[Kobuchi]

Originally Posted by superart

If there are messages being broadcast from mosques controlled by insurgents saying that any soldier who surrenders will be killed and tortured, then that is their official policy. Then that makes it common practice for the rebels to kill and torture soldiers that have surrendered. Thank you for validating my point.

I quoted a single psy-op retort, jeeze. Then you actually spell out a chain of non sequiturs for "validating" yourself, in a post. It's like you can't see what you're doing.

Ah well. Here, you'll like this: Mutilated body of blond woman found in Fallujah

But do keep it in perspective: Welcome to California *yawn*

Maybe we should pound L.A. with howitzers because of the anti-American fighters based there, who brutalise innocent civilians, and also kill and rape foreigners. I demand that the Governor of California hand over the anti-American fighters.

@Guderian. For the record, I'm Canadian. I've lived in Japan and my wife (so half my family) is Japanese. I don't pretend to represent any nation. I didn't mention Japanese sentiment regarding Iraq, as you state here:

Originally Posted by Guderian

...you were speaking for your ENTIRE country, instead of just for you. You of all people would be more aware of your local opinions, but I have a hard time imagining that all of Japan is as firmly against this war given your militarys current involvment.

This is what I said:

Originally Posted by Kobuchi

This is an expression of American culture, and sharply characterises it to outsiders (I can speak for the Japanese perception, at least), though it's not "common practice" at all. I'm talking about perceptions.

I was referring to gruesome acts and how they vary between cultures. The fact is, barbaric acts involving pistols and rape are not only perceived as characteristic of America by foreigners, but Americans seem to accept that barbarism. Then Americans decide beheading is shocking, intolerable. An Arab Muslim might believe that's no worse than what happens once every two minutes in your country. He might think beheading awful and regrettable, but not shocking.

Beheading doesn't shock the Japanese so much either, BTW. When a person in Japan goes nuts, beheading is one possible expression. It's rare, but it's culturally available.

Originally Posted by Guderian

you can't have an absolutist opinion that your view of events is the correct one

I hope not. But I think more crucial than finding good intelligence or a sampling of sources, as you smartly recommend, is understanding why one views in the first place. What's my motive? Of course we all have motives, and for world events IMO they're usually rooted deep. Practically, that means people often cultivate articulate beliefs for very personal reasons even they don't understand. Flame warriors for example. Subtracting the motive releases objectivity.

@Lothar5150. That pic made my day.

No I've never been in combat, and I have little knowledge of military priorities or practices. If you're caught speeding in a school zone, try telling the police they don't know jack about your urgent business, and that your special expertise allows you to put others at risk. Try explaining that to the pedestrian you ran down. See, you're not the only one who can speak about your section of the road, or what you're doing on it.

I'm sure a Marine ordered to jump in the pond takes his boots off at the bottom. They must obey orders for the system to work. I'm sure 99% of Marines would go straight into a suicide mission. That's bravery, and I respect that.

The Marines in Fallujah are prioritising what you may call force protection, in an urban operation where collateral damage is inevitable. Semantics. I would say they've been ordered to occupy a city by the most cowardly means the Pentagon thinks it can get away with, rather harming civilians than see troops suffer the same harm. The siege of Fallujah amounts to a war crime (several), besides incidental war crimes like detaining or firing on ambulances. "Just following orders", you should know, is not a defense recognised by your country or any international court. Pleading ignorance of the law is no defense either, though it plainly helps you along for the moment. Marines are sworn to obey lawful orders. US law recognises the Geneva Conventions - they aren't "foreign" laws.

You won't talk about "cowardice". Lingo then: tell me how "force protection" and "collateral damage" relate.

Originally Posted by Guderian

I don't know the official status of the Japanese soldiers in Iraq. Perhaps it would confirm why they don't venture out of their base except in escorted supply convoys. They could be stationed in Antarctica for all they do there. It seems they're only in Iraq to round out the "multinational forces" as it is on paper, no more.