US Soldiers in mosque at Falluja (pic)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/041111/481/calos10211112318&e=2&ncid=1756



Members of Charlie Company of the First Marine Division, 6th Regiment, regroup inside a Mosque in Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites), only hours after taking it Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004. Routed insurgents soon regrouped and rained heavy fire on the mosque, prompting the Marines to leave.(AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Luis Sinco) , NO SALES, NO FOREIGN, NO MAGS, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS OUT, OC REGISTER OUT, VENTURA COUNTY STAR OUT, INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN OUT, SAN BERNARDINO SUN OUT


They look mighty tired.

ton of bricks. Who thinks of this stuff.

The picture is a PR mess. As far the Marines, they're in the middle of a nasty fight, and the mosque is a building just like churches in WWII were buildings.

But that photographer is a fucking idiot and if I was the Marine commander there, I would chuck him the hell out of the unit.

I don't get it. A photographer's role is to shoot whatever his unit goes through. Why is he an idiot?

The Marines didn't go into the mosque thinking "Let's wear our boots and combat gear and defile the holy place." They ducked in there thinking "Ok, large, fairly secure building to regroup in." Culturally insensitive, but military units will just regard it as another structure.

The picture, however, is highly offensive to the Muslim world and will be used as a recruiting tool for insurgents, because US troops are automatically slapped with the worst possible intents in that part of the world.

Taking and releasing the photo is irresponsible and entirely unnecessary.

First of all, if there is a "fault", it's not the photographer's. He/she just shoots pictures. Those pictures have to be approved by the military before they're released -- hence you don't see many gory pictures of blown up Iraqi civilians in the main stream media.

Second, people are no more likely to think that the Marines went into the mosque thinking "Let's wear our boots and combat gear and defile the holy place." than they are to think that they said "Let's shoot us up some Eye-rakee chiluns" when they see a picture of a dead child.

Third, in principle, I think that there should be no censorship at all other than for strategic reasons (unit location/movement etc -- ditto Geraldo). The biggest "recruiting tool for insurgents" is the fact that this unjustified war exists to begin with. This picture is only a tiny piece in the whole puzzle.

It's not the media's role to be a strategic helper of one side or the other. Yes, too often this is the case -- but let's not complain about the rare instances when some truth actually drips out.

And they're mostly walking on debris, so it's not very fair to say they should have taken their boots off when they entered the mosque in the middle of a battle.

However, you're right, there will be some who will use this to inflame. Also though, I think the massacre of the people of Falluja will be more important for that purpose than the defilement of a mosque that was subsequently attacked by the "mujahideen" while the soldiers were there.

All the dead bodies will be more compelling than a few boot prints on the carpet, in other words.

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I hardly think this photo would be in the running for "most likely to enrage Iraqi insurgents to pick up RPG's and kill their liberators" stakes, this is mild stuff compared to Abu Ghraib.

As opposed to occupying their country, killing their families, and Abu Ghraib?

highly inflammatory to the Iraqi population?

A little late for your outrage...

RL

"Infidels desecrate Mosque!"

Just because no one takes a picture of it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

...he'll take a snapshot.

Pictures like this will continue to inflame the Moselm world, who may conclude that there is a "moral equivalence" between US churches supporting the bombing of mosques in Iraq, leading them to justify attacks on churches in the US. In this cruel world, the fact that this logic is faulty (two wrongs don't make a right) may not do much good.

You yourself admitted this invasion is wrong by using the axiom two wrongs don't make a right. It isn't pictures that are inflaming the Muslim world pal it is THE US OCCUPATION and the death and destruction on Iraq and her people.

First, the presence of those soldiers in that mosque are visual proof of descration. Second for numerous reasons their personages are considered unclean and not fit to be in a place of worship. These rules would apply to Moslems as well. This reflects on the basic ignorance of Islamic culture and the unwillingness of Americans to learn about it or respect it.

I know a thing or two about the culture. There is much more to be outraged about than a photo although I understand your points, my point is these people have seen 1000s of photos just like this. Honestly they don't expect any better from the Americans this does not shock them.

They just want us gone as of yesterday. What adds fuel to the fire is 10,000+ dead Iraqi men, women and children.

for a decade in the ME on intimate terms with an extended family--my first husband's family. I know how deeply these slights and insults are held close and remembered. Heck, there are many people in the ME who have never forgiven the Greeks for Alexander the Great trampling through the real estate.

Also, my comments regarding the American people's willful ignorance of other cultures were not about you. For those policy makers out to pick a fight, you would think they would have a better idea of the cultures they fight with so that a peace can indeed be won. I agree 10,000+ Iraqi dead will be foremost in the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, but the disrespect for the traditions will only add to it.

I loved my time in the ME. I visited almost the entire region...even Saudi Arabia. Got your comments sorry if I came off terse my three year is driving me insane today.

5 years during the Shah's time and 5 years under the Islamic republic. I was there for much of the Iran-Iraq war, too. It seems like a long time ago, but feels like yesterday sometimes.

1. Sorry about the mispelled word - the fact that I've read a number of books about Islam is no excuse.

2. I don't see your point about it being actions and not pictures that are inflaming Moslems. For example, the famous picture of a naked young woman in Vietnam, running down the road with burning napalm on her body, helped illustrate the atrocites of the Vietnam invasion. Pictures are atrocites in themselves, but they reflect them.

Just like Usama, Osama depends where you are in the ME. Some take offense and some don't.

If we can't understand and respect others how can there ever be Peace?
It's the reality of this administration that repulses me. The ignorance and destruction of the cradle of civilization is unbelievable . Smart tactical actions and smooth negotiations could have saved these lousy sights and actions.
We may win the battle and control the power and oil but what then . Who will we be ? This centuries Crusaders, or Turks, destroying to chance their government their ideas.
Will Peace ever be profitable?
Who could turn this into a fair settlement ?

It's a prelude to the end-times war that the talibornagians hanker after so much.

Personally, I think the tlaibornagains should just drink the coolaid and let their God sort them out - save the rest of the world from their evil.

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I thought it would be a photo a soldier pissing on the mosque. I guess they are in a figurative way.

I understand that the Arab world would be pissed, but they already are anyway. I read in the newspaper this AM that US soldiers are finding weapons caches inside mosques in Fallujah.