March 29, 2003

ROUTINE IRAQI POLICY - IT'S IN ALL THE MANUALS:

Iraqi Vice President Predicts More Suicide Attacks on G.I.s (Wall Street Journal, 3/29/2003)
At a news conference, Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan threatened more suicide attacks and identified the bomber as Ali Jaafar al-Noamani, a father of several children. A detailed statement would be issued later, he added.

"This is just the beginning. You'll hear more pleasant news later," Mr. Ramadan said.

Asked whether suicide bombings will now be used regularly by the Iraqi military, Mr. Ramadan said, "It will be routine military policy. We will use any means to kill our enemy in our land and we will follow the enemy into its land."


I don't get it. How can Iraq be promising suicide attacks on our own land, i.e. America, if it has no connections to international terrorism? Posted by Paul Jaminet at March 29, 2003 1:05 PM
Comments

GIs have faced suicide attacks in the past,

especially in the Pacific but to some extent

in Germany and Korea.



We shall see, but it may be getting close to

the time when everybody should reread the

first pages of "On War" about the purpose of

it. Professor Bunyip has boiled it down to 2

sentences for the lazy.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 29, 2003 2:05 PM

According to reports I heard on Fox News, the bomber was a Saudi AND an al-Qaeda member. Shocking, simply shocking.

Posted by: Jeff Brokaw at March 29, 2003 2:08 PM

And, if Ba'athism does contemplate suicide attacks on Westerners, then containment couldn't be a deterrent, could it?

Posted by: oj at March 29, 2003 6:23 PM

To give the devil his due, kamikaze attacks against military
targets, either in Iraq or elsewhere -- even in the US -- are not what we usually mean by "terrorism". It's a war; the enemy is allowed to shoot back. It may be a war crime, if e.g. the attackers pose as civilians, but that's a different thing.

Posted by: Bill Woods at March 29, 2003 9:29 PM

Bill -



This was not a kamikaze attack. Kamikazes in WWII wore military uniforms and flew military planes, at least as far as I am aware.



Besides, "shooting back" is entirely a different thing than a man in civilian clothes driving a civilian vehicle up to a road checkpoint, waving troops over, as if he needed help, and then blowing himself up.



Think about it - appearing to be a civilian was the whole key to this operation. Hence, it is terrorism.



Ah, I don't know what the hell difference it makes anyway. Four soliders are dead and many thousands more are now extremely pissed off.

Posted by: Jeff Brokaw at March 30, 2003 11:19 AM
« WHERE ARE THE POWs - IN TV STUDIOS: | Main | WHY NOT VICTORY?: »