[Vision2020] CNN Breaking News

[Don Kaag]

Tom:

Yeah.  Here's another opinion.

Third ID lost four soldiers to a car bomb at a checkpoint a couple of 
days ago.  The rules of engagement changed all over the theater, for 
all troops.

Checkpoints have, A) large Arabic-language signs prominently displayed 
saying, "Stop at the indicated spot or you will be fired on", B) 
Arabic-speaking U.S. troops or interpreters with bullhorns bellowing, 
"Stop, or you will be shot!", and C) instructions to fire warning shots 
at vehicles that do not comply.

At that point, to prevent any more exploding taxis and dead Americans, 
troops are authorized to fire directly on the vehicles.

That seems fair to me.  If it results in dead Iraqis, either military, 
semi-military, or civilian, too bad.  Iraq is a war zone.  That means a 
war is in progress, and anyone who has not noticed, can't read, can't 
hear, or is oblivious to bullets zipping past their vehicle is probably 
not a major loss to the gene pool.

Our troops are doing whatever they can, within reason, to prevent 
civilian casualties.  Saddam's guys don't really care about civilian 
casualties, and in fact may be trying to cause them by using them as 
shields, shooting them themselves and blaming it on our guys, etc.  
American soldiers are not Fedayeen, and generally do not have a death 
wish, and have a right to protect themselves.

Regards,

Don Kaag

On Tuesday, April 1, 2003, at 02:44 AM, Bryan E. Burke wrote:

> Friend,
>
> You did note that this is speculation.  There probably a hundred other
> plausible scenarios and not enough information to sort through any of 
> them.
>
> With due respect, I prefer to not engage in that much speculation.  
> Often
> it leads to even more wild speculation.  On such serious matters as 
> this, I
> cannot encourage that.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Bryan
>
> At 11:49 PM 3/31/03 GMT, thansen@moscow.com wrote:
>> Greetings Visionaires -
>>
>> It appears that things just got alot uglier judging by the article 
>> below.
>>
>> I seriously doubt that our troops would fire on women and children
> unprovoked.
>> It is my opinion that this van (loaded with women and children) was 
>> probably
>> being driven by an Iraqi Republic Guardsman (in civilian clothing), 
>> knowing
>> that if he ran a check point that he would be fired upon.  His 
>> superiors
> were
>> probably also aware that this would make great propaganda, enforcing 
>> their
>> image of the Coalition as a band of women/children killers, thus
> strengthening
>> their alliance with the Arab League.
>>
>> Just a thought.
>>
>> Anybody else have an opinion?
>>
>> Tom Hansen
>> Moscow, Idaho
>>
>> Forwarded Message:
>>> To: TEXTBREAKINGNEWS@CNNIMAIL12.CNN.COM
>>> From: BreakingNews@MAIL.CNN.COM
>>> Subject:      CNN Breaking News
>>> Date:         Mon, 31 Mar 2003 17:14:03 -0500
>>> -----
>>> -- U.S. soldiers fire into van carrying 13 women and children after 
>>> it
> fails
>> to stop at
>> checkpoint, Central Command says. Seven found dead, two wounded.
>>> Watch CNN or log on to http://CNN.com /AOL Keyword: CNN for the 
>>> latest
> news.
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