U.S. Raids Offend Iraqi Sensibilities

[ze_dscherman]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. troops raiding Iraqi homes in search of weapons and suspects are trampling on a particularly important Muslim sensibility — the sanctity of the home.

Many Iraqis see the pre-dawn raids as the single most offending practice of the U.S. occupation. They're part of hundreds of cultural clashes that occur daily between Iraqis and Americans.

U.S. troops have been raiding homes in search of members of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s toppled regime and illegal weapons since the fall of Baghdad. But the raids have become much more frequent in recent weeks, focusing on areas north and west of the Iraqi capital where the former dictator enjoyed his strongest support.

Iraqis complain the raids expose women to soldiers when they are not properly dressed — raising questions of honor in much of Iraq (news - web sites) — and terrify children. They say the soldiers force doors open rather than use keys on offer, go through personal belongings and humiliate the men in front of their families by cuffing their hands and ordering them to lie face down on the ground.

U.S. officials counter that soldiers don't intend to mistreat Iraqis. The raids, they say, are carried out professionally and for genuine security reasons.

More: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=2&u=/ap/20030707/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_offending_iraqis

[legin]

1. I saw one of these raids on the BBC

possibly some creative editing had been done.

First scene some u.s. soldiers outside the door of a house.

"Open the door". Knocking on the door.

"Open the door". More knocking.

Another soldier. "Kick the door in".

First soldier angerily, "open the fucking door". Kicks door in.

Second scene inside I assume the same house. Soldiers quietly asking a couple of questions to 3 women and about 8 kids, max age 10, sitting on a long sofa.

Third scene. Youth possibly 15-16 being lead through the street hands cuffed behind his back.

[teryang]

2. How to make friends and influence people

What would you do if foreign troops forcibly entered your home?

:nuke:

[dbt]

3. So now we're fighting karma

And we are unarmed!

:scared:
dbt