corrente

Take up the white man's burden...

Speaking from his base in southern Iraq, [a senior British officer] said: "My view and the view of the British chain of command is that the Americans' use of violence is not proportionate and is over-responsive to the threat they are facing. They don't see the Iraqi people the way we see them. They view them as untermenschen. They are not concerned about the Iraqi loss of life in the way the British are."

The phrase untermenschen - literally "under-people" - was brought to prominence by Adolf Hitler in his book Mein Kampf, published in 1925. He used the term to describe those he regarded as racially inferior: Jews, Slavs and gypsies.

Although no formal complaints have as yet been made to their American counterparts, the officer said the British Government was aware of its commanders' "concerns and fears".

The officer explained that, under British military rules of war, British troops would never be given clearance to carry out attacks similar to those being conducted by the US military, in which helicopter gunships have been used on targets in urban areas.

British rules of engagement only allow troops to open fire when attacked, using the minimum force necessary and only at identified targets. The American approach was markedly different, the officer said.

"When US troops are attacked with mortars in Baghdad, they use mortar-locating radar to find the firing point and then attack the general area with artillery, even though the area they are attacking may be in the middle of a densely populated residential area.

"They may well kill the terrorists in the barrage, but they will also kill and maim innocent civilians. That has been their response on a number of occasions. It is trite, but American troops do shoot first and ask questions later."

The officer believed America had now lost the military initiative in Iraq, and it could only be regained with carefully planned, precision attacks against the insurgents.
(from The Age, via Juan Cole)

Well.

But "General" Kimmit—since when did a PR flak get to be a General, anyhow?—claimed that reports of numerous civilian casualties in the latest fighting are products of "propaganda machines that are operating inside of Fallujah"! (CNN)

Oh well. I guess that was just part of Operation Steaming Load....

Great to see the SCLM picking this story up. Oh, wait...

UPDATE As far as having "lost the military initiative": It sure looks like it. See this article from Reuters. I'm to tired to lampoon the quotes from the wingers who think that flattening Fallujah is the answer, but have at it yourselves, if you like.