War and Roses

[pritchke]

When U.S. forces arrived in the Iraqi capital, ALEXANDRE TRUDEAU was already there. His exclusive account

http://www.macleans.ca/xta-doc2/2003...er/58453.shtml

Contains more about Omar and Farouk

DURING A MOMENTARY lull in the fighting, Omar goes out for bread. He comes back with an interesting tale. "I was driving along, the streets deserted," he recounts. "A lone Fedayeen soldier waves to me, asking for a ride. He is quite young. He wants me to take him to the bus station. He is a mess. 'Look at my hands,' he laments -- they are shaking. 'They crossed the gates of the north,' he says. 'So many! We will fight their soldiers, we will fight their tanks. But we are defenceless against their Apaches. It is lost. I'm going home.' "

The young soldier was almost in tears, Omar tells me, continuing his story. "I ask him, 'Do you need money?' 'No' he replies. 'Just take me to the station. But could I have a cigarette, maybe?' " Omar says he gave the soldier a whole pack, but adds that as they approached the bus station, he heard someone yelling his name. It was Farouk, Omar's old friend and a soldier of Saddam's Baath party. "Farouk is not wearing his uniform and doesn't have his gun," says Omar. "I drop off the Fedayeen and pick him up. Farouk tells me I shouldn't have picked the soldier up because he is a deserter. So I ask Farouk, why is he running around like this? He answers, laughing, 'I'm a deserter. I came to my post, but it was locked up and no one was there. So I am going home -- to hell with this.' "

Hopefully that kid's story gets out to all the rest of the would be Iraqi defenders. The idea behind overwhelming firepower and force is so that more people desert than fight, saving lives on both sides.

[ 04-16-2003, 01:53 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

[pritchke]

Originally posted by MagiK: Hopefully that kid's story gets out to all the rest of the would be Iraqi defenders. The idea behind overwhelming firepower and force is so that more people desert than fight, saving lives on both sides.

AGREED!!

Although the downside to overwhelming firepower is people think "Do as I say or else" creating negative resentment, scorn, and people waiting to get a chance to stab you in the back (leads to the creation of Terrorist).

Originally posted by pritchke: Quote: Originally posted by MagiK: Hopefully that kid's story gets out to all the rest of the would be Iraqi defenders. The idea behind overwhelming firepower and force is so that more people desert than fight, saving lives on both sides.

AGREED!!

Although the downside to overwhelming firepower is people think "Do as I say or else" creating negative resentment, scorn, and people waiting to get a chance to stab you in the back (leads to the creation of Terrorist).[/QUOTE]Leads to terrorists unless they find out that they are free and can do much better for themselves under the new way of life....
Actually I am of the opinion that the only thing that creates terrorists, is religion. All the terrorists I have been aware of, as of late have been religious fanatics...muslim, christian, jew or protestant.

[Sir Taliesin]

Not sure you could lump in the PLO as religous affillated, but otherwise I agree.

[Thoran]

That's a great story... I hope we get to see his video someday.

I think there are political terrorists too (like the PLO and the IRA), but IMO it takes a LOT to get them going (like denying them their homeland). Religous terrorists are far more pliable, so they can be manufactured and used for things as trifleing as "Infidels on holy soil" sorts of BS issues.