Video - British soldiers beating Iraqi children
Warning, this is graphic. This is the video I wrote about this morning of British soldiers hitting young Iraqis (maybe ten years old?) with nightsticks. (WaPo article) It's not hugely graphic, it's from a distance, but I just want to put a warning on it, so nobody goes to it thinking it's a Care Bears video.
Here is a link to the video.
Also, I don't want to put too much judgement on this. You can hear a shot fired, and if the British troops overreacted, I sort of understand. But watching this, it doesn't look like the first time they've done it. It looks routine.
It doesn't have the look of raw violence. They don't seem to be just unloading on these kids. It looks kind of restrained which also makes me think it's policy.
It's not that I'm amazed that subduing suspects is violent, it's that these suspects are so obviously boys. And what happened to them? Are they in prison now? Are they detained for the duration of the US presence in Iraq? Do they take them back to their parent's house like a police officer who caught a kid vandalizing? Or is that it? You just beat them, question them, try to scare them, and send them on their way.
Look, the troops in Iraq are in a miserable situation. Their only source of "mission" is trying to help Iraqis, 47% of whom "approve of attacks on American forces." (and that's the ones who admitted it to a pollster.)
The mistake was made sending them there without a plan, leaving them there without a plan.
Here is a link to the video.
Also, I don't want to put too much judgement on this. You can hear a shot fired, and if the British troops overreacted, I sort of understand. But watching this, it doesn't look like the first time they've done it. It looks routine.
It doesn't have the look of raw violence. They don't seem to be just unloading on these kids. It looks kind of restrained which also makes me think it's policy.
It's not that I'm amazed that subduing suspects is violent, it's that these suspects are so obviously boys. And what happened to them? Are they in prison now? Are they detained for the duration of the US presence in Iraq? Do they take them back to their parent's house like a police officer who caught a kid vandalizing? Or is that it? You just beat them, question them, try to scare them, and send them on their way.
Look, the troops in Iraq are in a miserable situation. Their only source of "mission" is trying to help Iraqis, 47% of whom "approve of attacks on American forces." (and that's the ones who admitted it to a pollster.)
The mistake was made sending them there without a plan, leaving them there without a plan.
posted by mikevotes at
2:33 PM
4 Comments:
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By
Justin, at 1:55 AM
Ah, now that you can see it never mind my earlier comments. The most disturbing to me part is the commentator. On watching it for a second and last time (it's a stomach problem) I find it curious that the Iraqi children do at least know how to say "no please" in English. Curious, because I'm not sure my student's would in that context.
By
Justin, at 2:04 AM
i missed most of yesterday due to a long day in the pub so i woke up to this and cheney a day late.
the attempts to downplay it are already well under way...
"We can't continually have an uneven battlefield for our troops, where we are facing an enemy, unconstrained by any legitimacy, any morality, any international convention and at the same time, subject our troops to a level of scrutiny, accountability, media intrusion, questioning and every conceivable opportunity to criticise them,"
John reid - UK defence secretary
Disillusioned kid has a great post on it.
By
michael the tubthumper, at 5:46 AM
rough day with the grammar.
By
Justin, at 9:25 AM
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