Body Count for this Week's Episode of "Over There"

[waltappel 1]

3 Muslims blown away by bullets.
2 Muslims blown away by air strike.
3 Muslims blown away by "smart bomb".

Also, some nice interrogation of a Muslim.

A little slow this week.

edited to add:
No Americans blown away, but a hospitalized soldier was going through intense pain and morphine withdrawal.

Hopefully, Allah will be much busier on next week's episode.

Walt

[AlexCrowley 0]

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3 Muslims blown away by bullets.
2 Muslims blown away by air strike.
3 Muslims blown away by "smart bomb".

Also, some nice interrogation of a Muslim.

A little slow this week.

Walt

s***-stirrer!

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[waltappel 1]

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s***-stirrer!

Sometimes I just can't resist!

Walt

[shropshire 0]

What he said

Also,how do you 'know' that they were Muslims? Aren't the people over there allowed to be any other religeon or heaven forbid even none?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[waltappel 1]

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What he said

Also,how do you 'know' that they were Muslims? Aren't the people over there allowed to be any other religeon or heaven forbid even none?

Actually, freedom of religion is not a high priority over there. Turkey is a secular state, but they aren't really an Arab country. The other countries over there, including Israel, don't seem to encourage variety when it comes to religious beliefs.

Walt

[wmw999 2,584]

Depends on your definition of freedom of religion. There are a whole lot of secular Jews in Israel (i.e. who don't practice much in the way of religion). There are several sects of Muslim in Iraq. It's kind of like how some people think the US should be -- everyone being religious in their own way, as long as it's not TOO different from others.

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)

[shropshire 0]

Hi,

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Actually, freedom of religion is not a high priority over there. Turkey is a secular state, but they aren't really an Arab country. The other countries over there, including Israel, don't seem to encourage variety when it comes to religious beliefs.

Irrelevant. Your intial posts stated that they were all Muslims - howdya know?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[juanesky 0]

Wendy, I believe he is referring to the fact that the vast majority is muslim of some sort. I very much doubt that there are synagogues down there....

"According to some of the conservatives here, it sounds like it's fine to beat your wide - as long as she had it coming." -Billvon

[wmw999 2,584]

His comment included Israel. I'm saying that we tend to classify "Jewish" and "Muslim" as being one faith. Just ask a Southern Baptist and a Jehovah's Witness if they're both Christian.

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)

[Erroll 80]

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Aren't the people over there allowed to be any other religeon or heaven forbid even none?

I see an oxymoron in there somewhere but can't figure it out!

[tcnelson 1]

you're still watching?

has alec baldwin or michael moore cameoed yet?

"Don't talk to me like that assface...I don't work for you yet." - Fletch
NBFT, Deseoso Rodriguez RB#1329

[SpeedRacer 1]

How do you know they are Muslims? They've got Christian Arabs over there too.

Speed Racer
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[waltappel 1]

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Hi,

Quote

Actually, freedom of religion is not a high priority over there. Turkey is a secular state, but they aren't really an Arab country. The other countries over there, including Israel, don't seem to encourage variety when it comes to religious beliefs.

Irrelevant. Your intial posts stated that they were all Muslims - howdya know?

Easy. They were murderous shitheads.

Walt

[waltappel 1]

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you're still watching?

has alec baldwin or michael moore cameoed yet?

I happened to catch it while channel surfing and wanted to see the body count.

If Alec Baldwin or Michael Moore cameo, I hope they are considered bad guys (just like real life!).

Walt

[waltappel 1]

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How do you know they are Muslims? They've got Christian Arabs over there too.

clicky

Walt

[shropshire 0]

You're a very naughty boy...... go stand in the corner and miss you dinner

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[JohnRich 4]

I thought the situation was handled very well, considering the slants they could have taken, to create controversy.

What ever happened to the terrorist's sister? Did they let her go as promised? The last we saw of her she was in the back of a car with her terrorist brother, both with bags over their heads.

The smart bomb didn't surprise me. At least the guard on the farm knew the missiles were there. And it's hard to believe the elderly farm couple didn't know it also. Still, such decisions are often made in war. If they had delayed the strike for insertion of a team to recover them, it might have given the terrorists time to smuggle them away. The smart bomb was the quick way to make sure the missiles were destroyed, even though at the expense of two "innocent" farmers. And the farmer's wouldn't have been in jeopardy if they had not been put there by the terrorists using their barn - so it's really the fault of the terrorists. The death of that farm couple was unfortunate, but preferable to a dozen U.S. aircraft being shot down with corresponding loss of life.

[waltappel 1]

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You're a very naughty boy...... go stand in the corner and miss you dinner

I give up. It seems you guys have outsmarted me. And yes, I know that doesn't take very much.

I was quite pleased with myself for making the "murderous shitheads" remark, and here's why.

I made the comment as bait, a minor-league troll, just KNOWING someone would come back and say something like, "Walt, you are a slimy racist. Do you think ALL Muslims are murderous shitheads?".

I was going to SMUGLY reply: "Consider. We are at war. No matter whether we were at war with Asians, Europeans, Africans, Arabs, Muslims, Jews, or penguins and elk, for that matter, how do you thing the creative media will portray the enemy?".

"Why, murderous shitheads of course", I would proudly proclaim. "It was done with the Germans, Japanese, and Viet Cong, so why would Muslim extremists be any different?"

"How dare you accuse me of being racist or even a troll. I am a highly-intellectual observer of the human condition, and I take offense at being labeled in such vile terms."

Then I would smugly close by saying, "Of course, since I did NOT say how I actually feel about Muslims, I will let you wonder, you shallow person."

It was a brilliant plan and it still failed. I am somewhat crushed.

Walt

[waltappel 1]

I think that is a good analysis of it.

I really enjoyed the portrayal of a clever, well-thought-out interrogation. It's one thing to read about these techniques. Even reading about them, I find it difficult to assemble all the elements into a good mental picture of what the interrogations are all about. I liked the way they did it.

As far as the smart-bomb thing goes. That was a really nice dramatic element. The Colonel doing the interrogation swore "on all [he] believe[d] in" that he would see to it that nobody was killed when the missiles were retrieved. He promised this to the captured terrorist. The use of the smart bomb showed the moral ambiguity of war in a really interesting way.

I thought not showing what happened to the terrorist and his sister was really good too. I think it was meant to illustrate that in that situation, after the required information is extracted, it really doesn't matter what happens to the source of the information. They no longer have value to the task at hand.

It was a nice piece of writing. Is that the way things really go over there? I don't know. But I do know that I was able to put my thoughts on auto-pilot while watching that episode and get a bit immersed into it because, with my limited knowledge of the real situation, it seemed plausible.

It wasn't GREAT television, but I think overall it was pretty good.

Walt

[JohnRich 4]

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It wasn't GREAT television, but I think overall it was pretty good.

Agreed. They're doing a good job of presenting some of the issues of the war, without taking sides.

Last week, for example, with the episode of the fire team manning the remote roadblock. At first you feel bad for the car that got all shot up for accelerating toward them in the dark without headlights. Then later you find out it had explosives in it. And that it was just an attempt to divert attention from a second innocent-looking car, which was actually trying to smuggle a wanted terrorist to safety in the trunk.

It makes you think about the moral dilemmas our soldiers face "over there".

Good show.

[mikkey 0]

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I don't know. But I do know that I was able to put my thoughts on auto-pilot while watching that episode and get a bit immersed into it because, with my limited knowledge of the real situation, it seemed plausible.

From your posts it is very clear that you a) have very limited knowledge and b) are using a mental autopilot run by your prejudices.

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When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray.

[waltappel 1]

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From your posts it is very clear that you a) have very limited knowledge and b) are using a mental autopilot run by your prejudices.

That is absolutely true. It is true for most people. But unlike most people, I freely admit it to myself *and* others. I reserve the right to learn and change the error of my ways. I also reserve the right to apply past lessons learned to my current perceptions.

edited to add:

Looks like I should have waited just a little while longer before posting this: clicky

Walt

[AlexCrowley 0]

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.......................

It was a brilliant plan and it still failed. I am somewhat crushed.

Walt

not subtle and not enough confusion, with that you can get away with anything

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[Ragnarok 0]

MOst all terrorists are Muslims. This is a FACT

They are mostly male, are of Arab descent, are uneducated, poor - really poor, and would be willing to shoot an RPG at an American for a measley 100.00.

People, Iraq is an UGLY place. People die there every day, horrible, painful deaths. WOmen and children are targeted by terrorists - I took care of burned 18 month old babies because they had the misfortune to be in the next car over from a car-bomb.

One little girl, was forced to stand in front of the door when Troops were raiding the house by here father. See, daddy was a IED planting bad guy - and he was found out with the help of one of his angey neighbors. Well, half her face was blown off, her mother was killed - the troops had NO IDEA they were behind the door, mind you.

We put her back together and brought her to America for facial reconstruction - your tax dollars at work. I used to see her EVERY day - becasue I was the FIRST nurse she saw when she woke up. It broke my heart seeing her every day. You see, she was missing all her teeth on the right side of her face and her cheek was gone as well. Her jaw was held together by a metal brace that was bolted to the side of her head. We put towels on her shoulder because she was unable to swallow her saliva. It took me so long to get her to smile - she hid in her aunts clothes when people came to see her. I will never forget 'Lissa, she was such a cute kid.

Her father was killed later, from what I was told, the IED he was trying to set up detonated on him. At least that is what I was told....

_________________________________________
Twin Otter N203-Echo,29 July 2006
Cessna P206 N2537X, 19 April 2008
Blue Skies Forever

[waltappel 1]

Very good post--thanks!

I do have one criticism of your sig line, though.

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If attaching a car battery to a Terrorist's nuts will save the life of an American Soldier, I have two things to say:
1) Red is positive
2) Black is negative

Unless the terrorist's nuts are semi-conductors, the polarity really doesn't matter. The effect will be the same. (yes, I know that is splitting hairs, but that's what we do in Speakers Corner)

Walt