US Army Humvee Driving: Rush Hour in Baghdad

[Math Is Hard]

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

 

[Astronuc]

And the US government expects to be 'winning the hearts and minds' of Iraqis while US soldiers are running people off the road.

 

[Evo]

Just one question, where are the American soldiers?

 

[humanino]

Just one question, where are the American soldiers?

They are supposed to be the drivers I guess. But maybe they do have a good reason to rush. Maybe they are driving a pregnant mother to the hospital !

 

[Math Is Hard]

The YouTube poster 'splains it like this:

Watch and see how the American soldiers have to drive through Iraqi streets to limit risks of attacks.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Uh oh, this has been debunked. It is actually video taken in S Central L.A.

 

[Moonbear]

Uh oh, this has been debunked. It is actually video taken in S Central L.A.

 

[Cyrus]

I don't blame them one bit. Id smash the hell outa every car in my way. They are beeping, are the people deaf?

 

[Moonbear]

There sure are a lot of jaywalkers in Bagdad!

It has to be a tough situation...how do they know if someone is just driving slow or if they're purposely trying to obstruct the road to slow them down and make them a target?

Though, are you sure they're American? At the end, they're speaking English, but it doesn't sound like any accent I've ever heard in the US. About 3/4 of the way through the clip, they say something else that I can't even understand the accent sounds so thick. Can anyone else place the accent?

 

[KingNothing]

How else can you free people?

 

[Cyrus]

Sound like normal American to me.

It has to be a tough situation...how do they know if someone is just driving slow or if they're purposely trying to obstruct the road to slow them down and make them a target?

You assume that everyone is trying to obstruct you and drive exactly how they are driving.


No one even cares. The people on the side walk are about to get run over and don't even flinch...classic 3rd world driving.


AHAHAHH I just say the beginning of office space when he's stuck in traffic. Ah, the irony.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Uh oh, this has been debunked. It is actually video taken in S Central L.A.

I was actually thinking Santa Monica. I've nearly been mowed down several times in the crosswalks.

 

[Evo]

I've been in a car in downtown Palermo, Italy. I wish I could get my hands on a video of that, you just would not believe it. It's like bumper cars with an attitude. I didn't stop screaming the whole time.

Then they park 4 deep in the street and actually walk over all the blocked cars to get to the sidewalk, that is if there aren't cars already parked on the sidewalk.

I noticed the same thing with the accent that Moonbear did. Although it would be believable that Amercian soldiers are forced to drive like this in order not to be ambushed. I can't blame the soldiers.

 

[Moonbear]

No one even cares. The people on the side walk are about to get run over and don't even flinch...classic 3rd world driving.

The reaction of the drivers and pedestrians to just take their time in spite of them playing bumper cars suggests this is pretty commonplace there.

 

[Gokul43201]

You think that was inappropriate use of a military vehicle?

Here's what you get for stealing wood

 

[BobG]

I think I'd rather get bumped aside by a Humvee than have one sitting next to me in traffic. The odds of having someone take a shot at them at any given time might be fairly small, but there's a set upper limit to the damage getting bumped can do, as opposed to being next to a Humvee at the wrong time.

 

[Math Is Hard]

You think that was inappropriate use of a military vehicle?

Here's what you get for stealing wood

They crushed his taxi.

 

[FUNKER]

This whole war disgusts me

 

[Evo]

This whole war disgusts me

Are there other wars you approve of? Think back to what has happened in other wars. This war surely has less going on due to media coverage. Doesn't mean that stupid people don't do stupid things. Also, this seemed staged, a gag, it was just too hokey. If it was real, they will be tried for their stupidity, as they should be. No one would condone such activity.

Previous war crimes were much more heinous and usually went unpunished.

 

[Cyrus]

Are there other wars you approve of? Think back to what has happened in other wars. This war surely has less going on due to media coverage. Doesn't mean that stupid people don't do stupid things. Also, this seemed staged, a gag, it was just too hokey. If it was real, they will be tried for their stupidity, as they should be. No one would condone such activity.

Previous war crimes were much more heinous and usually went unpunished.

Whats staged the humvee clip? I am pretty sure they actually do drive like that. They are not going to sit around so someone can shoot RPG's at their humvee.

I think the driver was being really nice. I would move them much harder if I were behind the wheel.

 

[FUNKER]

Just the power that corrupts all in these situations, big gun = power. I guess I should just say ' Welcome to war'

 

[Evo]

Whats staged the humvee clip? I am pretty sure they actually do drive like that. They are not going to sit around so someone can shoot RPG's at their humvee.

I think the driver was being really nice. I would move them much harder if I were behind the wheel.

No, you're looking at wrong clip, I'm talking about the taxi crushing video.

 

[Integral]

IF there is only one swear word, I would suspect a fake.

 

[trajan22]

I doubt its fake, I've seen several frontlines where the security forces drive like that.

 

[Gokul43201]

Also, this seemed staged, a gag, it was just too hokey.

Not unless PBS is now into staging gags. That clip was from a Frontline documentary.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/truth/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/truth/view/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/truth/view/

PS: Anyone that hasn't seen this documentary before, you can watch the whole thing from the second link above. It's an excellent piece.

 

[Cyrus]

While it may seem harsh, you have to remember at the time that people were looting literally everything. I mean, they were even taking things like the light switches from inside buildings.

You have to put that to a stop, and the only way is by harsh punishment if your caught.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Well, right or wrong, I'm just glad that it has all worked out so well.

 

[Cyrus]

You forgot [/sarcasm]...now your going to get 50 people taking you literally.

 

[Evo]

Not unless PBS is now into staging gags. That clip was from a Frontline documentary.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/truth/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/truth/view/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/truth/view/

PS: Anyone that hasn't seen this documentary before, you can watch the whole thing from the second link above. It's an excellent piece.

The second link's not working.

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.

"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."

 

[Ivan Seeking]

You forgot [/sarcasm]...now your going to get 50 people taking you literally.

Yes, and if the tables were turned I'd probably be the first.

 

[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.