They blowed up real good!
Posted on 04/08/2008 12:36:49 PM PDT by mdittmar
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080408-09
April 8, 2008
UAV destroys rocket rails, mortar and 10 criminals (Baghdad)
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – A U.S. Air Force Predator observed four rocket rails in an open field in northeastern Baghdad at approximately noon April 8.
The unmanned aerial vehicle fired one Hellfire missile destroying all rocket rails after the UAV controllers determined there were no civilians in the area.
In a second engagement a Predator observed a group of armed criminals with rocket-propelled grenades and a mortar tube in northeast Baghdad at approximately 1:45 p.m.
The unmanned aerial vehicle engaged these criminals firing one Hellfire missile killing 10 criminals and wounding two.
“We are conducting precision air strikes against criminals firing mortars and rockets,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a Multi-National Division – Baghdad spokesman.
“We are only targeting criminals who continue to ignore al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr’s ceasefire pledge as they engage in a violent act or are about to conduct a violent act against the Iraqi people, their security forces and Coalition forces.”
-30-
They went to the Jihad, only to get their heads blown off.
I sure hope that video of the Hellfire strike on the mortar tube turns up on Youtube or Liveleak at some point. Nothing like watching some good old American technology at work.
}:-)4
I want a RC plane with one of those...
Anyone else notice the new “criminal” terminology.
“...killing 10 criminals and wounding two.”
Anybody else notice that the term these days is “criminals” vs. terrorists or enemy combatants? Doesn’t that kind of reinforce the lefty contention that this is a criminal justice matter rather than a war?
Militant
They won’t have the guts to do that again;)
Great minds, and all that.......
LOL
HeLLFiRe BumP!
For internal consumption in Iraq. Part of the end-game to pursuade the Shia population to side with the government as opposed to the Madhi militia.
Yeah, I did.
I think the MSM is now tacitly acknowledging that the “insurgency” has been a colossal failure - so now they’ll call them “criminals” to try to spin this as “an internal Iraqi problem” that “we shouldn’t be involved with, so let’s bring all the troops home now!”
Actually I think what it says is that your opponent is not legitimate. Not a combatant, IOW's. Kinda Dissing them.
My take on criminals is that it implies that the Iraqi goverment is now the legitimate sovereign and that these people opposing it are no longer insurgents but violators of Iraqi law. Rather than elevating them by calling them insurgents, they are in effect saying these people are nothing more than common criminals. Semantics, but words have meanings and are important in a war of ideals.
Yes, but I'm sure that's just to make these stories more palatable to the average Iraqi on the street. I have also noticed that we don't seem to be taking many prisoners these days.... which is the way it should have been from the beginning!
I am really sick & tired of officials buying into PC terminology! The correct term is "terrorists".
Calling these terrorists "criminals" is a leftist tactic. That's because the left knows that words have meanings; e.g. "criminal" have legal rights, "terrorists" do not. So when the forces of western civilization embrace their enemies' leftist terminology, they lose...just like we lost "illegal alien" to the PC "undocumented immigrant" and continue to struggle against an invasion of illegal aliens.
I am certainly glad these terrorist scum were killed. But if we continue to allow our enemies to warp our language into a weapon against us, we will never win the larger war in defense of western civilization.
COOK ‘EM DOWN!
I tend to agree with you. It’s like the term “homicide bomber” lasted for about two days and then you never heard it anymore.....
Militant
What was the last thing that went through the mortar crew’s mind?
Film at eleven?
As for the “criminal” term. That’s an Iraqi thang. Leave it alone.
I did and it bugs the hell out of me. They're terrorists, not criminals. But on the other hand, this is coming from the Multi-National Forces, not the MSM.
10-4, Sax.
Militant
Probably the ass of the guy next to them. Along with a few hundred pieces of shrapnel.
}:-)4
That’s a sweet R/C aircraft. The 4-channel model with ailerons seems to be well-liked at diydrones.com (serious R/C geek stuff there... even GPS/cellphone based autopilots and such).
At least they’re no calling them militiamen or Mahdi Army.
They blowed up real good!!!
We ignore this at our peril.
They blowed up real good!
I totally agree.
Liberals will do anything to get lawyers involved in the effort, Janet Reno style.
I don't think the mortar crew knew what hit them since it came from above, silent, and detonated on impact. However, I will attempt to answer your question.
Mortar crewman/terrorist - "...mmmmmmmm, after I bomb the yanky infidels, I will return to my favorite goat..."
Bingo!
Liberals have subverted our courts and are working hard on controlling law enforcement organizations. So far they have been locked out of perverting our Armed Forces.
But they continue trying to end-run military operations and readiness by attempting to insert "courts" into war. This has been blatant since the Korean "Police Action".
God Save the Republic!
Note the source. This is the military press outlet.
And they have a good reason for calling them "criminals", rather than "insurgents" or "terrorists". In effect, "criminals" marginalizes the bad guys and tends to legitimatize the government.
It's a studied selection of words that strongly suggests we've crossed a Rubicon in Iraq -- Mookie's Militia are reduced to "criminals".
Close to the real thing.
Insiders are saying that the situation on the ground has changed to the point that the main enemy is now for-hire criminal gangs. Idealogues are all dead or nearly so.
” “criminals” vs. terrorists or enemy combatants? Doesn’t that kind of reinforce the lefty contention that this is a criminal justice matter rather than a war? “
I don’t think so. I think it characterizes them as thugs motivated by self-interest or sociopathy, rather than a cohesive force fighting for a cause they feel is just. I suspect a fair amount of thought and consultation has gone into the terminology shift.
I’ve noticed that Maliki references the former “Insurgents” as “gangs” in recently. I s’pose we’re to start thinking about the former “Insurgents” as we think of “MS 13”, “Bloods/Crips” etc. Perhaps this is a trend the powers to be want we sheeples to follow.
Mind games again.
I have noted the source. And I emphatically disagree with its official characterization of terrorists as "criminals". That is why I reacted.
The use of "criminals" was either an inadvertent embracing of PC language or a calculated one. Either way, I maintain it strengthens our enemies while weakening us.
Simply; "criminals" are caught, tried, convicted, and punished while "terrorists" are killed. Officially characterizing terrorists as "criminals" gives them rights while severely weakening our Armed Forces by reducing them to a law enforcement organization.
Just because the source of this release is "official" doesn't mean it is correct. I maintain the source is making a serious mistake. And we, The People, should reject it.
The point is understood. But the source of the terrorists is not relevant to their characterization. What is relevant is their actions, and that is terrorism.
When engaged in terrorism, these scum are terrorists. As such they are illegal enemy combatants
Illegal enemy combatants have no rights under the Geneva Convention. Because they are illegally bearing arms against the United States, they have no recourse to the courts. Terrorists are only subject to military action and whatever considerations our Armed Forces chooses to provide.
If we allow these terrorists to be commonly characterized as "criminals", they will gain rights. And that is exactly what the enemy desires.
So do not fall into the enemy's semantic/legal trap. Terrorists are terrorists no matter what segment of society they come from.
One second it’s Hellfire ...
The next it’s brimstone ...
I’d pay big money to be able to control my own UAV from my home. Home cool would that be?
I noticed it in another thread yesterday.
It seems that now that the Iraqi government and police force are regaining control, and since all militia groups have been ordered to stand down by the government, that means those who won’t lay their weapons down...are criminals.
A year ago, I would've agreed with you. But, after the past year's progress, I understand the change in language.
Besides our enemies and us, recall that there is a third audience for these releases: The Iraqi Public. And it is their attitudes that are of the most vital importance at this time.
That raised my eyebrow as well. So we’re no longer in a counterinsurgency?
Can we get some Predators to deal with the idiots who insist on forcing high speed police chases?
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