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US Army making up Iraqi quotes?

SmooveK

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Jul 1, 2005
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Following are two quotes as provided by the U.S. military in news releases:

Sunday's news release said: "'The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the ISF and all of Iraq. They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists,' said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified."

The July 13 news release said: "'The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the children and all of Iraq,' said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified. 'They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists.'"

CNN story

This really really bugs me. If this reveals that the US military has been supplying the people with fake quotes to support US war involvement, I can't see this as anything but directly lying to the world. You have the claim of bad chain of command or faulty intelligence for the previous mistakes and travesties made, but directly manufacturing information to sway public opinion is 1984 rhetoric without argument.

I left the US for a large part due to the political situation and I grow increasingly sure that it was a good idea.
 
The US Military making ◊◊◊◊ up again?
Don`t tell me you`re suprised?
(Somehow I don`t think you are;) )
 
Originally posted by SmooveK
This really really bugs me. If this reveals that the US military has been supplying the people with fake quotes to support US war involvement, I can't see this as anything but directly lying to the world.

That's one explanation, I can think of several others:

1) Coincidence. Hey, it happens.

2) Both Iraqis learned the phrasing from the same source. "I will now take the fight to the terrorists." is pretty military, these might both be Iraqis who are serving in the Iraqi security forces, and both learned this English phrase from the same person.

3) They could be the same sourse. Both were from people who preferred not to be identified. It could easily be two reporters heard the same guy say the same thing, only one of them transcribed the phrasing a little differently.

Or there could other explanations neither of us have thought of. In order to believe yours, however, one would have to believe these Iraqi men are willing to help our the USA by supplying friendly quotes to the press, but are too stupid to think of anything on their own. That could be true, but I prefer to believe Iraqis have at least average human IQs.
 
demon said:
The US Military making ◊◊◊◊ up again?
Don`t tell me you`re suprised?
(Somehow I don`t think you are;) )

It met your standards, didn't it? ;)
 
Mycroft:
"1) Coincidence. Hey, it happens."

And they say you ain`t a funny guy!
 
Considering the replies are supposedly by two different people in two different places responding to two different events, and they are being quoted by one source, a natural coincidence seems the only (highly unlikely) acceptable reason.

Of course, there is one highly likely unacceptable reason.
 
Re: Re: US Army making up Iraqi quotes?

Mycroft said:
In order to believe yours, however, one would have to believe these Iraqi men are willing to help our the USA by supplying friendly quotes to the press, but are too stupid to think of anything on their own. That could be true, but I prefer to believe Iraqis have at least average human IQs.
How so? In order to believe the US army third division press liason people could issue bogus quotes you don't have to believe anything about Iraqis or thier IQ....

They were sloppy and got busted.... which , to me, seems confirmed by the army's statement that it was an "administrative error".
 
In support of my argument I would like to provide this quote from an unnamed Jref member..


"The fool, is absolutely correct, any one who cannot see this is a dill."
 
Here is another quote from an unnamed Iraqi.

"The fool, is absolutely correct, any one who cannot see this is a dill."
 
I just Rang the Australian government and got this quote from an unnamed highly placed Foriegn affairs operative.

"The fool, is absolutely correct, any one who cannot see this is a dill."
 

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