Iraqis Forgive Americans

[Radagast]

The people of Iraq will forgive US-led occupying forces for the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, according to a senior coalition spokesman.
Brig Gen Mark Kimmitt told the BBC's Talking Point programme that the photos of abuse by US soldiers at the Baghdad jail were not representative.

He described the scandal as a "failure of leadership" involving a maximum of 20 soldiers.

It was being fully investigated by the US military, Gen Kimmitt added.

The abuses committed at Abu Ghraib, the feared Saddam Hussein-era prison now run by coalition forces, outraged the world after a stream of photos apparently taken by guards emerged.

In the vast majority of cases, coalition soldiers have treated the people of Iraq with respect - we are attempting to build a partnership with the people of Iraq

Brig Gen Mark Kimmitt


Watch Brig Gen Kimmitt on BBC Talking Point

One soldier has been convicted and six others are facing military charges over their alleged abuse of detainees at the jail.

"It's because the scale of this was so small that the people of Iraq will forgive us," said Gen Kimmitt, the deputy director of coalition operations in Iraq .

"Most of the people in Iraq recognise that was an isolated incident and our investigations continue to demonstrate that it is fairly isolated and not representative of the 135,000 soldiers who are doing the right thing under tough circumstances every day."

'No wedding'

Gen Kimmitt said coalition troops had great respect for life, in contrast with the "terrorists" who placed car bombs in crowds and near schools.

And he insisted that there was no evidence that US forces had attacked a wedding party during an operation near the Syrian border that left dozens dead.

"Ground forces didn't find any indication that there had been a wedding there in the previous hours," he said.

He added that there was a significant amount of property inside the location that indicated it was a safe house for foreign fighters opposed to the US-led occupation of Iraq, including weapons, satellite communication equipment and a "miniature hospital".

He said the casualties found at the site were mainly military aged men, although six women had also died in the American attack. No children were killed, he insisted.

Gen Kimmitt added that following the release of a video apparently showing the bodies of musicians who had earlier been entertaining a group pf people at the site, an "open and honest" investigation had been launched by the US military.

"There may have been a celebration going on... (but) to suggest that somehow we had a wedding party going on there is not borne out by the facts on the ground."

[Andúril]

Originally posted by Radagast
The people of Iraq will forgive US-led occupying forces for the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, according to a senior coalition spokesman.

Yeah right.

[Radagast]

Where is everyone? This forum is as empty as a hermit's address book.

[Lizra]

Talk is cheap.

[hectorberlioz]

*is groggy and tired, sees threa, decides he doesnt care about anything political at all. Shoots thread in head*
Not sure if we need this one, we already have so many political argument threads already...

[Twista]

You always see the glass as half empty dont you hect?

[hectorberlioz]

Originally posted by Twista
You always see the glass as half empty dont you hect?

maybe

[Fenir_LacDanan]

Originally posted by hectorberlioz
*is groggy and tired, sees threa, decides he doesnt care about anything political at all. Shoots thread in head*
Not sure if we need this one, we already have so many political argument threads already...

Not too sure thats for you to say, great leader...

General threads are for anything general, and of interest.


And as for the Iraqis forgiving America, oh yeah, thats likely. Thats why those forgiving Iraqis keep showing their forgiveness by firing RPG's at US troop convoys. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing...

[hectorberlioz]

If this thread is only going to continue what is bieng said and fought about in the other iraqi thread, I'm going to have this one closed.
There's nothing wrong with telling everyone in the other thread about the iraqis forgiving us...

[jerseydevil]

Hector - as president you have absolutely ZERO power when it comes to closing threads - you must go before Congress aka the admins and they must decide whether to close the thread.

[Fenir_LacDanan]

Well then, powerful one, in your infinite control and wisdom over the moot, you should already know that the "other one" is actually closed, so thus we cannot post in it. Your omnipresence could stun a team of draught horses in their tracks.

[hectorberlioz]

The closing of the other thread had not reached my sharp ears...

[Fenir_LacDanan]

for once, we actually agree.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally posted by Fenir_LacDanan
for once, we actually agree.

Oh, a victory over a worthless President *pats Fenir on back*

Originally posted by jerseydevil
Hector - as president you have absolutely ZERO power when it comes to closing threads - you must go before Congress aka the admins and they must decide whether to close the thread.

where are the smilies?

[BeardofPants]

Okay everybody, let's all point and laugh at Hector.

*points and laughs*

[Fenir_LacDanan]

well perhaps you should have read the brochure when you ran for the office...

I'd want my money back.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally posted by BeardofPants
Okay everybody, let's all point and laugh at Hector.

*points and laughs*

thanks

[azalea]

In any case, the thread does need to stay on topic, or it WILL be closed.

Topic at hand: your thoughts on the above quotes from the coalition spokesman.

[Sminty_Smeagol]

I don't like presidents.

I really don't get all this politics iraqi abuse stuff... I mean I read it over and over and I'm like okay that's nice... I don't understand how people can get so worked up over it.

[Fenir_LacDanan]

Originally posted by azalea
In any case, the thread does need to stay on topic, or it WILL be closed.

Topic at hand: your thoughts on the above quotes from the coalition spokesman.

Well then, back to the topic. Theres no way that Iraq will forgive the US for the torture. They hate america already, and the abuses of helpless Iraqi prisoners wont really be seen as an olive branch, no matter what some General is saying. He cant order them to forgive.

I wonder if several Americans where held and tortured, brutalized and raped, would America be quick to forgive the perpretrators then? Its just plain stupidity to even say it.