How the US Army deals with looters (video)

[dep_baumy]

Heres a clip of the Army dealing with looters.

http://www.kn34.net/videos/DontLoot.wmv

[jdfairman]

Yeah... Thats definitely the way to win hearts and minds. Very professional.

[Kalbo]

Sames ****birds will come back bragging about how they busted some caps with their homeys back in iraq.

[Lake0300]

2ndLt Fairman & Cpl. Kalbo,
This video bothered me quite a bit. My initial reaction was quite similar to yours. However, I had time - and I did some research.
If you pay attention to the first few seconds of the video, it was stripped from a 1.5 hour broadcast that was on PBS. You can watch the full program here. In my humble opinion, they were somewhat justified in what they did. Before you get upset, allow me to explain.
First I'd like to say that this video was shot within the first 3 weeks of us arriving into Baghdad - its nothing thats happened recently. If you remember, there was quite a bit of looting in Baghdad. We've taken over a country that has been under dictatorship.. when we first took control of Baghdad and gave these people "freedom" that freedom included the right to do good.. or bad. For the most part, the citizens chose bad.. it became somewhat of a chaotic scene. The soldiers were originally ordered to stand back and allow it to go on. On the 3rd day of looting, Paul Bremer was sent in to beef up security and stability in Iraq. One of the first orders he gave was to SHOOT ALL LOOTERS. You may notice in the video, nobody is shot.
The soldiers, TECHNICALLY disobeyed orders. They caught someone looting, and instead of shooting them, punished them by destroying the car they used to transport their stolen goods.
Yes, it sounds very harsh to you or I, whos used to seeing criminals face legal charges, get put behind bars, and await a trial. But again, this is just weeks after the fall of Baghdad - the only jail cells were for captured prisoners of war, and we had no way of prosecuting someone in the court of law.
So I hope I informed you a bit. Sometimes everything isnt always what it seems. Whoever stripped that video, probably also demonstrated in an anti-war protest - holding a sign that says "Yea whatever he said" with an arrow pointing to the tard next to him. (that was joke)

I'm sure I'll have my ass handed to me for this one - but oh well.

-Lake

[yellowwing]

I remember one story that during the early lawless looting a group went into a bank and started 'unsupervised withdrawals'.

A British patrol was just up the block when the looters came out with several bags of cash. The patrol had no orders or official policy, so they they had no choice but to just to watch.

But then looters saw the the Brits, panicked and started shooting at them. Big mistake! Brits 4 Looters 0! The numbskulls could have just walked away scott free.

Borrowing from TracGunny - "Life is hard, its even harder when you're stupid"

[CAS3]

Eric,
Great job..investigative reporting.
I am proud of you,
Grandma

[Kalbo]

Lake0300,

I went to your link, could you tell me which video it is? Thanks

[Kalbo]

Lake0300, I looked at 5 & 7 and as Collen says "Great job..investigative reporting. " and I really like your source, PBS.org I think they really do present the facts (without all the mainstream news crap).

Unlike you, I reacted more emotionally (but that is what us armchair quaterbacks do) without really thinking who, what and why this was made. Thank you for enlightening me.

I also wasn't there.

Thanks again, drive on, and best wishes, good luck in boot.

Sincerely,

Bill "Kalbo" Long

[Lake0300]

Its no problem. I'm soon to go in the service, 98 days from today I ship for boot camp. I know that preparing for combat is not limited to rifle scores, and field exercises. It includes understanding of an areas history, geography, economy, culture, etc. Watching those videos gave me just that much more understanding of what the situation has been like - how the people view Americans, etc. So you dont need to thank me, it was my pleasure. -Lake