Guest #1 April 3, 2003 The Moslem equivalent of a Bishop in Najaf issued a "fatwa", or religious edict, directing Iraqi citizens to stay out of the way of coalition forces. This is an important development, because it's communicating to the Shia moslems directly from their religious leadership. Anybody wanna take bets on how soon Saddam is found hanging from a lampost, ala Mussolini? "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diverdriver 7 #2 April 3, 2003 Quote The Moslem equivalent of a Bishop in Najaf issued a "fatwa", or religious edict, directing Iraqi citizens to stay out of the way of coalition forces. This is an important development, because it's communicating to the Shia moslems directly from their religious leadership. Anybody wanna take bets on how soon Saddam is found hanging from a lampost, ala Mussolini? But when they tried to enter the compound the citizens formed a wall. They had not gotten the message. The troops did a good thing and lowered their guns and took a knee. They withdrew to get things settled. This is a good show of regard for the locals. It will get sorted out I hope and all will understand. Good command on the field to do what they did. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #3 April 3, 2003 Quote Quote The Moslem equivalent of a Bishop in Najaf issued a "fatwa", or religious edict, directing Iraqi citizens to stay out of the way of coalition forces. This is an important development, because it's communicating to the Shia moslems directly from their religious leadership. Anybody wanna take bets on how soon Saddam is found hanging from a lampost, ala Mussolini? But when they tried to enter the compound the citizens formed a wall. They had not gotten the message. The troops did a good thing and lowered their guns and took a knee. They withdrew to get things settled. This is a good show of regard for the locals. It will get sorted out I hope and all will understand. Good command on the field to do what they did. I've seen several amazing demonstrations of respect on the part of our troops since this madness began. The traditional Arabic peace-greeting of the open hand on the chest was a gesture I've seen several US folks make. Looks like we're finally learning not to be so frickin' haughty and arrogant, and it's winning us some believers over there. I have no doubt that the British are helping us out on this big time. Outstanding!"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bmcd308 0 #4 April 3, 2003 >>The troops did a good thing and lowered their guns and took a knee. They withdrew to get things settled. This is a good show of regard for the locals. It will get sorted out I hope and all will understand. Good command on the field to do what they did. << I agree completely, and I hope this continues. It is amazing how much respect you can win from others if you show a small amount of respect for them. I read the other day that the two suicide bombers who surrendered did so because as they were scouting their target, they heard US troops speaking in Arabic to the locals. They were so taken aback that some US soldiers were "their kind" that they decided to surrender. BMcD... ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,121 #5 April 3, 2003 >This is a good show of regard for the locals. It will get sorted out I > hope and all will understand. Good command on the field to do what > they did. Good for them. Showing that sort of respect can go a long way towards making us seem less like the evil empire - and might even go a long way towards helping prevent wars like this in the future. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhino 0 #6 April 3, 2003 Many of the religous leaders will be making like statements within hours... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,593 #7 April 3, 2003 Quote>>The troops did a good thing and lowered their guns and took a knee. They withdrew to get things settled. This is a good show of regard for the locals. It will get sorted out I hope and all will understand. Good command on the field to do what they did. << I agree completely, and I hope this continues. It is amazing how much respect you can win from others if you show a small amount of respect for them I'm not real big on me-too posts, but me too. And it's amazing, too, how far that respect can go in getting the benefit of the doubt when one (inevitably) does something wrong. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jfields 0 #8 April 3, 2003 Quote Many of the religous leaders will be making like statements within hours... Your psychic powers must be in top form today. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 643 #9 April 3, 2003 Showing respect is a way of winning the peace. Showing respect involves learning little things like a few phrases of the local language, a few local customs and a few hand gestures. None of them are difficult to learn, but you have to step out of an "ugly American" mind set to learn them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jceman 1 #10 April 4, 2003 Quote>This is a good show of regard for the locals. It will get sorted out I > hope and all will understand. Good command on the field to do what > they did. Good for them. Showing that sort of respect can go a long way towards making us seem less like the evil empire - and might even go a long way towards helping prevent wars like this in the future. Absolutely have to agree withyou here bill. I saw the video of this encounter just a few minutes ago. The Iraqis in the rear were mad and confrontational, but between the actions of our troops as well as the clerics, it seemd their anger subsided and smiles broke out as they saw what was going on. The talking heads on CNN were praising the troop commander for his instructions and I have to join them. This is indeed the sort of thing that can go a long way to building needed bridges. Faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money. Why do they call it "Tourist Season" if we can't shoot them? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kiltboy 0 #11 April 4, 2003 Excellent call by the commander at the scene. David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallRate 0 #12 April 4, 2003 Which network is playing the video??? FallRate Quote The talking heads on CNN were praising the troop commander for his instructions Oops...nevermind. FallRate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indyz 1 #13 April 4, 2003 QuoteWhich network is playing the video??? I've seen it on Fox and NBC. I would assume that most of the other major networks would have it as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miked10270 0 #14 April 4, 2003 Hi there, I don't want to "rain on the parade, but a fatwa from a shi'a imam - so what! Iraq isn't a homogenous nation. The Shia Moslems are concentrated in the south, that's what have come to be known as the "Marsh Arabs" and are a persecuted segment of Iraqi society. Ethnically they have more in common with the Iranians to their east than the Sunni Moslems to the north. The Ba'athists are nominally Sunni in so far as they are in any way religious. Shi'a Moslems are already "standing aside", look at Iran. How long they stand aside remains to be seen. As I've said a few times before, The enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #15 April 4, 2003 Hey Mike, Tariq Assiz is reportedly a 'christian' I wonder what awaits the coalition if he sets his elite Mormons on the troops. I also hear he has been keeping a battallion of "Wee Frees" in reserve just in case anybody tries to fight on a sunday. And I pray he doesn't use his banned Jehova's Witnesses on the liberators......-------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miked10270 0 #16 April 4, 2003 Hello NacMac, ...And there I was being all serious like there. Yep, good ole Tariq is a christian, it's some small sect off eastern orthodoxy isn't it? I can't remember exactly what. I think it's an example of just how much the Ba'ath party is devout moslems (not at all - I remember the Iraqis over here in the 80's, looking back, they would all have been good Ba'athists and the only time I ever saw them drinking orange juice was when they wanted something different to flavour their whisky). Of course, since Kuwait, the Iraqi government has felt the need to stir up xenophobia against the Great Satan (to borrow a phrase of their -&our- previous enemy's), so they're now all devout servants of Allah if it'll get them a few extra friends. I liked an earlier suggestion to send in a battalion of pmt women to capture Baghdad, and I heard Donald Rumsfeld liked it as well. So much so that even now cruise missile warheads are being loaded with chocolate ice cream to act as target markers for the PMT Battalions of the US Marines. As for the batalion of Wee-Frees, I heard that they'd been disbanded 'cos, while they wanted to stop anybody fighting on Sunday, they wouldn't actually do anything to stop it 'cos it was a Sunday. Mike. Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable. Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #17 April 4, 2003 Good for them. Showing that sort of respect can go a long way towards making us seem less like the evil empire - and might even go a long way towards helping prevent wars like this in the future. How bout our guys get T-shirts that say don't hate just because I'm an infidel. Glen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
