A British military helicopter crashed in the predominately Shia city of Basra today. Reports from the crash indicate Iraqi cheered the helicopter crash and threw stones at British troops who arrived at the scene.
The Iraqis involved were followers of Muqtada al-Sadr. It boggles the mind that al-Sadr and his militias weren't wiped out long ago. In recent weeks, members of al-Sadr's Mehdi Army have begun to mimick the tactics of other insurgent groups and have begun posting propaganda films on the internet. Up to this point, the Mehdi Army has simply claimed to be a militia fighting to protect Shia from Sunni abuses. Recently, a group claiming to be the Mehdi Army posted video of an attack against a Coalition tank. This is not a good sign.
All four of the British troops are reported dead. Tragic.
So much for the alleged success of the British whose 'hands off' occupation policy is so often seen as succesful in 'winning the hearts and minds' of the Iraqi people. Is it better to be feared or loved? Feared.
In related news, a U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopter has been downed in Afghanistan. Ten U.S. soldiers were killed. (hat tip: Traderrob). A bad day for our brave soldiers.
A British military helicopter crashed in Basra on Saturday, and Iraqis hurled stones at British troops and set fire to at least one armored vehicle that rushed to the scene. Clashes broke out between British troops and Shiite militias, police and witnesses said....
British forces backed by armored vehicles rushed to the area but were met by a hail of stones from the crowd of at least 250 people, who jumped for joy and raised their fists as a plume of thick smoke rose into the air from the crash site.
The crowd also set at least one British armored vehicle on fire, apparently with a rocket-propelled grenade, but the British soldiers inside escaped unhurt, witnesses said. British fired weapons into the air in an effort to disperse the crowd.
Shooting broke out between the British and armed militiamen, and at least two people, including a child, were killed, Khazim said.
Crowds chanted "we are all soldiers of al-Sayed," a reference to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, an ardent foe of the presence of foreign troops in Iraq.
this will drive the Brits out of Iraq sooner.
1
As I reminded my British family, who also talk about the success of the British forces in Basra and mark it as a success of how the British forces handle the local population, vs 'Cowboy' American tactics of storming their houses, and dragging the occupants out at gunpoint.
Basra
isn't the Sunni Triangle.
The Mardi army needs to be dismantled in Iraq, and I don't believe that the U.S isn't going to revisit their conflict with them; The Mardi Army is the main source of Iranian influence via their puppet 'mookie'
Posted by: davec at May 06, 2006 12:13 PM (CcXvt)
2
"Is it better to be feared or loved" Always better to be loved. Maybe your question was meant to be "Is it better to be hated or feared?"
Posted by: john Ryan at May 06, 2006 12:17 PM (TcoRJ)
3
No, I meant loved or feared. It's a classic question about power.
Posted by: Rusty at May 06, 2006 12:22 PM (JQjhA)
4
Just wait till the bombs start falling on Iran... The Brits will be in deep poopoo in Southern Iraq.
Posted by: Ariya at May 06, 2006 12:38 PM (yHb0A)
5
I have great respect for those soldiers for not firing their machinepistols until they run out of ammo!
It's a never ending story with these Monkeys... Yes, Monkeys!!!
Posted by: Dan at May 06, 2006 12:52 PM (Z2OsI)
6
But guys, democracy is democracy, and the human soul yearns to be free. Didn't Bush tell you that?
Posted by: MiB at May 06, 2006 01:01 PM (5kwsD)
7
I don't think being feared or loved is in the cards for us. We can't do the things that would make us feared without losing the support necessary to continue the occupation. And as Machiavelli pointed out, their loving us depends on them. There's nothing we can do to make that happen.
I'd love to hear of an exception if any of you can think of one, but I think as a rule occupied peoples tend to adore conquering soldiers and despise the MPs/gendarmes that follow in their wake. Even the Nazis were welcomed by Russian civilians--until the SS showed up to police them. Then they had a big partisan problem on their hands and frankly, if the SS couldn't inspire enough fear to cow their subjects into submission, we can't do it either.
The bottom line is you can't police armed and hostile people without catching a bullet now and then, and we need to accept that. So far this year 20 officers have been murdered trying to police the U.S. We don't like it, but it's the price we've got to pay. It's stupid to assume as many seem to that we shouldn't have to pay it in Iraq.
Posted by: ShannonKW at May 06, 2006 01:40 PM (dT1MB)
8
MiB,
Perhaps your right, thousands of your fellow jumping beans flock to the United States, and complain about the lack of Democracy being extended to them too -- Thanks for reminding us.
Posted by: davec at May 06, 2006 01:47 PM (CcXvt)
9
Firing into the air? Thaq's too high, you mow the sons of bitches down and that will put a stop to that shit.
Posted by: Howie at May 06, 2006 02:18 PM (D3+20)
10
This is a lesson to the brits and to us as well. Arabs are little more than subhuman filth and are incapable of functioning in any democratic society.
The quicker the coalition realizes this and liquidates the arab populations the quicker we will have peace and no terrorism.
Posted by: Unashamed Patriot at May 06, 2006 02:49 PM (y+196)
11
If you watch the video you will see that this "demonstration" is actaully only a handful of folks in the center of a crowd of gawkers. They appear to be led by the dude in a white robe whose carrying around the debris.
It would be very easy for mookie's cronies to drum up 50-100 folks to show up in the crowd and start chanting (Palestinian terrorists are masterful at this). It doesn't necessarily mean the guy on the street is praising allah for the copter being downed and it really doesn't mean that mookie is the most popular guy in town.
Posted by: TexAg03 at May 06, 2006 03:03 PM (I0vqQ)
12
Yes MiB, the human soul yearns to be free, but arabs aren't human, they're somewhere between rats and dung beetles on the evolutionary scale.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at May 06, 2006 03:36 PM (0yYS2)
Posted by: Unashamed Patriot at May 06, 2006 03:54 PM (y+196)
14
I am still somewhat optimistic about Ieaq. But at 58 years I am not sure if I will live long enough to see that happen.
Posted by: john Ryan at May 06, 2006 10:00 PM (TcoRJ)
15
Hmmm ... seems reminiscient of Black Hawk down, Somalia. How many times does it take to learn everytime we try to help around the globe we get slapped in the face and our corpses dragged through the streets? If these people could handle democracy, then democracy they would already have.
Posted by: Last gasp Larry at May 06, 2006 10:52 PM (FCC6c)
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Arabs are either at your feet or at your neck; they cannot behave as civilized people.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at May 07, 2006 06:09 AM (0yYS2)
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I don't know why anyone is concerned. The insurgency is in its last throes. No news here, move along, sheep.
Posted by: jd at May 07, 2006 01:50 PM (aqTJB)
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" Insurgency in its last throes " ? Is that why there were another 4 bombs today and another 30 dead?
Posted by: Last gasp Larry at May 07, 2006 02:49 PM (FCC6c)
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Insurgencies typically last anywhere from ten to twenty years, but this isn't a true insurgency; it is a war of conquest, only this time it's on the enemy's turf. Islam's war against civilization has lasted about 1400 years so far, and shows no signs of letting up, so we must keep taking the fight to them, although the gutless liberals would rather bend over for the muslims than fight them.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at May 07, 2006 04:36 PM (0yYS2)
20
Larry--you have GOT to stop reading the liberal MSM. They are in a conspiracy to make you think that Iraq is going badly. They refuse to report all the GOOD NEWS that is going on. They are doing this because they HATE America, and they love Islam. All of them, even the Jewish liberals. Iraq is actually going fabulous because the insurgency has been defeated! (obviously, if it was in its last throes when Cheney said, it's over by now.) Wake up and smell the victory.
Posted by: jd at May 08, 2006 03:57 PM (aqTJB)
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What the hell good news are you talking about jd? That another muslim has been saved or kept alive so they can keep festering, reproducing suicide bombers? Or that another $billion has gone to prop up some medical facility that will probably get blown to rubble? Get a hint from IM!
Posted by: Last gasp Larry at May 09, 2006 02:38 PM (H9rjL)
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A British military helicopter crashed in the predominately Shia city of Basra today. Reports from the crash indicate Iraqi cheered the helicopter crash and threw stones at British troops who arrived at the scene. 
