Driving in Baghdad

[ChrisSZ]

Yanks have never been the best when it comes to hearts and minds operations LOL.

 

Definitely not the best way of getting the locals on your side!!

[DannyW]

If they bumped my car like that i'd shoot at the wankers.

[Tom]

Not being funny but if one of you lot were behind the wheel of that hummer beeping the horn constantly and people not moving out the way and any chance of slowing down is putting you at risk, people on board the hummer and the surrounding people and area of being blown up wouldnt you be nudging people out the way to prevent this?

 

Being a target like that and them not moving out the way could get a lot of people killed.

[ChrisSZ]

Yes, but if they weren't such arseholes in the first place the locals would be less inclined to shoot shit at them!!

[Bobbeh]

We're not supposed to be assholes but our troops are still being blown up too?

[ChrisSZ]

But not half as often - we (Britain) are only half- arseholes:)

[Gamer]

Easy to sit here and make comments about their behaviour. Not so easy if it was you driving and the possibility of some nut with a bomb strapped to his chest decides to kiss your hummer.

 

Lets be honest here, the majority of the cars 'bumped' were shit boxes anyway. You think you would want to hang about in traffic with the threat of being killed at any minute or would you want to just get the hell out of there by giving a few crappy cars a couple of nudges.

 

I can say for sure I would be doing the same exact thing if it was me, sorry but I would like to make it home to see my family and friends, if it means pushing a few shitboxes out of my way then so be it. Christ I almost feel like doing that here sometimes and my life is not even in danger

[Tom]

Yep, as said, this isn't necessarily brought on by those soldiers, it's out of their control, I can safely say anyone would be shitting it driving through there.

[ChrisSZ]

But, put yourself in the local's position. You have what amounts to occupational forces (foreign) telling you how to run your own country, interfering with day-to-day living and generally throwing their weight around. You are disgruntled but happy to keep your head down and out of the way. Then some arsehole bashes your pride and joy (you may have been saving for years just for the privelidge of driving a 'shitbox') - you're pissed off.

 

Who's side you gonna be on? It's this sort of arrogance that has lead to the 'war' continuing on well after the official overthrow of the ruling party (Hussein and his mob).

 

Instead of trying to work WITH the locals they are working AGAINST them yet demanding their support.

 

Have a look at the Dutch UN forces controlled area - far, far less bombings, shootings etc. then look at how they operate - WITH the local populace. Have a quick read http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2533123.html

[ChrisSZ]

Yep, as said, this isn't necessarily brought on by those soldiers, it's out of their control, I can safely say anyone would be shitting it driving through there.

 

Indeed:Pling:

[Gamer]

But, put yourself in the local's position. You have what amounts to occupational forces (foreign) telling you how to run your own country, interfering with day-to-day living and generally throwing their weight around. You are disgruntled but happy to keep your head down and out of the way. Then some arsehole bashes your pride and joy (you may have been saving for years just for the privelidge of driving a 'shitbox') - you're pissed off.

 

Who's side you gonna be on? It's this sort of arrogance that has lead to the 'war' continuing on well after the official overthrow of the ruling party (Hussein and his mob).

 

Instead of trying to work WITH the locals they are working AGAINST them yet demanding their support.

 

Have a look at the Dutch UN forces controlled area - far, far less bombings, shootings etc. then look at how they operate - WITH the local populace.

 

Chris with all due respect mate, Holland is about the size of a turd compared to the States. Most iraqis would have a hard time even knowing where the hell Holland is but mention the USA and the drama begins. The hatred for the Americans in general was present long before any troops landed in their country. I do not see it as arrogance, I see it as a bunch of guys who most likely just about made it through high school trying to survive and get back home.

 

Maybe the insurgents would treat the locals a bit better ? I think not.

[SupraAyf]

Easy to sit here and make comments about their behaviour. Not so easy if it was you driving and the possibility of some nut with a bomb strapped to his chest decides to kiss your hummer.

 

Joe mate, thankfully I can comment after spending the best part of 36 months over there. I have lost some good personal pals and have evacuated others with bits missing so I know where I stand in this argument.

 

I will let you in to a wee secret as an example but the UK Headquarters in the South of Iraq (Basra) actually monitor the US convoys passaging from the North of the country via the resupply route to Kuwait. A US convoy can only travel at 40Kmh but they are substantially better equipped than the Brits who don't have armoured vehicles (or at least very few).

 

The British tactic is therefore to drive fast in order to avoid insurgent targeting - that's a fair point, however; the US convoys do not allow the British to pass as they have strict orders to secure the rear of the convoy. EVERY week, the British have to suffer several blue-on-blue 'contacts' where the US troops fire their 50-cal weapons at the Brits during the Brits final approach to the rear of the various US convoys. What this means is that the US guys are authorised to engage anyone on the roads so the Brits in their unprotected landrover Discoveries get stuck behind the US boys.

 

To give you an idea but the Brits face an investigation if one round (bullet) is fired and yet the Americans don't even have to account for ammunition so they can fire 100's off per mission and then just pop down to the ammo stores to resupply - that's how fucked up their system is.

 

I could go on all night with 100's of other serious issues but i can't honestly be bothered. As you said before; unless you're actually there then it becomes bloody difficult to comment.

 

There are currently 1450 (give or take a couple) US Military Police investigations being conducted in to alledged Iraqi murders or war crime issues by US Troops:Pling:

[wkdtime]

Joe mate, thankfully I can comment after spending the best part of 36 months over there. I have lost some good personal pals and have evacuated others with bits missing so I know where I stand in this argument.

 

I will let you in to a wee secret as an example but the UK Headquarters in the South of Iraq (Basra) actually monitor the US convoys passaging from the North of the country via the resupply route to Kuwait. A US convoy can only travel at 40Kmh but they are substantially better equipped than the Brits who don't have armoured vehicles (or at least very few).

 

The British tactic is therefore to drive fast in order to avoid insurgent targeting - that's a fair point, however; the US convoys do not allow the British to pass as they have strict orders to secure the rear of the convoy. EVERY week, the British have to suffer several blue-on-blue 'contacts' where the US troops fire their 50-cal weapons at the Brits during the Brits final approach to the rear of the various US convoys. What this means is that the US guys are authorised to engage anyone on the roads so the Brits in their unprotected landrover Discoveries get stuck behind the US boys.

 

To give you an idea but the Brits face an investigation if one round (bullet) is fired and yet the Americans don't even have to account for ammunition so they can fire 100's off per mission and then just pop down to the ammo stores to resupply - that's how fucked up their system is.

 

I could go on all night with 100's of other serious issues but i can't honestly be bothered. As you said before; unless you're actually there then it becomes bloody difficult to comment.

 

There are currently 1450 (give or take a couple) US Military Police investigations being conducted in to alledged Iraqi murders or war crime issues by US Troops:Pling:

 

Good post, from someone who's actually been there.