About the pillaging and looting...

[Luvian]

I find it funny that some people point to the pillaging and looting going on in Iraq as if the coalition was responcible for it, or as if that was aweful and never heard of.

Why is it, then, that after every big sport event here in America, there is usually looting? I live in Montreal, and the last the Canadiens de Montreal won the cup, there was lots of pillaging and looting, and even the cops had trouble stoping them.

If people go crazy when their favorite hockey team win, then why can't we expect people to go crazy when they finally get freed?

[lasher]

Originally posted by Luvian: If people go crazy when their favorite hockey team win, then why can't we expect people to go crazy when they finally get freed?

I don't think they go crazy. I think lot of them need it. I mean they don't have enough to eat AFAIK and the humanitarian convoy are not that quick to come.

[John D Harris]

Originally posted by Luvian: I find it funny that some people point to the pillaging and looting going on in Iraq as if the coalition was responcible for it, or as if that was aweful and never heard of. Why is it, then, that after every big sport event here in America, there is usually looting? I live in Montreal, and the last the Canadiens de Montreal won the cup, there was lots of pillaging and looting, and even the cops had trouble stoping them. If people go crazy when their favorite hockey team win, then why can't we expect people to go crazy when they finally get freed?

I'd kiss you Luvian, but my wife would kill me

[Chewbacca]

I have never seen sports fans loot hospitals and here in the non-invaded places we actually have police to contain riots.

I would think with 300,000+ troops and a little forethought the occupying forces would have been prepared police the lands they occupy immediatly as they are obligated to under international law, not that international law matters much to any of the players in this conflict.

Street celebrations: good

looting and burning: bad

[ 04-12-2003, 06:27 PM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

[skywalker]

Ancient artifacts in museums, destroyed by looters. The whole situation is too sad. You just can't get those kinds of things back, lost forever.

Mark

[ 04-12-2003, 06:39 PM: Message edited by: skywalker ]

[Iron_Ranger]

Yeah, maybe I am being daft here, but why is the coalition getting blamed for it? Isnt it, at least a portion of it, to stop it themselfs?

Of course, if the troops did anythin they would be portrayed as the bullys and ruffians.

[skywalker]

Did you miss this line IR?

Originally posted by Chewbacca: I would think with 300,000+ troops and a little forethought the occupying forces would have been prepared police the lands they occupy immediatly as they are obligated to under international law, not that international law matters much to any of the players in this conflict.

It IS the coalition's responsiblity to keep the peace.

Mark

Originally posted by skywalker: Ancient artifacts in museums, destroyed by looters. The whole situation is too sad. You just can't get those kinds of things back, lost forever. Mark

As far as I understood those items were stolen. There is a huge black market in Iraq...just like items stolen from other museums throughout history, if they were stolen to sell on the black market, a chance remains to retreive them.

The coalition stepping in as immediate police could have had catastrophic results and there are also over 10,000 Iraqi criminals loose (in Baghdad alone) so yes, it was bound to get uglier before anything could be done. At least by giving the public time to celebrate, they now have a better chance of knowing who those criminals are since I would imagine many of them are probably homeless.
see here for more discussion on the topic.

Help is on its way people, let our troops fight their battles and don't be so quick to put them in police uniforms...think Viet Nam. (Yes, they will have a larger role in policing of the public later but let the guns stop firing)

[ 04-12-2003, 07:34 PM: Message edited by: Lil Lil ]

[Luvian]

Originally posted by skywalker: Did you miss this line IR? Quote: Originally posted by Chewbacca: I would think with 300,000+ troops and a little forethought the occupying forces would have been prepared police the lands they occupy immediatly as they are obligated to under international law, not that international law matters much to any of the players in this conflict.

It IS the coalition's responsiblity to keep the peace.

Mark[/QUOTE]I thought their responsibility was to hunt down and arrest all the remaining troups loyal to Saddam. I guess I was wrong.

It's not as if the 300,000+ troups where all sitting outside the Capital playing volleyball. The war is not over yet. While the coalition might have some troups to spare to prevent the looting, I'm pretty sure the bulk of the army is busy hunting and fortificating.

Even is they did all have nothing to do. I personally think that 300,000 is not a lot to prevent nation-wide riots. How many people is there in Iraq? The Coalition soldiers are outnumbered and can't be everywhere at once. To stop the Iraqi, they would have to use force, wich would be a very bad idea.

The Iraqi are releasing their anger of Saddam, and the joy of being freed, at what they can. Soon, they will calm down and start thinking about how to ensure they can keep their freedom. Right now, they are too busy reveling in their new found [img]graemlins/braveheart.gif[/img]

[skywalker]

Luvian, I meant it in a general way, not just in this situation. I thought I read somewhere, not recently, that a liberating force is responsible for protecting the people in the event of toppling the enemy government.

The coalition must have had some idea that this might happen, shouldn't they?

Mark