Juba - Insurgent Sniper

So I can see the hate against americans, but I don't see why they go for the grunts. All killing is wrong, and I can't agree with either sides. But both sides definately do have a reason to do what they are doing.

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Why go for the grunts... easiest target, and history has proven that especially the US is allergic to bodybags, whatever the cause.

The only reason that there is a big mess south of Kirkuk / Mosul province borders is that in that area there was no working government to take over in the first weeks. The only reasons that there are US troops in the north, where there is a reasonably stable government, are:
1: To keep their promise to NATO partner Turkey that the north doesn't declare it's independence, at least not before Dubya is gone.
2: To give the sunnites a chance to get away before the north declares itself independent (with either Kirkuk or Mosul as capital) with all the obvious property reclaiming that will take place. (there were massive deportations in the late 80's to get the oilfields under pro-saddam control)

Harrm said:

Probably doing the same thing that sniper guy in the US was doing awhile back by shooting and ditching. Jeez, I can't even remember where that was now.

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You may be referring to the DC area sniper. I believe his scare lasted a few months around here, until he was captured at a rest area about an hour outside of DC towards Pittsburgh.

IIRC, he was using an AR15-family carbine that was stolen from a gun shop up in the Pacific Northwest.

Edit: I should say "they". The older guy had an accomplice, who was underage at the time.

Crazy_Ivan said:

(...)
The only reason that there is a big mess south of Kirkuk / Mosul province borders is that in that area there was no working government to take over in the first weeks. (...)

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That's not true.
There are many reasons like dissolving the army (mostly sunnis people) --> ~200,000 soldiers and many more people who depend on them
Ignoring looting and thus extending the rebuilding process.
Not delievering what people need to survive --> water, food, pharmaceuticals and electricity. If it takes you one second to destroy water depots but weeks (after you have won) to build them up again there is something wrong.
Generally sunnis's live was not so bad under hussein, I guess now it is far worse for them.

Nukeproof said:

Ok, ecale3 I kind of got you wrong.

I agree it's the human nature which tends to rely on brute force and voilence in certain situations. Thereby permanent peace along with every individuals happyness won't be achieved any time soon.

On the other hand: if an individual, a society or entire mankind decides to give up trying to struggle for peace, would that improve anything?

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They should struggle for something more realistic, like their basic freedoms. I would die for my right to do the random and peculiar shit i do before i would die for peace. Besides, the big, powerful ideals and beliefs and religions are one of the major causes of war, strife and human suffering.

Struggle for your right to be yourself, cause peace isn't going to happen.

I think between freedom and peace, peace would be easier to achieve.

Plus peace isn't like other ideals, you don't start a war over peace.

War isn't just about young, well equipped and well trained volunters fighting abroad (which seems common to believe in the US - due to centuries without war on own territory)

Freedom ain't worth sh!t if your kids starve or your house is bombed to trash the next day...

Rostam said:

I think between freedom and peace, peace would be easier to achieve.

Plus peace isn't like other ideals, you don't start a war over peace.

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Haha, i'll bet you don't.

came across this the otherday. made me think of this thread.

"Juba" is the name given to a supposed sniper who is a member of the Iraq insurgency. It is believed "Juba" has killed or wounded up to one hundred American soldiers.

The existence of "Juba" has never been proven although U.S. soldiers have been led to believe that a single individual was responsible for numerous sniper attacks. In the aftermath of many incidents, a note has been found, written in Arabic which states, "What has been taken in blood cannot be regained except by blood. Baghdad Sniper". It is also widely believed that "Juba" is more appropriately used as a generic term to refer to multiple individuals carrying out sniper attacks.

In 2005, a military commander in Iraq suggested that "Juba" had been captured. An Iraqi sniper in a van had shot an American soldier but was not seriously wounded. Fellow soldiers searched the area, later wounding and capturing two snipers. They also located the van and found a cushioned sniper's nest lined with numerous bed mattresses and a hole just big enough through which a sniper could engage a target.

i dont think one single man has caused, i think it was a 20%, of the casualties on the american side, though it could be. What is true is that a big number of those casualties have been recorded in video while taken down