SOMEONE should recieve a medal or something!

[TicklingDuo]

I've been sitting here with the war news on in the background all afternoon and watchiing coverage of what took place today in Najaf. One of our companies went in to meet with the Aiyatola of the mosque where Iraqi troops have been holding up. Things had been arranged in advance and the Aiyatola had requested that the company secure his compound (outside the mosque) before a formal meeting that was to take place.

Because this info. hadn't been shared with the town's people, they took the advance as a threat to sacred ground and began to protest. Until then, they'd been very welcoming to our troops. It got too loud for them to hear their own Aiyatola telling them that it was okay.

In order to avoid violence, the CO ordered his men to take a knee and point their guns to the ground so that the people would see that no threat was intended. Then, when it became clear that the people needed a bit of time and space to settle down and hear what the Aiyatola had to say, he pulled the company back out of the area. In the process, he showed a TON of respect (and even reverence) towards the aiyatola...bowing to him as he pulled his men back.

This kind of thing will help to show the people of Iraq that we mean what we say when we tell them that we're there to help and not harm them. This man's consideration for the feelings of others, his humility in showing such respect and his quick thinking to avoid a confrontation is (in my eyes) an act that should not go unnoticed by his superiors.

Ann

 

[Admiral Trouser]

The same type of thing happened in Basra a few days ago: Apparantly, the CO of the Scottish Fusiliers (I think) walked down one of the main streets of the city without full-body armour or helmet, choosing instead to wear his regiments beret. This street, by the way, had only been secured the day before, and reports of militia men skulking about in civilian clothing, waiting to snipe at incoming British troops were rather rife.

The CO and his command staff, aware of the risks, simply walked into the nearest crowd of people and started talking to them, asking them what they wanted and then telling them ehat they could give. Marvelous.

I may be against this war, but kudos and respect to our troops out there: Proffesionals, every one of them.

AT

 

[BigJim]

Amen to both of those posts. Pissing off innocent civillians is the last thing we need, or want to do; regardless of how we feel about the TC-B* in Baghdad.





*Tached Cunty-Bollock

 

[TicklingDuo]

*Tached Cunty-Bollock

OK, Jim....care to translate? I'm assuming that's a regional thing.

Ann

 

[BigJim]

OK, Jim....care to translate? I'm assuming that's a regional thing.

Ann

Well the 'cunty-bollock' bit is a biological insult about three or four times worse than calling someone an arsehole. 'Tached' on the other hand is just an abreviation of 'moustached', in Brit slang.

It was easier to say 'cunty-bollock' than call him an arsehole 4 times, and his tache looks f***ing schtoopid anyway, so I thought I'd insult that too.


😀 😀 😀

 

[amk714]

What that CO did was smart. Ironically, it also shows that non-violence is (sometimes) the way to go.

 

[Limeoutsider]

Only goes to prove that, except for low ratings, violence never solved anything

 

[JoBelle]

Good post Ann, as I was unaware of this.

It's a shame the so-called "leaders" of Iraq chose to ignore the initial peaceful attmepts that were made.

Jo