Bastards

Bastards
: SkyNews says that two U.S. soldiers stopped in traffic were killed by having their throats slit. Another report says they were shot and then dragged from their vehicle and pummeled with concrete blocks.

This is not the time for restraint. Even the Iraqi bloggers say that. This is the time to end these murderous crimes.

: Atrios says all this is “not a good sign.”

Not a good sign of what?

Of the morals of our opponents?

Of the depths to which our opponents will stoop?

Of the evil of the people who ruled Iraq, whom we ousted?

A sign of what, Atrios?

9 responses to “Bastards”

  1. The Redlands Avatar

    The report about the soldiers being shot and dragged from their vehicle also states, the dragging was done by teenagers. Remember, these teenagers have been taught to hate Americans since birth. It will take time for reprogram to culture of Iraq.

  2. JorgXMcKie Avatar
    JorgXMcKie

    And for Atrios even a fully functioning, secular democracy in Iraq would not be a good sign.

  3. Jeremy Avatar

    All I can say is, remember Reginald Denny. Don’t hold every Iraqi (or Sunni) responsible.
    It pisses me off, but this is part of war.
    It would have been easy to look the other way and let the Kurds have revenge on the Sunnis. We’d probably have a lot less trouble. Just like it would have been easy to simply find a Saddam lite.
    But we’re taking the hard route, the risky route, the painful route. But it’s also the right route.
    I do think we need to reassess how we send out our troops among the population. Shouldn’t our vehicles have better armor and door locks?

  4. peter Avatar

    What I think Atrios means is it’s not a good sign with regards to the style of the attack. (Reports indicate) that this wasn’t a roadside bomb. This wasn’t an RPG. This was face to face combat. That’s supposed to be our strength. The fact that a couple of teenagers were feeling brazen enough to try this, and the fact that they were successful, those aren’t good signs.

  5. O'McSomething Avatar
    O’McSomething

    F-ing teenagers are mutilating the bodies of our brave kids and you are worried about what Atrios is saying? What the hell is Bush saying? I mean teenagers for God’s sake! Not some stealthy foreign insurgents or Al Qaeda or left-over republican guard types. If I wasn’t so sick to my stomach I’d be spitting mad. I don’t even know what *@#% I’m doing even reading anybody’s blog opinions right now.

  6. Mithras Avatar

    This is not the time for restraint.
    When in this whole godforsaken mess has restraint ever been exercised? And what, exactly, are you advocating, Jarvis?

  7. Bill Herbert Avatar

    The spin from the anti-war Left on this incident appears to be coalescing like this: Mosul is outside the so-called “Sunni triangle,” so a vicious attack like this, especially like youths, means that the “resistance” is not just comprised of a bunch of “dead enders,” and actually has broad support. That’s probably what Atrios meant by “not a good sign.”
    Mosul may not be part of the Sunni triangle in a geographic sense, but it happens to be the most successfully “Arabized” area of the Kurdish north. It was the site of some of the most vicious fighting during the war, and after. It was also where Uday and Qusay had their last stand, and a few other high-ranking Ba’athists have been captured while hiding out there.
    Bottom line: the spin is bullsh*t. This might as well have been Tikrit.

  8. Eric Avatar

    Mithras,
    Coalition forces show restrain on a daily basis. Restraint is where the Coalition forces do not engage the enemy due to the possibility of civilian casualties. Restraint is not following some historical examples of “kill one of us and we will kill ten of you.”
    If the Coalition did not show restraint they could take all the teenagers in Mosul (boys and girls) have them lay on their backs and drop cinder blocks on their heads until they are dead. Then for good measure, evacuate all the Coalition forces from Mosul, launch some nukes and turn the area into a nuclear wasteland as an example of what happens when you attack coalition forces.
    All things considered, I for one am happy that the coalition forces are showing restraint in a difficult situation.
    Eric

  9. Sandy P. Avatar

    –When in this whole godforsaken mess has restraint ever been exercised?–
    The last 2 years and 2-1/2 months. The ME is still there.