Posted on 04/10/2006 3:15:12 AM PDT by Number57
Yes, this is video of a few of our guys under attack by KIDS WITH ROCKS. But watch it, and listen... it is both scary and funny. God bless the guy who taped this.
Not sure what the rules of engagement are, but I'd throw rocks back...
Pretty funny, Soldiers are a trip.
They were part of a convoy, I got that much. And irritated. lol
I don't know about Iraq, but here in Afghanistan, throwing rocks at passing cars seems to be a national past time for the local kids. In fact they often stop throwing rocks long enough to let us pass by and then go right back to throwing rocks at other cars.
I've never had a rock hummed at any of the convoys I've been in.
I'm curious as to what part of the country this was in.
That one soldier is hilarious. Perhaps they should carry those Super Soakers and hose the little brats down as they go by.
Shotguns loaded with rock salt. When the parents come to complain, arrest them.
Anyone remember chicken wire on bus windows?
Throw them candy - from a shotgun.
Seriously, though, I wonder what it's going to take to "unlearn" in these kids the notion that the Americans are bad. From other accounts I've read, the children understand what's going on and even help the Americans at risk to themselves.
Is this the Sunni triangle? If so, I don't have high hopes for the next generation of Iraqis in that area ever getting along with the rest of the world.
Today's rock throwers are tomorrows bombers. These youths are not being taught respect.
Until our leaders gain the moral courage to answer a rock with a bullet, we will never win victory in the war Islam has declared against us. Call it a "Broken Windows" strategy for the middle east...Worked for NYC !
I have a scar round my nose from one. I heard kids shouting turned to look and got one right in the kisser.
Can laugh about it now.
Bump for viewing at home, where I've got sound.
It has nothing to do with moral courage.
1) Rocks are not that damaging unless you get one in the face like I did and all it did was leave an attractive scar.
2)If we start shooting kids who throw rocks how will that help in trying to stabilize the country by winning the local populations hearts and mind.
3)You are going to ask soldiers many who are family men with children to shoot a kid throwing a stone. I would not do it, and many others would feel the same.
Terrorists are one thing kids are another.
Baton rounds or sand or bean bags pack enough of a wallop.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was in Anbar Province somewhere. That can be a rough region.
I've been in convoys around central Iraq and when we do see kids, they're usually just waving and cutting up. I've never seen one hum a rock at us or at any other vehicles.
Actually, tossing out candy & small toys to them wouldn't be a bad idea. Win them over before they learn to throw grenades.
The idea is that we respond, and teach them fear us. They need to learn that actions have consequences.
Let the wise and truly friendly respect us, let the foolish fear us, regardless of age. Some of those kids would use a sniper rifle instead if they had one.
We will never win the hearts and minds of any muslim country. All we can hope to do is kill those within it brave enough to fight us, leaving only those who respect or fear us.
Doing nothing to those who throw rock at our troops only emboldens the enemy and demoralizes our troops.
In Vietnam, I was told the South Koreans didn't take any sh*t from the kids, they would use their jungle knives and cut their heads off.
The Vietcong would tie bombs to children and make them run up to UN Shoulders, including Americans.
Great tagline.
Bump for later.
You see this is what I have a problem with.
The more repressive the methods the more they fight back.
On the Eastern Front and in Yugoslavia under German occupation, the Germans used more repressive measures on their anti partisan operations this led to more and more of the local population joining the partisans.
In Afghanistan during the Soviet Occupation, the Soviets used harsh repressive methods reprisals against whole villages, chemical attacks from the air, hostage taking and still they lost.
They could not even maintain order in Kabul during the height of the occupation.
And if we are not winning the hearts and minds of the people then would you say the Iraqi Army training is failing, the fact we are handing over more patrols to them, and the stories about local people forwarding intelligence to the coalition forces on terrorist bases and suspects or dealing with the terrorists them self's are these true stories or total fabrications.
In North Ireland we decided to teach the local catholic population a lesson.
I wont go into all the details because there is still a lot of controversy about it.
But you may of heard of Bloody Sunday.
Well it didn't work, it galvanized the catholic population against us, more of the local youth joined the IRA.
And finally how would you react to someone trying to make you fear them, would you cower in fear or try to strike back, as a serving/former USMC I know what your answer would be.
These mini terrorists are throwing rocks at the drivers, not just the trucks...The trucks are loaded with gasoline...
Shoot a few of the 'littles rascals' and it will stop...Where do you think they're learning this stuff...It's from the parents...
*ping*
Doing nothing tilts the balance too far in the other direction, IMO.
"Seriously, though, I wonder what it's going to take to "unlearn" in these kids the notion that the Americans are bad"
They'd have to stop watching CNNCBCABCNBC.
bttt
How about some midnight basketball for those kids?
Moral courage?? You think a stone equals a bullet? Jeez... next you'll be calling for floggings and hangings in the village square, just like the insurgents would gladly do. Do you even realize that the American and Coalition militarys have an honor code?
Probably the stupidest thing you've ever posted.
That would be really funny. I'm sure that water is too scarce in Iraq to play with.
You'd be surprised. Water isn't scarce in Iraq, unlike most of the Middle East. Not only are there two large rivers running through it, there are a lot of natural lakes and the water table is about four or five feet below the surface, even in the middle of the desert.
This is a WET country! The climate is very arid, though.
How much harm could a rock or a box cutter do anyway ?
Is that an incoming rock, or a hand grenade ? Are you really arguing that our young men have a duty to be pelted with rocks, or risk being unprepared for an incoming grenade, so we don't offend our enemies ?
I contend that it is the duty of those in charge to risk all political heat to reduce as much physical risk as possible for our troops.
If that means we shoot some rock (or is that a grenade ?) throwing kids with rubber bullets, so be it.
An adult throwing a rock is a combatant, and should be shot.
Our leaders should be more concerned about one of our boys getting hit with a rock (or is that a grenade ?) than what katie couric thinks. This is the only way they can come close to "sharing the risk". Our troops risk enough as it is.
The reason you don't shoot rock-throwing kids is because you don't want to give bomb-throwers a good recruiting tool. You're playing right into the trap they teach in Guerilla Warfare 101: if you can make the other guy (that's us) do bad things to kids and villages, you can recruit the survivors to your cause.
And then you'd see that there's a real difference between rocks and bombs.
see reply 22.
And what makes you think we are out there doing nothing.
What we are doing is going after the terrorists.
Training up the Iraqi security forces to take over and then we withdraw.
The kids throwing rocks at patrols is only a very small part of the conflict, its not very nice as I discovered when a kid got me in the face with a rock, but if we had started shooting rock throwing kids in North Ireland we would probably still be out there fighting the war.
Shooting kids (even with rubber bullets) is a bad idea. I suspect the U.S. military has dealt with this problem in other ways.
Paint ball guns would be good....
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