18 Kids Dead. US Soldiers Still Handing out Candy & Toys to Iraqi Kids?

[leftchick]

Making them targets? ....



Iraqi children show a small toy, one of those which they claim that U.S. troops were giving to children when a suicide car bomb attacker slammed into them in Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, July 13, 2005. A suicide car bomber sped to American soldiers as they distributed candy to children and detonated his vehicle Wednesday, killing up to 27 other people, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. One U.S. soldier and about a dozen children were among the dead. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050713/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

~snip~

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide car bomb exploded next to U.S. troops handing out candy and toys, killing 18 children and teenagers Wednesday. Parents heard the shattering explosion and raced out to the discover the worst — children's mangled, bloodied bodies strewn on the street.

Children's slippers lay piled near the blast crater not far from a crumbled child's bicycle as blood pooled in the street.

~snip~

"There were some American troops blocking the highway when a U.S. Humvee came near a gathering of children," said Karim Shukir, 42. The troops began handing out candy and smiley-face key chains.

~snip~

In September 2004, 35 Iraqi children were killed as bombs exploded while American troops handed out candy at a government-sponsored celebration to inaugurate a Baghdad sewage plant. It marked the largest death toll of children in an insurgent attack since the Iraq conflict began.

...It would be nice to think they will stop with this bullshit and quit attracting the children to the convoys. It should have stopped last year. :(

[spanone]

1. Gather around children.....who is the axis of evil??????

[seabeyond]

23. it is the asshole that drove into the crowd and set off bomb n/t

[KarenInMA]

2. Take off the tinfoil.

The soldiers are not drawing children to them to get them killed. It's a tragic and sad thing but you don't honestly think the soldiers want to see more dead kids do you? I think they've all seen enough.

[leftchick]

5. That is not what I said...

after the tragedy last year you would have to be a moron to not know the bombers would do it again. Why have they not changed this terrible "goodwill" tactic. It doesn't fucking work.

[atreides1]

6. It may not be intentional

But the results are still the same. If you have a target on your back you don't stand in a crowd of people, you stand away from them.

And the fact is that US military personnel are all walking targets, and that means where ever they go and whoever they associate with become targets by default.

[leftchick]

10. I would certainly hope it is not intentional

Though someone posted in the LBN thread about this some soldiers do it intentionally. I prefer to think this is a general assbackword order from on high that they have to do. That needs to change.

[Frederik]

21. They use children as human shields

I read that in an interview with a soldier who had served in Iraq. The Iraqis don't shoot when there are children around.

Apparently, these suicide bombers didn't care that they would kill children with the soldiers. Probably Saudi maniacs on ecstacy.

[seabeyond]

24. clarke said today these bombers are saudi. think bush might

address this? <sarcasm>

[Kraklen]

19. more like human shields.

It's like when that guy in The Prophecy held up the baby in front of the sniper. He wasn't trying to get the baby killed, he was just trying to protect himself.

:eyes:

[MisterP]

30. wasn't it "The Dead Zone" movie?

[Bouncy Ball]

20. Try this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1623807#1624187

[w8liftinglady]

33. most of the soldiers are kids themselves...

I don't think my 20 year-old son wants to see dead kids,or use them as shields.This is one of those sick,screwed -up things that happens when your "help" isn't wanted.

[Just Me]

37. It's one of those sick, screwed-up things that tear out my heart.

If it impacts ME that way, imagine how it impacts the poor Iraqi people and those young soldiers. I just can't even go there. It would make me crazy.

[ewagner]

3. Thanks for posting that link

I thought this was the SECOND TIME a car bomb went off while the soldiers were disbursing toys and candy.

First, let me express my anger and rage at the sick fucks who did this....

Second, dammit! We shouldn't be placing these kids at risk like this.

on eidt: There is no tinfoil here...there is no insinuation that the soldiers are drawing children to them....only noting that under the circumstances there, this is a risky practice.

[leftchick]

8. I thought my OP was pretty clear

I know who is responsible. The point is why put these children in a situation for potential tragedy again? It is insane!

[leftchick]

36. second time it has been reported

who knows how many times it has happened?

:(

[elehhhhna]

4. Baiting human shields.

[pocket]

11. exactly

the brass could stop this behavior if they wanted to

[manic expression]

7. That's horrible

First of all, handing out toys and candy is the most empty gesture ever, and it is so useless it boggles my mind. Candy and toys does absolutely nothing to fix the devastation that we've caused Iraqis and Iraqi children. Secondly, it does make the children targets (the soldiers aren't trying to make them targets but the children ARE put in danger by this). This happened because the soldiers were there...WE NEED TO GET OUT OF IRAQ.

Ultimately, its just horrible, terrible.

(edited: took out one comment)

[elehhhhna]

13. Aren't trying to make them targets? Think about that.

They ARE making them human shields. Period. The other side makes them targets, yes, but the children surround our troops because they're BAITED.

[leftchick]

14. Letting kids be the targets is the saddest thing ever...

This is the post in the LBN thread from a soldier's blog. He claims to attract these children for protection. It is sickening and even my jaded old self did not consider it would really happen.

:(

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1623807#1624187

[elehhhhna]

17. Hubs knows a vet who just returned--

poor guy was driving a truck & ran over a couple Iraqis while escaping from IED or gunfire--some guys on the ground grabbed kids nearby for shields...the vet is SERIOUSLY messed up now, emotionally.

How low must the degradation of our brothers and sisters go before we bring them home?

[manic expression]

28. Here's the thing

I've read some reports about soldiers *grabbing* kids under fire for protection (on this thread, actually). However, even if a soldier says: "I'll just stand by the kids and then they won't try to kill me", s/he isn't trying to make the kid a target, but s/he does anyway out of desperation and callousness. That's what happened here: it was a lack of concern for the safety of children and a desire for protection through the use of children, which is very disgusting.

I do think many troops try to get kids around them for the benefit of some safety (this doesn't mean they're *trying* to get the kids attacked, which is a whole different level of wrong. Coincidentally, snipers have targeted civilians and innocent families have been killed by US bombings, so it does happen, but I don't think that was the case here), and it needs to stop.

[seabeyond]

27. this post i can agree with

i can also see the need of military to at least want to reach children. but they are doing them no good. i wouldnt let my children near the soldiers if i were in iraq

[maxsolomon]

9. Are those Wal-mart smileys?

that just makes it worse...

[leftchick]

12. no shit

crappy ass slave made toys to die for.

:(

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. Oh, those poor babies!!!

[Bouncy Ball]

16. Oh my God, oh my God.

YES, if the soldiers are being targeted with suicide bombs then they should be STAYING AWAY FROM CHILDREN.

That's just common sense!

As good as the intentions are (handing out candy, etc), I have to think maybe the parents would appreciate clean water, stable schools, and the safety enough to be able to walk down the street more than candy and endangering their kids while taking it from soldiers.

God, that's just awful. I can't even BEGIN to imagine the horror.

[Karenina]

22. American soldiers are caught up

in a sick, sick policy. There IS intent at work here from those "higher up" in the food chain. They KNOW what attracting children to their vehicles will produce. It serves their PR purposes. Kill'em before they multiply, with their trauma, dreams of revenge, genetic mutations, religious fervor, they're nothing more than vermin. They are expendable.
Make NO MISTAKE kids, this is as clear as a corporation weighing the cost of lawsuits against a KNOWN defect.

[Kraklen]

25. If you're using children as human shields

...I really don't care if you're following policy or facing prison time for desertion.

[Karenina]

32. I should hope

anyone who has decided "Nase voll" and faces prison time for desertion or publicly decrying the atrocities taking place would have your unequivocal support. :shrug:

[Bouncy Ball]

18. If I were an Iraqi mother, sadly, I'd never let my child NEAR

an American soldier. I'd be too terrified. And AS an American, that makes me pretty sad to say. But yeah, my child's life is paramount.

[leftofthedial]

26. yes, isn't it wonderful?

freedom is on the march!

and all the schools and the clean water

and the free elections

and the playgrounds

:sarcasm:

[qanda]

29. I hope to God that you are not blaming the troops for those kids dying

I'm not saying that you are. I'm just hoping that you are not.

[leftchick]

31. read my replies in this thread

I did not post this baming them. I blame the policy allowing them to draw children to the convoys.

[qanda]

34. Sorry, I just read the first post and didn't really understand the point

Thanks for explaining it a little better.

[leftchick]

39. no need to be sorry

we are all trying to understand the horrible and unexplainable position our troops have been put in.

peace in our lifetime,
lc

[Karenina]

35. Those troops

will live and die with the atrocities they were bound to facilitate.

[Columbia]

38. You't need to give out candy to attract kids.

Take it from this Iraq vet.

They'll come up to you automatically without you giving them anything. Heck, they won't leave you alone even if you tell them to in Arabic. They are a naturally curious bunch and like talking and hanging out with soldiers and Marines.