Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cousin

It was in a province where we'd supposedly handed over control to the Iraqis, too. What the fuck?

US raid kills cousin of Iraqi prime minister

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

I was in a clusterfuck last weekend.

Cialis is a hell of a drug.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

I told ya so.

36 hours is FAR better than 4 hours.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

I'm sure Maliki's cousin would have liked to have been getting blown, flow, but he was too busy getting his brains blown out, unfortunately.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

Man, I HATE when that happens. Somebody's got a case of "The Mondays."

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

I'd be interesting in knowing the exact connects to Maliki.


'Cousin' in the middleeast can literally apply to hundreds if not thousands of individuals.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

And not interested in the exact circumstances of how US troops shot an Iraqi in an area they were not supposed to be?

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

I've heard it was actually his father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

Who said it was an accident? We need things done a certain way and pressure needs to be applied......

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

$20 says this was the Army. The Marines get into a high visibility gunfight and the Army brass throws them under the bus before the bodies are even cold; throws the MARSOC det out of the country and everything. On the other hand, you get something like the Pat Tillman incident and that gets quietly swept under the rug.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

He's one of his bodyguards, I think. As well as his cousin.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

How incompetent do you have to be to raid the prime minister's sister's home without knowing it's the prime minister's sister's home?

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

I wouldn't count my weasels before they've popped Bobcat. Look what happened to Murtha when he went on record, talking out of his ass. All the Marines were acquitted and at least one of them may sue him for defamation of character and libel. Suing the "Time" "author"/al Qaeda PR guy, McGirk, too.

1) As Anc has pointed out, "cousin" means radically different in Iraq than it does here,
2) Even IF this guy was straight up, like, a first cousin, that still doesn't guarantee that he wasn't crooked. Hell, it could just as easily guarantee that he DESERVED to have his ass popped.
3) Even if 1 & 2 don't wash, this sort of thing, while tragic, happens all the time. Look at how often the cops raid the wrong place and someone winds up getting shot. If it can happen to Americans, protected by the Bill of Rights and due process, it can sure as Hell happen in a foreign country, where terrorists are hiding amongst the general populace. Hell. If, as I mentioned earlier, Pat Tillman could get shot by other soldiers in an extended gunfight, it isn't particularly surprising that, during a raid on suspected terrorists, a bystander could get shot. And,
4) BDS is a tragic affliction. Seek immediate psychiatric help.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

What part of prime minister's sister's house don't you understand?

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

Let me know when the cops raid Jeb Bush's house without knowing who it belongs to, because that's the equivalent in this case.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

Actually, you'd think the 'get out of Iraq' folks would be pleased at the repercussions of this, if not the fact itself.

This is sure to affect the status of forces negotiations, and that's the key to the level of US involvement in Iraq in the near future.

Not much in the way of details in the article. I'll be interested in how this plays out.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

And in South Carolina!

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

As for whether or not he was corrupt, Micheal Yon has a story of the equivalent to a 4-star general here in the US taking bribes from Al Queda so that they could smuggle weapons over the Iran/Iraq border.

I'll wait till we hear more details.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

Oh, they do. They do. Why I bet Moulin Rouge was licking her chops and rubbing her palms together with glee as she posted this.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

We "accidentally" killed his cousin. There wasn't any political statement in this at all.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

Things happen in war.

In the initial invasion didn't the USAF bomb a group of vehicles and kill the son of one of the pro U.S. Kurdish leaders?

A few mistaken killings here and there do not invalidate the legitimacy of the invasion or occupation.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

I hope you didn't bet your life savings.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

The invasion of Iraq was fully justified for more reasons than I care to list here.

U.S. losses have not been too significant. The loss of two soldiers per day at the most on average is a historically low number.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

The losses are significant, Dayton3, despite being a historically low number.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

Ah yes, the "stuff happens" justification.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

actormike, I think you forgot the rest of your post. Please... tell us more!

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

When one uses good words, one needs fewer of them.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

C' mon, admit it. You got a little moist down there when you heard about this and rushed off to share it with us.

Re: Does the clusterfuck never end? US troops accidentally gun down PM Maliki's cous

Yeah. People getting their brains blown out really gets me off. How did you know?