Just can't figure out why they hate us

"A lot of them just hate us because of collateral damage we cause while going after a legitimate target," said Captain Alex Williams, the brigade's S-2, or intelligence officer. "We try to limit follow-on attacks by giving on-the-spot `I'm sorry' payments."  article

Captain Williams, let me try to explain something to you.

1) These people are not likely to see themselves as "collateral damage". Get a freaking grip on human reality. Has the military jammed your head so far up your behind you can't figure that one out? Or was it already there?

2) Try to take this into the realm of humanity if you can. A "legitimate target" to you is a human being and family member to someone else.

3) "I'm sorry payments"? "I'm sorry payments"? Think about that just for one tiny fraction of a moment, Captain.

At this point, I think the phrase is, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." If I can get there. But right now, I'm still at, "You idiot son-of-a-bitch. Could you be any more disgusting if you tried? Perhaps some day your father or daughter or wife or brother will be either a legitimate target or simply collateral damage."

Abbas is one of dozens of men arrested by mistake during a series of nighttime raids in Samarra over the last week.

His detention and awkward repatriation illustrate the challenges faced by US soldiers trying to process dozens of informant tips, interrogate hundreds of detainees, and track several hundred more suspected guerrillas.

"Sometimes we get bad information," shrugged Captain Todd Brown.

...That was the purpose of the visit to the Abbas home on Monday. After questioning, Williams determined that Abbas was not, in fact, a fighter with the Fedayeen Saddam

But American officers believe that Abbas, like many well-connected Samarrans, knows who the insurgents are and could provide valuable information.

"We just want to turn him into a friend," Williams said. "If everyone in the town hates us, they'll continue to attack coalition forces, and they'll never help us."

So Brown's entire company of 120 soldiers pulled into a quiet Samarra neighborhood in their Bradley fighting vehicles and he duly sat down for tea in Abbas's living room.

..."It's the tea with terrorists program," Lieutenant Andy Sinden joked outside.

Real funny.

I don't know why they hate us.

Even Samarrans who are not actively involved in the resistance will not turn in known guerrilla fighters, [Sahib Noaman, chief of staff to Samarra's mayor] said. Each time American soldiers detain a local, he added, that man's family members join the resistance out of tribal loyalty.

And I just cannot imagine why.

At another house, Brown handed $300 to a man whose front door was blown up during a nighttime raid that netted no arrests.

Suspicion, however, still lingered on his mind. Just because military officials couldn't prove the man was a Fedayeen fighter, he said, circumstantial evidence suggested he was.

Looking at the released suspect, who was clutching a handful of $20 bills, Brown said: "He probably is the guy. He's going to take this money and buy 100 RPGs with it."

And now I am willing to say, that would serve as justice.

What has happened to America's humanity?

So proud to be an American. Support our troops.