US Army Humvee Driving: Rush Hour in Baghdad

[Gokul43201]

The second link's not working.

You can get to the second link from the first one. On the right, click the part that says something like "watch the video online".

I just found it really strange that it was an Iraqi supposedly filming this and that the soldier was friendly and openly explaining what they were doing. Doesn't make any sense. You'd think if they thought what they were doing was illegal that they wouldn't want to be filmed, much less openly talk about it. But from the transcript of the episode you linked to, this really sums it up.

I'm not sure why you feel it's an Iraqi that's filming. I thought it was filmed by the PBS crew.

"Right, there's a major difference between military and police. Soldiers are trained to deal with soldiers. They're trained to deal with opposition armies. They're not trained to deal with civilians. There's a different ethos here. Police are trained to deal with civilians. They're trained to interact on a whole different basis. So while soldiers are trained to, as one officer said, "shoot people and break things", police are trained to preserve and protect."

This is exactly the point. The soldiers were completely clueless on how to deal with these kinds of situations. There was no planning for it, and no specific training given to them to deal with anything like this.

 

[Evo]

I'm not sure why you feel it's an Iraqi that's filming. I thought it was filmed by the PBS crew.

Ooops, you're right, I wasn't paying close enough attention at the beginning. Makes even less sense for them to do this in front of a documentary crew.

This is exactly the point. The soldiers were completely clueless on how to deal with these kinds of situations. There was no planning for it, and no specific training given to them to deal with anything like this.

Couldn't agree with you more.

 

[Cyrus]

Granted they were not well trained for this, they had to do something. You can't shoot the people, and you can't take back what they looted. So what other option is left other than destroy what they took and never let it happen again? Its a hard decision. Yeah, its his livelyhood, but he everyone was looting an entire city.

 

[Integral]

I finally watched the clip.

I cannot see what the problem is. Clearly a humvee stranded in trafic is a setting duck. The obvious rule is... KEEP MOVING. It is also obvious that the civilians are accustomed to such driving, note that only a few cars must be bumped out of the way. Most see it coming and get out of the way. Even when driving on the wrong side of the road the traffic gets out of the way.


Please, let's bring the boys home.

 

[trajan22]

Its the other clip, I am not sure where it is on here but I had seen it before, It shows a tank driving over a car because some people stole wood. Here is the link http://youtube.com/watch?v=8qH8VP18p0k

 

[Gokul43201]

Granted they were not well trained for this, they had to do something. You can't shoot the people, and you can't take back what they looted. So what other option is left other than destroy what they took and never let it happen again?

He took some pieces of wood; he did not take a car. If he didn't own a car, what should they have done? Torn down his house?

Its a hard decision. Yeah, its his livelyhood, but he everyone was looting an entire city.

Maybe they should have chopped of the guy's hands - Sharia style - that'll make sure it never happens again!

So you think their first riddling the car with bulletholes, then boasting about what they were about to do, and then flattening his car, and boasting about it again was their way of handing out well-reasoned and appropriate justice for the situation?

 

[Cyrus]

Lets weigh the only other option, destroying the wood. If they were to do that to every person that looted, what would be the message sent?

It would mean the worst that would happen to someone caught is the loss of what they stole. Thats hardly any punishment. What do they have to lose if they get caught? Nothing. Its only in their benifit to loot if that's all your going to do to them when caught.

I admit, shooting the car was a bit much, but in the end a ruined car does not care if it got shot first.

What alternative method of action could they have possibly done that would send a message to people to stop?

The guy did say to the Iraqi, "that boy needs to be in school".

Actually watch the video again. They shoot out the glass and tires. If you were about to run over a car, would you want the windsheild exploding glass towards you when your standing next to it as it gets sqashed by a tank?

 

[devil-fire]

American soldiers plow through rush hour traffic in Baghdad. There's a swearword at the very end, so sensitive folks, cover your ears.

i didn't think it was too bad considering the danger they might have been facing if they stopped moving, or even worse if they got boxed in somehow during a traffic jam. for those guys there is a vary real chance of being shot at with something or a bomb being detonated as they drive by and often the only defense is to move quickly and make it difficult for the enemy to get a good shot at them. speeding/minor bumping of cars is ok since they are expected to do these things while blaring the their horns. the only part that bugged me was close to the end where they almost ran over the guy walking down the median. personaly i don't think they should be there in the first place, but since they are, i don't think its objectionable that they practice aggressive driving to stay safe

imo they should get flashing lights like on a ambulance and some louder horns. it seemed like some of the cars didn't know the vehicle was behind them till they were bumped.