WERE IRAQIS REALLY KILLED TODAY IN THE MORTAR ATTACK ON AMERICAN TROOPS?
According to reports in the mainstream media, a mortar attack in Mosul killed at least 24 people. The explosion ripped through a mess tent at a military base, and the media, taking the lead from military officials, has said over and over again that American soldiers, American contractors, AND Iraqis were killed. Military spokespeople went out of their way to say Iraqis were killed. But all the media was confirming were 15 American soldiers and 9 U.S. contractors. That makes 24. So who were the Iraqis?
I can't help but think that the U.S. military used this tragedy as an opportunity to push the line that our efforts in Iraq are part of a coalition involving a significant number of Iraqis. I'm sure a few Iraqis are involved, but I also know the military and U.S. government have overstated the amount of support they have from ordinary Iraqis. Most seem to be taking jobs in the Iraqi military and the police because of the money they are offered. But they quickly abandon efforts once those efforts become dangerous. A number of Iraqi police, for example, have abandoned police stations with little if any struggle when "insurgents" moved in. They are not committed to the American mission, because they realize that mission is simply a modern form of colonialism.
The U.S. is increasingly hated in the Arab and Muslim world. No amount of Pentagon propoganda can change that.
2 comments:
Now they are saying it was a suicide bomber. How did someone with explosives get into the mess tent? Very curious. There is clearly a lot of information about this that has yet to be released.
Good point, the numbers don't add up. You're right, the US military uses every opportunity possible to spin what happens. I'm on the DoD press release and news announcements listserv. It's such a blatant propoganda organ. One of the last news items was entitled, "Rumsfeld 'Saddened' by Attacks on DoD Efforts." (http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2004/n12222004_2004122210.html)
It very well may have been a suicide bomber working as an insider to gain access. If it was it will only (understandably) exarcerbate tensions between US troops and Iraqis. It's hard to see how occupation can be any better than pulling out. It's time to leave.
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