US Helicopter Mistakenly Fires on Shia Funeral Party Shooting Guns in Air

[Dems Will Win]

Don't we train these guys to occupy?? I guess not. Just kill.

US helicopter fires on Iraqi funeral party-ministry
24 Nov 2006 17:37:33 GMT

BAGHDAD, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. helicopter fired on a funeral party in Baghdad, one of dozens taking place after Thursday's devastating bombings in Sadr City, in response to ritual shooting, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said.

A ministry official said two people were wounded in Friday's air strike, which came after mourners fired into the air.

Earlier, some residents and a Shi'ite lawmaker reported clashes between gunmen and U.S.-led forces in Sadr City, a stronghold of the Mehdi Army militia in the Iraqi capital.

A U.S. military spokesman said he could not comment on specific operations but U.S. forces were helping Iraqi army and police enforce a curfew imposed after the Sadr City attacks on Thursday which killed more than 200 people.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL462533.htm

[williesgirl]

1. We don't understand their culture/customs - we need to get the hell out of there now.

[KennedyGuy]

2. The key word is occupy..

Soldiers are trained to complete the mission and get out of there..
They are NOT trained to occupy and should have been pulled out as soon as Saddam fell.
You take any soldider and place him in high stress environments like this for a continued period of time, where you don't know if someone is coming up to you to shake your hand or blow you up, this kind of thing will continue to happen.
Blame the Commander in Chief..not the soldiers.

[pinto]

5. Good point. Blaming the rank and file personnel seems misguided,

understandable, perhaps, in the wake of what has occurred, but training and the overall objectives (if there are any, at this point) aren't under their control.

[liberal N proud]

3. Shooting guns in the air in a war zone doesn't make a lot of sense

But our guys should have know that this is the modern custom for many of these people.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. We are here for your own good. Trust us. We mean it. Really. Honest.

we are here to improve your lives. And we've succeeded beyond belief! Think of all those roof-less, power-less, book-less, student-less, desk-less, and teacher-less schools we painted - all for the bargain basement price of $395,000,000. And instead of airconditioning, our tanks have provided you with great REALLY GREAT ventilation systems. They even work 24/7!

Aren't you happy that we removed that horrible tyrant Saddam, and replaced him with a democrat-erected puppet regime?
We've done so much for you in Falujah, Sadr City and elsewhere! Really.

What? You want us to leave? NOW?

Jesus Christ, you heathen AYrabs. You really are a bunch of ungrateful ragheads, aren't you? After all the bombs and bullets we spent on your country! Fine. if you don't build Georgie his statue, well, we'll just take our army and go home. So there!