Iraqi Soldier Who Killed U.S. Troops is a Hero in Iraq

[BridgeTheGap]

The recent killing of two U.S. soldiers by their Iraqi colleague has raised disturbing questions about U.S. military relations with the Iraqis they work with.

On Dec. 26, an Iraqi soldier opened fire on U.S. soldiers accompanying him during a joint military patrol in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. He killed the U.S. captain and another sergeant, and wounded three others, including an Iraqi interpreter.

Conflicting versions of the killing have arisen. Col. Hazim al-Juboory, uncle of the attacker Kaissar Saady al-Juboory, told IPS that his nephew at first watched the U.S. soldiers beat up an Iraqi woman. When he asked them to stop, they refused, so he opened fire.

"Kaissar is a professional soldier who revolted against the Americans when they dragged a woman by her hair in a brutal way," Col. Juboory said. "He is a tribal man, and an Arab with honor who would not accept such behavior. He killed his captain and sergeant knowing that he would be executed."

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/72996/

[Bonobo]

1. If what he said is true, he should be.

[boricua79]

2. reminds me of a story from a Puerto RIcan vietnam vet I know

He told me that he was in a village that had been "searched and destroyed", and the soldiers were trying to force a Vietnamese peasant woman to have sex with a dog. He pulled out his M-16, prepared to fire, and told the offending soldiers that he'd blast them if they didn't immediately let the woman go. Needless to say, he had to always worry about being killed by his colleagues in combat after that...but he feels he did the right thing and saved that woman from being forced to have sex with the dog.

I don't care what nationality you're from...that man acted with honor and sacrificed his life for that woman. He should be applauded.

The U.S. soldiers in the story are an embarrassment to our country. Dragging WOMEN by their hair...barbarians!

[Amonester]

3. Guess he didn't like their way of winning hearts and minds.

OUT OF IRAQ NOW! NO! YESTERDAY! NO! FIVE YEARS AGO!

[groovedaddy]

4. This just demonstrates how bad war really is...was this guy with the "insurgency?"

I doubt it, for this reason:
If he was a plant and his job was to alert the insurgency on U.S. troop movements/actions, he completely blew his cover by killing these 2 guys. It shouldn't take much thinking to get that the U.S. version of what happened doesn't make a lot of sense.

[BB1]

5. Before my mission to Bosnia, we had to

watch a movie on Warcrimes. It was with Michael J. Fox, situated in Vietnam. He brought his buddies before a military court, where they were convicted and sentenced to 20 years or so. Anybody know the name of the movie?

A bit lame, but the message in the film is cristalclear.

[atreides1]

6. Casualities of War

Casualties of War is a 1989 war drama about the Vietnam War, starring Michael J. Fox and Sean Penn. It was directed by Brian De Palma, with a screenplay by David Rabe based on actual events that took place in 1966. An article written by Daniel Lang was the movie's primary source.

The theme of Casualties of War is how normal moral behavior is discarded during war times and shows it in the extreme when soldiers become savages who can dehumanize innocent by-standers, and also about personal responsibility for maintaining that morality in extreme conditions.

This film was Fox's second major dramatic role. A year earlier he had starred in the drama Bright Lights, Big City. John C. Reilly and John Leguizamo make their screen debuts in the film.

Tagline: Even in war... murder is murder.

[BB1]

8. Cheers. I suppose Murder still is Murder

in war. Then why do the generals always get away with it?

And another thing: how many would kill for atheist beliefs?

[0007]

11. Because they call it collateral damage

Guaranteed by a security pledged against the performance of an obligation: like a collateral loan.

[pnorman]

9. Thanks for the heads up on that film!

The extended cut is available at Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/29ofb6

It seems to have overall good reviews there, and is <$8 including s&h. So It just put it in the Shopping Cart. Wish me luck!

pnorman

[rodeodance]

7. The average Iraqi is living in TWO Cultures at the moment-The West system

of justice--the rule of law-the courts AND the tribal system of melting out justice on the spot. And our troops are in the middle of it.

I do not know if story is true but enough stories have leaked out to know that not all of our troops are honorable.

[atreides1]

10. Don't you find it strange

That prior to our invasion, the previous Iraqi government under Saddam had some control over the "tribal system" of justice in Iraq, and that the Western concept of the rule of law only applies to those whose country is being occupied, and not to the occupiers?


Blackwater and Haditha come to mind, as two examples.

[BridgeTheGap]

12. Some might say that Saddam ruled as he did for exactly that reason

as a counter to the tribal system and the Sunni/Shiite/Kurd divisions in Iraq. Still, it's true:
power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The hypocrisy of U.S. policy in Iraq is certainly evident in what you point out.

[Highway61]

13. Guess things are going well

over there, huh? :sarcasm: