Iraq farmers say US army threatens to bomb homes

ABU GHRAIB, Iraq, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Surveying shrapnel from U.S. mortars on their fields, Iraqi farmers said on Friday American troops threatened to bomb their homes if they failed to provide information on guerrillas.

Seven farmers told Reuters that U.S. soldiers, who are mounting a new crackdown against insurgents, have been pressuring them to help hunt down fighters.

"They came here and they told us to help them catch resistance fighters or their planes would destroy our homes and we would be arrested," said Ahmed Mohammad, 30.

"I am a farmer, not a policeman. What can I do?"

U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel George Krivo said that was not the way the U.S. military operated.

...

Mahmoud Ahmed held pieces of shrapnel from eight U.S. mortars, seething with anger over the U.S.-led occupation. His home lies in Iraq's Sunni-Muslim heartland that was Saddam Hussein's power base before he was toppled in April.

"They just threaten us. They are not looking for guerrillas they are just provoking Iraqis," he said.

(more)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L14647290.htm

They are doing what they are there to do, funded by the US taxpayers.

snip>
Earlier this week, in an area south of Baghdad where 82nd Airborne units also are operating, two 1,000-pound bombs were dropped on a house in the town of Iskindriyah used by six insurgents as a hideout.

After taking the six into custody, soldiers removed other occupants of the house along with their personal effects, sealed off the area before the air strike took place.

"Every time we use force we do it in such a way to minimize injuries to civilians or collateral damage," he said.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-walking-a-minefield,0,536283.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

Doesn't this self-defeating tactic seem sickeningly familiar?

to "Pacify" them.

If true (and I would believe it) then the situation is becoming WORSE than Vietnam.

There is no opposing army anymore. The PEOPLE of Iraq will ALL become our enemy (except the ones on our payroll and they can't be trusted either).

Too damn much.

Where is the CIA when you need them.

PLEASE CIA, expose the Bush crimes NOW!!!

Or are they so stupid that they think these tactics will actually pacify Iraq?

indeed.

I heard a commentary on NPR last week. Our troops are arresting mothers of those they think are involved in actions against us id they won't ell where the sons are. One woman was crying and telling about women being handcuffed and led out even if they had small children there.

These gestapo tactics will continue to lead to more and more violence. We have the strongest military in the world but we know squat about making peace.

Winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people again, I see.

our soldiers are "trying" to be policemen - for which profession the majority have absolutely no training. Being out of their mos, I would expect and bemoan an inordinate number of such incidents.
Most soldiers are not cops (peace officers), and in Iraq they're simply pretending.
mho
...O...

and influencing people.
just lovely our behavior over there.

And the benefits of such a policy are...?

No wonder our intelligence is so poor. I would say almost anything to save my family and my home. And this is THEIR country! Why is it immoral by our standards to fight occupiers who rape, kill, and plunder in your nation? What would we be doing under the same circumstances?