What do you say about this...regarding the us troops in iraq?

my iraqi fraind says: when ever we see young american soldiers patroling,we. have two conflicting emotions.we hate them at first,they destroy everything,fire randomely at every on on suspecion,may kill you or destroy your car because of simple misunderstanding,they had already killed,injured many of your loved ones,you,or your son may be the next,just because they dont know the language,or someone who wants to revange from you gives them a wrong information.

but,we know again that they are poor young people who have dreams,wives,kids,loved ones.they have no option but to obay orders,and they want to survive to return to their families.we really feel that each of these 18-22 years boys ilke our kids,and we sense the hardship they are going through.instead of hugging their infants in a rose garden,they are hugging a burning hot machine gun under a grilling sun.we rally feel pitty that the human sufferings are so much for both the sides.nither we trust them,nor they do with us.

What do you say about this...regarding the us troops in iraq?
I feel that in a given situation what started as good intent has turned bad. Our soldiers went to Iraq on a mission for our leaders, a mission disguised as Democracy. You cannot blame the soldiers. When this mission did not turn in favor of our leaders bad things began to happen, soldiers in confusion, some of them young and very ignorant or unknowledgable of the Iraqi culture, or any respect of other cultures, some just the ******* that we interact with on any given day back here in the USA, those who are high strung or have a superior than you attitude. Some, terrified young men and woman just out of high school who have yet to experience anything of the world. Some very honorable and moral human beings-our soldiers are as diverse in humanity as any civilian on our streets-good and bad people. They are thrown into a seemingly hopeless and confusing situation. Yes, it has turned bad, horrifically bad. My cousin returned from his tour just 6 months ago and the heinous crimes he witnessed by his fellow soldiers against Iraqis was mentally trying and heartwrenching for him (I wish I could say more of his proof that he has, it is visual and graphically distburing)..but he feared for his own safety and feared to report some the callous acts of these soldiers as threats were made against him when he confronted them. One went as far as to make a comment of "Friendly Fire" and how dishonorable that it is to go home in a coffin from an "accident" instead of courageous battle. There are bad people and yes some are our own, the best thing for us to do is leave Iraq. I have said it before its not losing a war but admitting an error. I have heard of the atrocities our soldiers are doing to civilians, and the lack of hesitation towards anyone as if they are all enemies from a soldier, an honorable person, my cousin. A man who beloves strongly in God and Faith and is terrified to speak out on what he has seen ...I hope he finds the courage to speak out and our government to admit the mistakes that they have made.

Hope this gives you insight to how some of us feel about what you mentioned. I love and respect all cultures and all religions even if I do not understand them or agree with them, that is why the world is the world we live in the joy of diversity , the abiltiy to learn something new from someone, from ones culture.
Reply:its an ok answer but it took way to long to read Report Abuse
Reply:I have a huge respect for our men in uniform defending the US in awful places and under horrible conditions....
Reply:Our troops should never have been sent there in the 1st place We had no business there the people we were looking for were in Afghanistan not Iraq thanks to that Idiot Bush they got away We are in Iraq because Bush wanted to do what his daddy did not do Catch Saddam Well he did that So What the hell are we still there for Let Iraq set up its own government We are not wanted there any longer Why can"t dumb *** Bush get it through his thick Skull
Reply:Your words seem sincere and honest. This is perhaps the first heartfelt message I have read from an Iraqi citizen which is what I assume you to be. We in America have a lot of emphathy for the Iraqi people and how they are suffering. The loss of life each day is hard to comprehend, and I'm sure I would be bitter too, if it were me who had lost loved ones in this manner.



I view the action of our soldiers and Marines as people who are following orders and are trained to act as they do. They minimize their exposure by shooting first and ask questions later. They run, rather than walk, when on patrol to cut their exposure to snipers and insurgents who would attempt to kill them. They shoot open doors to walled in compounds in order to seek shelter from those who would kill them. They are on patrol in your community when they would rather be back at base, or even better, back home. They are simply following orders. They don't learn your language because they don't plan on being around your country long enough to use it. They simply want to be home with their family's and loved ones.

We could withdraw our troops, but if we did, what would you have? In no time at all, that void would be filled in with insurgents from Syria, Iran and other countries. You would have a Taliban mentality, civil war, and Imam's dictating their will on the people. If we stay, you just might wind up with your own country, your own leaders, and a democracy dictated by the Iraqi people. The ball is in your court.
Reply:I'd like to teach the world to sing

in perfect harmony

I'd like to buy the world a coke

and drink it happily



not all soldiers are "destroy everything,fire randomely at every on on suspecion" thats called lying.



oh and remember to duck.
Reply:OH give the world a break from these types of questions.

My Iraq friend says, an Arab friend told me the other day,someone from Iran told me this, i have a friend in the middle east he told me. YOUR question leaves a lot to be desired. Mixed Emotions. they only have two conflicting emotions we hate them first because

THEY DESTROY EVERYTHING.

THEY FIRE RANDOMLY AT YOU IF THEY ARE SUSPICIOUS OF YOU.

THEY MAY KILL YOU,OR DESTROY YOUR CAR ALL BECAUSE OF A SIMPLE MISUNDERSTANDING.

What a Load of contrived BullS**T.

part 2: Do you know the tears would be streaming down my face by now if you had not put so much BullS**t in the first part of your question. Stop playing on other peoples Emotions.
Reply:That is pure drivel.Is propaganda allowed on this site?
Reply:you need a new hobby
Reply:You should ask your Iraqi friend to name the names of anybody he knows this has happened to.



One of the most important things to remember when dealing with Iraqis is that they will believe just about any rumor. When you pin them down by making them tell you specifics then you learn how little of this is real.



One of the most difficult things we had to deal with was getting accurate information out of Iraqis. In fact we used the 'divide by 20' rule in order to estimate what the likely actual numbers involved in any incident were because the Iraqi/Arab culture is so prone to exaggeration.
Reply:I have been to Iraq four times. 1st in 1991 and three since 2003 and ready to go back again. I am not 22 years old .I have served in the US Army since I was 17 and love it. I am sorry to hear you feel this way. Soldiers want to help you, but you have to help as well. We don't mean to destroy things, but the radical Islamic people that are using their religion as a cause to fight, leave us little choice. If you were in my shoes you would understand. You shouldn't despise someone who is trying to help. You should remember what is was like under Saddam's reign of terror. He killed thousands of your country men, just for the fun of it. He didn't care about you or your family. Just how he could get want he wanted, when he wanted. You paid the price. You probably didn't even know it. Also his secret police had files on every adult in Iraq, and regularly would do updates on these files by killing members of each family.

Not all Americans live in a house with flower gardens and have lots of money. We have homeless persons, with children who go hungry everyday. We don't all have a stack of money to the sky. We have people who struggle to have food and shelter every day of their lives. Not all Americans have auto's to go places. Not all Americans have water or a home. We have poor here as well.
Reply:i think its horrible, very bad and getting old,seeing every day one die. but for everyone who dies for that cause i feel we owe it to him, to finish what we started. it would be more of a disgrace to give up and they would say tuck our tails and run. it a shame, but it must go on.
Reply:This sounds like ANTI-WAR claptrap propaganda.
Reply:I'm not taking a chance of getting bullet holes in me for trying to figure out if you are friendly or not so just stay the hell away from me and you'll be okay. I have family to come home to.
Reply:That sounds like Pro War claptrap propaganda.



Most Iraqis hate the US troops who killed thier loved ones. If your friend is empathetic to the invaders of his country, what would you say to some Iraqi army soldier who invaded your home in America? Would they be like our kids? Probably not.



We were not greeted as liberators. I just read that 100,000 Iraqi familes are fleeing the country! We have failed in Iraq, miserably, and now we just have to see how it all pans out. I hope to God that they set up the puppet government fast and order is restored. I doubt it though.