Article

2003-07-24 Iraq

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by tu3031 2003-07-24 10:36:42 AM|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Saddam's henchmen are still on the loose - if the press wants a for-attribution quote, what the heck do they expect to get? There is no downside to saying negative things about American troops - we don't kill people based on what they say. Saddam's goons do - so the bias is going to be all one way - anti-American.

It's what statisticians call selection bias due to a combination of several things - (1) most journalists are anti-American and want to demoralize the American public, not to mention gloat at American failure, (2) Iraqis supporting Saddam are willing to speak for attribution because there is no downside and potential rewards from Saddam for helping his cause and (3) Iraqis supporting the US are unwilling to speak for attribution because of fear of Saddam's goons. Hence all the negative feedback.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-7-24 10:50:37 AM|| 2003-7-24 10:50:37 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 As noted before, this house is in a pricey, upscale neighborhood. The houseowner was living off "slop from the Hussein trough", and he's got a retired Iraqi Air Force general as a neighbor. Any fretting and fuming from these assclowns needs to be taken with a grain of salt, 'cause their glory days are over.

Posted by Dar 2003-7-24 10:52:24 AM|| 2003-7-24 10:52:24 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 I know this is entertainment, so in that spirit... Just the juicy Iraqi quotes - which speak volumes...

"Those who reported their hideout to the Americans, I will slaughter them with my bare hands."

"These are martyrs. They went to paradise," farmer Muhammed Ibrahim, 35, said of Qusay and Uday. "The Americans are heathens. We sympathize with our Muslim brothers."

"This is the work of the Americans," said Saleh, as glass crunched beneath his feet in a hallway. The retired Iraqi air force general said, "This was not militarily necessary. They used too much force."

Sweet. And that's a wrap.

BTW, I think the Iraqi AF Gen'l prolly retired at the beginning of Gulf War I. To stay in business, he would've needed to defect to Iran.

Posted by PD 2003-7-24 11:01:07 AM|| 2003-7-24 11:01:07 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Time to start rumors that the brothers were incestuous sadomasichistic gay lovers. That one of them apparantly committed suicide when he realized they'd been found out (he was the one found wearing a bra and panties by the 101st).

Time to taint the martyrs with a good dose of American Jerry Springer style bullcrap. Might give the Iraqi people a laugh to degrade the villianous bastards.

Posted by Yank 2003-7-24 11:21:06 AM|| 2003-7-24 11:21:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 They just released the pictures. They look dead to me.

Posted by tu3031 2003-7-24 11:39:30 AM|| 2003-7-24 11:39:30 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 whether they were talking out of love or fear of the Baathists was not known.

Both. They wouldn't be living in the upscale al-Falah neighborhood if they were Saddam's official opposition in Iraq's parliament. Even if Sammy was killed, they would have to give him a complete physical exam before they believed it.

Posted by Rafael 2003-7-24 11:40:26 AM|| 2003-7-24 11:40:26 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 ZF: Good analysis. I would add that reporters are too lazy to learn Arabic and that most Iraqis that are educated enough to speak English probably are Baathists or had Baath ties.

Posted by 11A5S 2003-7-24 11:46:57 AM|| 2003-7-24 11:46:57 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 "These are martyrs. They went to paradise," farmer Muhammed Ibrahim, 35, said of Qusay and Uday.

Call 'em anything you want and believe anything you want, pal, as long as they're dead.

Attention All Journalists: I'm not impressed by how many ignorant fools you can find to interview, or by what they say.

Posted by Tom 2003-7-24 12:13:17 PM|| 2003-7-24 12:13:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 There may also be an element of self-parody involved, in the sense that interviewees are tweaking the reporters by deliberately exaggerating the pro-Saddam rhetoric. Since it's unsafe to say anything against Saddam, Iraqis providing interviews may be providing quotes so overblown that the reader has to conclude they're making fun of gullible reporters.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2003-7-24 12:42:16 PM|| 2003-7-24 12:42:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Interestingly enough, the American allegedly trucked in some Iraqis to disperse the chanting, pro-Saddam crowd according to this WP article:
The protesters dispersed without incident after the Americans trucked in several dozen Iraqis in civilian clothes and armed with wooden clubs. They seemed friendly and their presence was enough to disperse the crowd as the call to prayers went up from the nearby mosque.

Posted by Dar 2003-7-24 2:35:03 PM|| 2003-7-24 2:35:03 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 several dozen Iraqis in civilian clothes and armed with wooden clubs.

"That's no wooden club, it's a truncheon!"

Posted by Steve 2003-7-24 2:43:36 PM|| 2003-7-24 2:43:36 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 The NY Times reported Wednesday that the cousin had done time in prison for asserting his relationship to Hussein.

Love the Publishers Clearing House image!

Posted by Sharon in NYC 2003-7-24 3:47:23 PM|| 2003-7-24 3:47:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 I think it's about time to instill a little fear into the Iraqi psyche. I think we should remove all the people from Fallajah, and start sending B-52's over, armed with "dumb" 500lb bombs - one every 20 minutes, for about eight days. After that, let the people back into "their" city. After they see the rubble "up close and personal", ask them how much they "love" sadsack. Tell them that if there's any more trouble, we won't remove the people the next time we feel the need to engage in urban 'renewal'.

Posted by Old Patriot 2003-7-24 6:56:56 PM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2003-7-24 6:56:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 OP, what happened to the smile and the candybar???

Posted by Rafael 2003-7-24 7:02:53 PM|| 2003-7-24 7:02:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 "They're dead Jim."

Posted by Dr. McCoy 2003-7-24 7:15:24 PM|| 2003-7-24 7:15:24 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Captain, I must concur with the doctor on this. I tried doing a Vulcan mind link, and it didn't work. They are most definitely dead.

Posted by Mr. Spock 2003-7-24 7:27:12 PM|| 2003-7-24 7:27:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 Captain, I usin' full warp power! And they are still dead! The engines can't take anymore!

Posted by Scottie 2003-7-24 7:28:26 PM|| 2003-7-24 7:28:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 Bones, Spock, Scottie. You must be right. Four to beam up Mr. Sulu.

Posted by Captain Kirk 2003-7-24 7:29:56 PM|| 2003-7-24 7:29:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 Either they're dead, or my watch has stopped.

Ah, thank you...

Posted by mojo 2003-7-24 10:21:54 PM|| 2003-7-24 10:21:54 PM|| Front Page Top

00:37 Anonymous Troll
08:13 Ptah
02:00 mojo
23:32 tu3031
22:53 Tokyo Taro
22:27 mojo
22:24 mojo
22:21 mojo
22:18 mojo
22:12 Beau - CA Escapee
21:55 john
21:53 Zhang Fei
21:24 mer
20:45 parallaxview
20:25 Zhang Fei
20:21 Ptah
20:19 flash91
19:50 Anon1
19:29 Captain Kirk
19:28 Scottie
19:27 Matt
19:27 Mr. Spock
19:24 Aris Katsaris
19:18 Korora