US General: "I tell..my soldiers: A good way to prepare for..Iraq is to watch the.. Sopranos"

[sabra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/19/AR2007111902022.html

<snip>

U.S. military officials have responded by launching a major campaign to disrupt al-Qaeda in Iraq's financial networks and spread propaganda that portrays its leaders as greedy thugs, an effort the officials describe as a key factor in their recent success beating down the insurgency.

"I tell a lot of my soldiers: A good way to prepare for operations in Iraq is to watch the sixth season of 'The Sopranos,' " said Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of U.S. forces in central Iraq, referring to the hit HBO series about the mob. "You're seeing a lot of Mafioso kind of activity."

[SharkSquid]

1. Sounds about right n/t

[NNN0LHI]

2. Bush is running a huge protection racket. Don't like us? You will like who we send even less

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_racket

A protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a powerful entity or individual coerces other less powerful entities or individuals to pay protection money which allegedly serves to purchase "protection" services against various external threats.

Those who do not buy into the protection plan are often targeted by criminals existing inside or outside of the organization. These crimes are typically thought to originate from the organization itself. When a business refuses to pay for protection, word is put out that they are outside of the local organization's protection (these organizations often exist in the absence of a trusted police force) and that the business in question is therefore free game for freelance criminals or the organization itself.

The protection money is typically collected by a "bag man". Although the organization might be particularly coercive in obtaining protection money, it is usually careful to shelter its "mark" from attacks by competitor organizations that similarly attempt to solicit or threaten the targeted individuals or businesses. Disputes between organizations concerning territory consequently arise from two competing predators attempting to extort from the same "clients."