cambodia, just as a f'rinstance, as a sign of terrible atrocities. We ignored the atrocities there.

So, i'm not sure what your polemicizing was all about. What does the USA being involved in the deaths in Cambodia have to do with Iraq? And what did the USA have to do with freeing Cambodia?

Your points seem to just be random tragic events throughout history strung together into some random narrative.

So, specifically, on Cambodia, what point were you trying to make?

JBX 04-24-2004 06:25 PM

HarmlessRabbit, you are so interested in blaming the USA for everything bad that happens in the world, that I have lost interest in anything you have to say. PLONK

tecoyah 04-24-2004 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by matthew330
Tecoyah, I'm amazed at how stupid and naieve you think Americans are. Just to keep it short and sweet, cause there's so much i wanna say, these pictures did NOTHING to sway my opinion of the war.

And trust me - the American soldier over there, isn't thinking when they're getting attacked by these insurgents - "oh these poor fellas, they've gone through so much and we've put them through so much, i feel there pain."

Iraq is a huge frickin place, and these continue to be a small minority.

That you are "amazed" at how stupid and naive I consider Americans to be, pretty much exemplifies that which you are amazed about. I do not think this way, and was somewhat insulted that you drew such a conclusion from a post explaining my thoughts on a disturbing situation.
I can only guess you are refering to my comment about support dropping for the war, should such images be common. If so, You may be confusing stupidity, for compassion. Actually that is unlikely, as your continued disregard for the deaths of innocent people shows you have no understanding of the meaning of compassion.
And "trust you", I think not. As you seem to be telling me that you know what the soldiers are feeling, this is unlikely. You will note my purposeful use of the english language (which I am sure you will excell at in time) made clear the comment was not speaking for the soldiers, but instead feeling for them.
Should you decide to take the images for what they are, and avoid the politics you so adamantly spew forth, you may find them somewhat disturbing as well.
And by the way, this"small minority" has killed over a hundred of our soldiers this month, and I find this as distastful as the above images. That does not make either an acceptable payment for the freedom of Iraq.

HarmlessRabbit 04-24-2004 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JBX
HarmlessRabbit, you are so interested in blaming the USA for everything bad that happens in the world, that I have lost interest in anything you have to say. PLONK
Hugs JBX. I don't blame the USA, I'm just not a blind flag waver. Are you aware of the USA and Henry Kissinger's involvement in Cambodia? It's not tin-foil-hat conspiracy theory stuff, it's just public knowledge. Kissinger did a lot of amazingly bad stuff in pursuit of USA public policy goals.

I love the USA. I detest the Bush Administration, but I love the USA and our governmental system, as messed up as it may be at times.

Again, my point was, the statement "tell that to the millions who died under Pol Pot" in justification of the USA being in Iraq is pretty amusing, really, once you know the full story.

irateplatypus 04-24-2004 09:06 PM

harmlessrabbit,

i think you had me mistaken for somebody else.

tecoyah,

stupid and naive isn't that far from "limited mentality."

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...87#post1101287

Glad-I-Ate-Her 04-24-2004 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zeld2.0
Well hey if I lost a child like that... I'd go out with my gun and find a way to kill as many of those who did it. And thats the simple truth of human nature.
That's a valid point but look at it from another point of view. Why didn't the Iraqi citizens go and get a gun and kill as much of Sadam's forces as they could when this happened to them? I guess the reason is that they knew that Sadam and his forces would wipe out the whole family one by one. But before killing them, his soldiers would torture and re-torure each individual family member.

Would you still get a gun like you said and kill as many as you can if that was going to happen to your family? Let me be so bold and say I don't think so, when your parents, grand parents, uncle and aunts and your whole family would systematically go through those horrible tortures.

Yes, war is a terrible thing. I just hope you and your extended family doesn't ever have to through one.

Glad

Glad-I-Ate-Her 04-24-2004 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HarmlessRabbit

Those were Kurds, actually, you know, the ones we pretty much abandoned after the first gulf war?

Don't forget the Shia who were also gased and killed by the thousands in the south. Also you can't forget the Marsh Shia whose lives were desimated after living the same way for 5000 years.

Glad

HarmlessRabbit 04-24-2004 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Glad-I-Ate-Her
Don't forget the Shia who were also gased and killed by the thousands in the south. Also you can't forget the Marsh Shia whose lives were desimated after living the same way for 5000 years.
Ok. Noted.

BlueMan 04-25-2004 12:03 AM

When I saw the pictures I looked them over, and I tried to put them in some kind of context, which was difficult because the photographer didn't provide any background info. Didn't tell us what we were looking at. Which I guess is fine because it provokes thought. When -I- looked at the photos, particularly of women and children, my first thought was to ask myself a question. To wit: "I wonder if this is a child that was injured in a firefight between US Forces and the terrorists, or was the child perhaps injured in one of the number of terrorist bombings that have occured?" Not knowing either way, I don't feel informed enough to comment on those. Tecoyah, you may notice, displays no such (apparent) thought process, to all appearances automatically assuming that our forces -must- have shot/blown up/burned that poor kid/woman/guy, and launching into "Y'see, this is why people hate us." Following that assumed knee-jerk reaction, I am even more interested in having the background info so that I know what I'm looking at. If they are casualties of our offensive actions, I sympathize, but realize that warfare involves collateral damage. Almost without fail. Especially in situations where the enemy chooses to hide behind civilians. I for one will never believe our troops as a whole go out there with the intent to injure and kill civilians, and those who imply such apparently have never actually known anyone in the armed forces. If these children were injured by the terrorists, then it demonstrates exactly what we are fighting to eliminate: cowards who target women and children as a means to their end.

Please also note in a couple of the pictures of a burned out bus, car, etc, that some of the corpses have an equally destroyed gun close by to where they fell. I can only guess that these are enemy casualties, but by the state of the bodies, one can't tell for sure.

Lebell 04-25-2004 12:11 AM

As I said, those who were against the war will find a way to interpret the images to support their position while those who support it to some degree or another will do the same.

Zeld2.0 04-25-2004 12:43 AM

All that talk of atrocities and what not....

Its pretty obvious that shit was in the past and in a lot of ways we were not there when shit happened when we should have. And in other cases, history has repeated itself over and over and that shit will never end so long as people feel that others are inferior or in the way. In some aspects, that would be true to yes, even people on this board, including those who feel that one has a right over another. As long as one feels they have something better, they will have that feeling that they can do what is needed. Its psychology and human nature... but enough of that...

As to the full extent of Saddam.. much of that is speculation on our sides. Unless you lived in Iraq and were witness or were involved, you're not going to know how bad/if how bad things were.

The constant "Saddam killed thousands daily" stuff is getting annoying - its pretty obvious days and days of fighting in Iraq for another year will probably cost more people their lives at this rate. And right now, there's no slowing down.

I can safely say right now over a year after, Iraq is helluva lot more dangerous, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.

Right now, my questions are simple - is it worth the cost in money and lives for what is going on now? And, what is the solution to all this?

My own answers sound like: No, for we are sending our boys to die for another nation's problems on ideological reasons to which the nation has no strategic interests. WIth no clear interests at stake, the reasons for war are clouded. And the solution? Well, not enough seems to be done right now to get the country back into place.

tecoyah 04-25-2004 02:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BlueMan
. Tecoyah, you may notice, displays no such (apparent) thought process, to all appearances automatically assuming that our forces -must- have shot/blown up/burned that poor kid/woman/guy, and launching into "Y'see, this is why people hate us." .
The assumptions here, are unfortunately yours. Perhaps my wording was misleading(not to myself) but my post was an attempt to express the reasoning I would find for retribution, should my child suffer such a fate. For you to imply that I was blaming U.S. forces directly for these deaths, shows an obvious misunderstanding of the content.
The United States is certainly forced to bear some responsibility for the death in Iraq at this point, we started a war. Our soldiers are doing the job we require them to do, and while they have surely had incidence of civilian casualties, that is not likely the norm. Had you comprehended the depth of my comments, you would have (I hope) understood the perspective given was meant to be from the Iraqi side of this conflict. And what the parents of a dead or wounded child will likely feel. My "knee jerk" reaction was a personal rendering of the Hypothetical. This has no bearing whatsoever on the accountability of U.S forces.

AngelicVampire 04-25-2004 05:03 AM

Some of the pictures are sad, however I do not believe that US and coallition troops are delibrately targetting civilian targets. Casualties happen, though it is not nice for the families of those killed or maimed, we are attempting to minimise these. However the US could turn Iraq into a carpark with a filling station if it wanted however its pumping money into rebuilding the country and setting up a government... the US wants out of Iraq as soon as possible however if they left now they would be slated by the same people slating them for being there becuase more people would die.

Sure the US could pull out now but Iraq would likely fall apart, while I am for pulling our troops out (not because I do not believe that we need to be there but because I would like to hear the anti-war campaigners complain about the "civil-rights violations in Iraq after we leave) we need to keep them there for now until the country stabilises. Just because you removed the tumour doesn't mean that you should not sew the patient back up again.

JBX 04-25-2004 08:12 AM

Welcome aboard AngelicVampire, I indeed share your thoughts.

HarmlessRabbit, sorry for getting huffy before, it's just that I feel the United States gets blame either when she takes action or doesn't take action. It gets old.

Zeld2.0 04-25-2004 02:13 PM

Well JBX - hindsight is 20/20 and history is riddled with blaming nations for either not doing something or for doing something. To me its the norm and there's no point in arguing the past because history doesn't give an alternative.

What one CAN do, however, is decide what to do in the future.

skyscan 04-25-2004 08:09 PM

The truth is this, war is a horrible thing. It must be avoided at great costs. It should NEVER become acceptable for countries to wage war again and again. I am and always will be an American. However, I will never support the loss of my friends and family to a war without a just cause. The question to me never was "Is Sadamm a good person?" it was always "Is the loss of life worth the potential reward for the people of Iraq and the world?" Never forget the horror that is war.

Tholo 04-25-2004 08:37 PM

wow.

pan6467 04-25-2004 09:51 PM

I just don't understand if these photos are real how a "soldier" got a camera in to take night vision (the green photos) or some maybe from classified areas. I think this is a true false website. It doesn't say war is bad or good the pics don't help left or right but one has to question authenticity.

hammer4all 04-25-2004 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pan6467
I just don't understand if these photos are real how a "soldier" got a camera in to take night vision (the green photos) or some maybe from classified areas. I think this is a true false website. It doesn't say war is bad or good the pics don't help left or right but one has to question authenticity.
Your right. All those photos are faked. Damn Hollywood propaganda! :rolleyes:

Here are more civilian victims of Anglo-American aggression:

http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm

AngelicVampire 04-27-2004 03:59 AM

Zeld, we cannot decide to just sit out the future unfortunately. I would love to say "Just go do what you want to do to yourselves." however that leads to evil happening, sure it might be around the corner from us right now and not affect us however some time in the future we may very well be the target of that evil.

Saddam was not the worst guy ever to rule a country, heck our history ain't sweetness and light either however we are trying to do the right thing, we are trying to be good.

However we will get blamed either way, either we did not step in to help people and so "killed them" (see Oxfam shops where they continually try to pressure you that the problems in this world are your fault), or you step in and stop the problems (try to) and get told that its for purely selfish reasons and that you are a bad country (see Iraq).

We need to attempt to keep the peace world wide as we are capable of this and we are "civilised?" enough to do it. Ok we have problems in our countires and could probably survive without the rest of the world however its still there and sometimes problems can come back and annoy you again. George Bush Jr is not my favourite politician, however he did stand up and go to war for a valid reason, his policies may be coloured by the prospect of less oil however if that was all he wanted we did not need to take most of Iraq... just roll in take the oil fields and kill anyone who is approaching them (say 2kilometers (1.2 milesish) as a no walk zone around them?). However we did go to Basra and other cities, which is suicide for our troops as ambushes and suchlike are far easier in cities as is hiding troops.

Well just 0.02 of the local currency

pan6467 04-27-2004 05:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by hammer4all
Your right. All those photos are faked. Damn Hollywood propaganda! :rolleyes:

Here are more civilian victims of Anglo-American aggression:

http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm

I am just implying that Lebell said these came from a soldier's website thereby implying a soldier took these. I am simply saying I find it hard to believe a soldier took these.

I am not denying the pictures are real, I am just questioning the authenticity of the website and of saying a soldier took all of these. Having been in the military I can tell you right now you do not carry a camera around in classified areas, let alone posted on the internet (I would assume at the very least the soldier's night vision would be classified).

The pictures themselves, as a whole, I see as saying war is hell but not condemning or supporting this war. But there are ways to spin them on both sides of the aisle.

Is that a little more clearer for you Hammer?

Robb@EPE 04-27-2004 05:32 AM

I remember hearing, right at the end of the war, that American soldiers were in a firefight with the enemy, and were forced to shoot children that the Iraqis were sending out on the battlefield to recover dropped weapons. The American soldiers were screaming across the battlefield, telling the Iraqis NOT to do it, but they did it anyway.

The Iraqis know that Americans don't want to kill women and children. They also know that if the Americans DO kill women and children there will be a HUGE public outcry AGAINST the war in Iraq. So they hide behind the women and children. Who is responsible for their deaths then ...?

Weigh it like this. Our soldiers are trained PROFESSIONALS fighting untrained civilians who just picked up a rifle yesterday. Want to wager a guess at whose bullets are going all over the place and killing innocent civilians?

As someone mentioned, the US gets blamed for EVERYTHING that goes wrong. In the eyes of her critics, she can do no right. To those that think there is no strategic gain for our moves in Iraq, all I can say is, look at a map of the region. It's pretty obvious the strategic importance of holding Iraq and making it a 'friendly' nation in the Middle East.

As always though, you're all entitled to your opinions :)

Fireshiru1 05-02-2004 05:40 PM

no matter what, war is never pretty, it is never nice and playful, it is death, it is chaos, it is human primalism at it's quentisential essence.

Scipio 05-02-2004 06:14 PM

There are plenty of poignant anecdotes about soldiers doing good things for Iraqis. There are also lots of good stories about how much better life has become in some ways. However, our project in that country is much bigger than that, and it seems that all those small helpful acts aren't adding up to a good outcome for the country as a whole. The ethnic and religious divisions in the country are very deep. For better or for worse, images like the ones that have recently come out are having a much greater impact that the ones that show "the truth" about the occupation. They have very real consequences, and we have to react strongly to deal with them.

sonikeko 05-02-2004 10:54 PM

The is no such thing as a justified death...the US bombed schools and hospitals because there were weapons there...we could have just gone in there and taken them.

Robb@EPE 05-03-2004 10:29 AM

Yes, we could have just gone in and taken them. Only, it's very likely that American soldiers would have lost their lives in the process, and militarily, that's not the smart move.

The realy problem is that people these days have no concept of how ugly war is. They have been prepared for it by all the movies and video games they've seen. Now, when the bodies start piling up, and there is no reset or do over, they just don't get it.

ironman 05-07-2004 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by irateplatypus
if you're so certain the US has got its hands dirty in all of these events, i can't imagine why you would resort to posting such irresponsible information to make your point. why go to such lengths to say these things?
MAN!!! PLEASE!!!! Don't come and try to convince us and yourself that US government hands are clean in this matter, or in any other all around the world, when it has all its 10 little fingers, palms, arms... covered in dirt and blood.
Obviously you don't live south the border and hasn't had a 30 years civil war with over 300,000 deaths, payed by the US and the Soviet Union (Yeah! the cold war was yours, but the deaths were ours!!!, believe me, the cold war was pretty hot down here), you haven't had your governments taken up and down by US's political and economical interests, you haven't had to take the humiliation of been filed and treated like a criminal every time you go to Europe or Jamaica or every other place, just because your plane must go trough the US.
You need information on whether what i'm saying is true or false? go and take a look to the desclasified files of the CIA on Latin American Affairs.
Don't take me wrong, i'm not against the US or it's people, i'm a TFPer after all, i'm against US's exterior politics that has caused hundred of thousands of deaths all around the world.
You know, is funny how sometimes we want to cover the sun with one finger, is time for the US to rectify it's way.

charlesesl 05-11-2004 06:32 PM

Why are you guys critizing Bush. He is sparring some Iraqis the pain he will inflict on them in the future. If you have two choices. One being slowly stave to death or possibly tortured by American soldiers. The other being a quick painless death by getting blown to peiced by the American bombs. Which will you choice?

irateplatypus 05-11-2004 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sonikeko
The is no such thing as a justified death...the US bombed schools and hospitals because there were weapons there...we could have just gone in there and taken them.
ahh... forgive me if i doubt your tactical expertise and give the mission planners the benefit of the doubt. no one here on TFP is even remotely qualified to make that judgement on a tactical level from behind their computers while sitting comfortably at home.

ironman,

uhh... i'm not even sure you know what i was referring to, none of the issues i was posting about were even in latin america. you didn't even tell us where you're from (i'm guessing chile or columbia), you don't even know what i think about what you're talking about. if you want to debate something different than what this thread is intended for... go right ahead and start your own. i'll be happy to debate ya or even take your side. just don't go blasting me for saying something unrelated to your situation in order to have a soapbox to stand on.

almostaugust 05-12-2004 08:56 AM

When will humanity learn? War is fucking horrible. There is nothing noble about it. Its never black and white and clean cut, as much as governments would like us to believe. I wish people would study history a little more closely.

Sparhawk 05-12-2004 09:09 AM

ironman,

i'm guessing Guatemala. which i too wouldn't mind talking about (in another thread).

pig 05-12-2004 11:06 AM

After reading all the comments thus far, saying the "war is hell" bit is probably a waste of time. I think that such pics might change public opinion, regardless of whether people are aware of this kind of reality in a tangental sort of way. Seeing it is different, which is why we don't normally see it.

As for the standard Iraq Flame / Arguement stuff : I would agree with the position that we can't afford to sit in perpetual isolationism, but when looking at how we're (the US) involved in Iraq right now, I have to wonder why we had to go in NOW.

I think it should be obvious that securing (Operation) Iraqi Freedom wasn't the main reason. We just don't go around liberating countries because it's the right thing to do. It might be a sideline benefit of the operation eventually, but we really can't even be sure of that. Nobody knows what Iraq will be like in five years, and I'd say it's not a good bet that we're going to bring peace and Democracy to the area this way.

The WMD thing didn't pan out, and personally, I always thought that was a stretch. I think it's a little hypocritical for us to cite violation of UN 1441, and then turn around an "enforce" that resolution in violation of UN sentiments...and if we had let the matter come to another vote just prior to the war, we didn't have the votes of the Security Council to get consensus to go in.

It's obvious that war is never pretty, and it seems to me that in order to set this kind of pre-empitive strike precedent, we should have pretty obvious, clear reasons to go in. The kind that you can make a five slide power point presentation out of. As people always like to talk about 9/11 - after that horror, no one in the world was against us going in and getting sideways the the Taliban in Afganistan. The main reason is that the reason to go in was clear.

I can imagine all kinds of reasons why we might have needed to go into Iraq, but nothing that's being sold now makes any sense. We're spending an assload of (our) money, and losing a lot of lives, to be involved in this situation. Exactly what are we getting out of it? I'd like to see clear evidence that a major, immediate threat to the US was eliminated (not some slippery slope Weapons of Mass Desctruction Related Programs bullshit, or that two Iraqis in clownsuits were thought to have maybe been seen talking to the brother of a maid of a suspected Al Quaida operative in New Westphalia kind of crap), or that we're about to start bringing back a crap load of something really valuable really soon. If this war WAS about oil, it's disparaging, but if someone wants my support for this war, then I really wish someone would present an argument for it that is simple, clear, and isn't covered in propaganda boo-hoo and obfuscated interpreations. Otherwise, quit expectinig me to support it. I don't give the benefit of the doubt to my government - not when the stakes are this high.

"Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awating the ultimate practitioner." Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian

ironman 05-13-2004 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sparhawk
ironman,

i'm guessing Guatemala. which i too wouldn't mind talking about (in another thread).

I'm surprised you got it only by the facts i gave. Yeah i'm talking Guatemala, but i didn't wanted to mention it because it pretty much sums up all latin america history. There is too much to discuss about Guatemala, i don't know what would u like to talk about.

Quote:

Originally posted by irateplatypus

ironman,

uhh... i'm not even sure you know what i was referring to, none of the issues i was posting about were even in latin america. you didn't even tell us where you're from (i'm guessing chile or columbia), you don't even know what i think about what you're talking about. if you want to debate something different than what this thread is intended for... go right ahead and start your own. i'll be happy to debate ya or even take your side. just don't go blasting me for saying something unrelated to your situation in order to have a soapbox to stand on.

I know latin america has nothing to do with what u were talking about. I just wanted to point out that sometimes it takes to be outside the border to realize that US government actually CAN has its hands dirty in theese events (as it has had in other events), but it seems to me (by what you've bee saying in this thread) that you believe the US is incapable of it. If this is not what u think, excuse me, i got you wrong. But in my experience, usually when you talk to a US citizen (i'm sorry to break your heart but America is the hole continent, not only the US) about their government's atrocities, they always deny them and defend the government's reputation as if they were defending their mother's or sister's.

pigglet
i couldn't agree with you more.


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