Good thing he already has his medal of feedom.

Someone needs to tell Williams that a 16-year old kid just toured Baghdad on his own outside the "Green Zone" with no ill effects. "Within minutes..." Williams, as usual, has NO clue what he's talking about.

Can't wait for the book.

And was that kid a "blonde, blue-eyed Nordic" looking kid? What kinda shoes he was wearing?

I wonder what he looked like and what his family ancestory was?

Heck... I grow a beard and people at work lay into me with terrorist jokes.

I think I read something about this. If it's the same one, then the kid in question was an American of Iraqi descent so no, he wasn't likely to have been a "blonde, blue-eyed Nordic" looking kid. In any event, just because one person manages to do it doesn't mean it's safe for everyone - he could just have been very lucky. Given all the hostake-taking that is going on, you'd have to have a deathwish to try it.

I think this is the story the monkey is referring to:

US teen runs off to Iraq

"Given his heritage, Hassan could almost pass as Iraqi. His father's background helped him secure an entry visa, and native Arabs would see in his face Iraqi features and a familiar skin tone. His wispy beard was meant to help him blend in."

Exactly!

My point wasn't a ethnic one... It was to point out that he did fit in with the culture better. I am not saying that is okay or not... He would have had a really hard time if he didn't have any Iraqi roots and stuck out like a sore thumb.

But, if all want to believe that a 16 year old American can do it... All can!

I think Tom is smarter than that and gets the spin he put on it?

I meant no disrepect towards anyone or their ethnicity. Please except my apology if I offended anyone.

Exactly!

My point without even reading the story and catching a glimps on the tube.

But again, if people like CTM want to believe that "anyone" can assimilate and be safe... Be damned, anyone can!

I find it ironic because this is the same HotPocket mentality that certain posters "claim" to rail against. Go figure!

And he only speaks English.

Ever try blending into a foreign country where you don't speak the language?

Ya...just keep your mouth shut?

You don't think he would get the benefit of doubt? Aren't there many Iraqi ex-patriots and kids that don't speak Arabic?

All he has to do is tell his true story... Say (or somehow convey it) that is parents are from Iraq.

I'd have no problem sending my son (born in Indiana) to a Bills game... He would assimilate perfectly... Even if he didn't get "drunkenese."

The above was just a joke... And has nothing to do with any others. It was intended as a joke towards us as Bills fans.

But, go on and believe that a youth with German roots that came from Rhinelander, Wisconsin could ever pull this off.

Hmmmmm???

Reading only his direct quotes it doesn't strike me as a real scathing commentary. It seems to me that whoever wrote the piece presented thier work in a light in which they had already intended to present it, well before the interview even took place.

Both my parent's families were from Poland!

Maybe we had an Arabic milkman?

Damn you Dairylea!

I didn't think Bremer was particularly scathing either but I did find it interesting that he realized more troops were needed, asked for, and they were not provided. I also found it interesting that the administration apparently thought the occupation would last less than 1 year. I'd heard of this fantasy before but couldn't believe anyone could be so delusional. Unfortunately, the delusional are promoted in this administration and the sober minded are fired.

Anyway, I still think it is a good thing he got his Medal of Freedom given the past tactics of this administration and the conservative talk radio pit bulls that attack anyone who doesn't toe the administrations line. People are only held accountable for their loyalty, not their actions.

This line from that article:



proved to be an eye-opener for me. It's interesting that the population which forms the core of the terrorist element in Iraq also treats American soldiers better. Kind of an odd dichotomy, don't you think?

It seems to be a slightly odd statement if you assume that most of the Iraqi insurgency is made up of Sunni Arabs and are therefore responsible for most of the coalition deaths in Iraq. There are however going to be differences even within the various communities - it could be that most of the Shiites they have come into contact with in Baghdad are followers of Al-Sadr (I think there is a million or so Shiites in Sadr city) and are therefore more likely to be hostile to US forces than Shiites in, say, Najaf or other parts of the south.

As if any large population is homogenous. Believe it or not, it is possible for two different Arabs or Muslims to have different opinions.

Well, duh.

My point was, given that the Sunni Arabs haave the most to lose by us being there, you'd think they'd be FAR more hostile as a whole than the Shiite Arabs and Kurds who were universally crushed by Hussein.

Shiite suspicion is not without justification. It goes back to the British who used the Sunni minority to control the country. If the US were to leave tomorrow, the big looser would most likely be the Sunni minority. The US is the Sunni's best guarantee of some equity in the new government... the Sunnis need the US at this point more than the Shiite.

True, but it's because of US that they lost their hold on power anyway.