[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Liamj', '
')
As to chickenhawk Jack, do you need contributions towards your airfare over, so you can show us how its done? Or is genocide by remote close enough for you, as for George jnr, Cheney, Rush, etc?

[maverickdoc]

OK Jack now that we know where you stand what do you think of The Unfortunate Incident Protocol? The topic of this thread.

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('maverickdoc', 'O')K Jack now that we know where you stand what do you think of The Unfortunate Incident Protocol? The topic of this thread.

[Liamj]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Liamj', '
')
As to chickenhawk Jack, do you need contributions towards your airfare over, so you can show us how its done? Or is genocide by remote close enough for you, as for George jnr, Cheney, Rush, etc?

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Liamj', '
')Yanks already have 'immunity', thanks the Shrubs disdain for the International Criminal Court, bailing on the Geneva Convention, policy of killing unembedded/housetrained journo's etc.

[TrueKaiser]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', '
')Sure! They've got air conditioning, better quarters, and a fixed location so they can get better food. What's not to like?

[Liamj]

Jack is a troll.

I apologise to all for feeding this troll and distracting from the thread, post here again the excellent Unfortunate Incident RPotocal by Dr Teresa Whitehead.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')size=150] The Unfortunate Incident Protocol [/size]
How the powerful dodge their own bullets
by Dr. Teresa Whitehurst

"A little girl running in fear from armed men is killed in cold blood. … The authorities are trying their best to come up with a reason why this schoolgirl was shot so many times after she was dead – because that's the unusual part. But in no way will the Israeli government, nor the U.S. government, decry the fact that Palestinian civilians like her are being shot on such a regular basis. Instead, they will decry Palestinian terrorism again (unnecessary because we despise terrorism already, but it's a good tactic for diverting our attention) and remind us that soldiers have a right to protect themselves.

"If that doesn't do the trick, they'll bring out the ultimate weapon: 'There are always a few bad apples, and they will be punished.'"
- "Palestinian Girl, Interrupted"



While so many journalists have been killed by the U.S. military that some have wondered aloud (and lived to regret it) if media personnel might actually be targeted to dissuade independent reporting on Mr. Bush's wars, it's nonetheless unusual for a just-freed journalist, held hostage for a month, to be shot, along with her rescuer, by U.S. troops.

Pro-Bush/pro-war Americans are quick to defend "our troops," even when families are slaughtered and children are orphaned at brutal checkpoints. But the Italians, a people more in possession of their faculties than the radical "conservatives" dominating this morally challenged nation of ours, are less sanguine, perhaps because they're not in the habit of defending cold-blooded murder.

In yet another tragic blunder, revealing to any sentient human being what the U.S. military machine has come to represent for people across the world, "our troops" – no doubt following immoral but quite legal rules of engagement – shot first and asked questions later. Left dead was brave secret service agent Nicola Calipari, who had rescued journalist Giuliana Sgrena. Reuters reports:

"The shooting in Iraq on Friday, as the reporter was being whisked to freedom after being held hostage for a month, was sure to fuel antiwar activists in Italy and put pressure on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi."

Pressure on Berlusconi? No way! He's a pal of GWB, so not to worry. As I've noted before, the Bush administration, like the Blair establishment and the Israeli government, has turned the "bad apples" excuse for rotten deeds into an art form. To save everyone the time and trouble (not to mention the emotional ups and downs) of following this saga from its tragic beginning to its predictable end, allow me to fast-forward the events of the coming days, weeks, and months.

Damage Control: UIP to the Rescue

Here's what I've determined, from observing the same scenario numerous times, to be an "Unfortunate Incident Protocol" (UIP) , used by both the U.S. and Israeli governments whenever news of our own evildoing gets out:

1.

A tragedy occurs: "Our troops" have killed more innocent people, only this time the victims aren't Arabs/Muslims (in neocon-speak, the "evildoers"), thus the potential for public uproar and backlash exists.
2.

Code Blue! Any signs of uproar or backlash must be attacked preemptively. Immediate public appearances are required by Mr. Bush and the leader of the victim's home country: Talk extensively about the event, how you're praying for the families, and so on.
1.

Stress your "regret" for this "unfortunate incident."
2.

Immediately announce "an independent investigation."
3.

If the natives are getting restless, make statements or decisions to illustrate that this time you're really taking the incident seriously.
4.

Displays of outrage or of "demanding explanations" from the offending nation may be necessary if protests are developing; this is the only situation wherein a coalition partner is not required to present a united front with the Bush administration.
5.

Announce again "the investigation," but add that this time the investigation will be really thorough, leaving no stone unturned, and will not end up whitewashing guilt at all higher levels of authority.
6.

Emphasize that both leaders are in full agreement now, that you're both torn up about it, and that neither is catering to the wishes of the other.
3.

ASAP, tell your State-influenced newspapers to allot only one or two days to the outrageous nature of the incident. ....<snip>

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TrueKaiser', 't')hen tell me if you would like to be treated like this cause i am sure we can arange somthing

[TrueKaiser]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', '
')You're too kind. But, like most people, I find it easier to bear the pain of others than my own. So I'd much rather dish it out than take it.

[Barbara]

Being in Italy, I can post some useful info.

That car was carrying an hostage just rescued. And italians are US ALLIES!
How can you think they didn't alert US commands of what was happening? How can you believe US troops were "shooting at a car running too fast" not knowing what there was inside?
The car was shooted at HALF a mile from the airport. On that road run western cars ONLY. It never happened any kamikaze incident there: no way the iraqis can run on that road.
A plane was WAITING for the hostage in the airport, engine on.

The intelligence man shooted from the US was a very important one. Maybe the most important in Iraq. He rescued other hostages without any killings. So you believe he was just an asshole running fast through police just to see what happens? At half a mile from the airport?

He was shooted with a single bullet in his head. And people here is beginning to believe the target was him, and not the journalist.

Anyway, please, use your head and don't believe all the bullshit being said by your govt.

[gg3]

UIP seems to be a journalist's hypothesis about a policy based on observed behaviors. Okay, fair enough.

As for the Italian journalist.

This illustrates what's really f*cked about this war.

In all probability it was an innocent enough screwup, similar to the kinds of screwups that produce friendly-fire casualties (which by the way are typically 30% of your casualties in war).

But thanks to the track record of bad intel, overt lies, torture, more overt lies, inflated estimates, more lies, and more lies after that, America's credibility is shot all to hell. So regardless of what actually happened, we'er going to get pinned with it.

[bart]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Barbara', 'A')nd people here is beginning to believe the target was him [secret agent Calipari], and not the journalist.

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gg3', 'I')n all probability it was an innocent enough screwup, similar to the kinds of screwups that produce friendly-fire casualties (which by the way are typically 30% of your casualties in war).

[Liamj]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bart', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Barbara', 'A')nd people here is beginning to believe the target was him [secret agent Calipari], and not the journalist.