There's obviously no limit to the depths of depravity the U.S. military will sink in order to kill the enemy while saving their own skins. According to Australian newspapers, sadistic U.S. soldiers were spotted burning the bodies of Taliban freedom fighters in a twisted ploy to lure their comrades out of hiding.
It's all one big joke to the right-wing chickenhawks, but to the Muslim people the mutilation of the dead is considered a vile form of desecration fit only for civilian contractors and Jews. In accordance with Islamic law, the deceased must be ritually bathed and buried facing Mecca, or they will be reincarnated as 7-ll clerks with hairy foreheads and bad dispositions.
After the infamous genital-mocking incidents at Abu Ghraib prison, and the rampant Quran-mishandling atrocities at Gitmo, one would think that the U.S. military would be a little more careful not to offend radical muslim clerics and Democrat senators. While human decency requires that we mock and ridicule barbaric Christian traditions like monogamy and pre-marital abstinence, Islam is a rich tapestry of religious customs that must be respected and preserved. It's not too much to ask that troops take a little time out from their oh-so-busy schedule to sponge-bathe the bodies of those they've viciously slaughtered, bury them facing Mecca, and then dance around the sacred yak while a licensed union imam screeches like a wounded hyena through a ceremonial bullhorn. If soldiers would simply educate themselves about the Religion of Peace, then perhaps they'll come to respect other Muslim traditions as well - such as flying planes into buildings and sawing the heads off infidels.
It isn't rocket science, folks.
"perhaps they'll come to respect other Muslim traditions as well..."
And stoning homos. You forgot stoning homos.
First?
Posted by: brainsample | October 20, 2005 at 09:58 PM
I brought marshmallows. Does this count towards my final grade?
Posted by: spd rdr | October 20, 2005 at 10:02 PM
Indeed, if our troops were at all sensible, they would allow themselves to be killed so that the members of the religion of peace could desecrate their bodies in their religious ceremonies.
Posted by: StateOfJefferson | October 20, 2005 at 10:06 PM
Alright, yeah, damn the troops. But we can't let this Rove-headed diversion steer us away from PlameGate, GannonGate, or the sacred Downing Street Memo.
Posted by: Sen. Durbin | October 21, 2005 at 12:04 AM
America's babykillers are doing more than just burning Peace Loving Muslims, sometimes they've even been known to callously dump their bodies into a hole in the ground!!! Sick bastards.
Posted by: Menstrual Rainbow | October 21, 2005 at 02:58 AM
Peace on YOU!
Posted by: camojack | October 21, 2005 at 04:09 AM
This is the same crap we pulled in the Crusades, and those wounds still seep blood in the hearts of Progressyves and the faithful who observe the Religion of Peace. I mourn for those who would've sawed my head off with a dull butter knife. The ending of their rampages was not done in my name.
Posted by: Moonchild | October 21, 2005 at 04:45 AM
I the words of the great progressyve Donald Sutherland: how dare we...
How on the Great Goddess' good green globe did the heinous Jack Bauer, who spends his time attacking Islamic freedom fighters brave enough to take the fight to American soil, come from his seed? Donald followed the progressyve child raising philosophy of not actually raising your children, didn't he?
I think we all know what went wrong... Damn that Bush!
Posted by: Dork | October 21, 2005 at 05:01 AM
one would think that the U.S. military would be a little more careful not to offend radical militant Jihadists and Democrat senators
I'm confused Larry. What exactly is the distinction here? I thought we were all on the same side?
Posted by: Bush Ate My Soul... | October 21, 2005 at 05:11 AM
I say the military should return to the age old tradition of F'ing NUKING THE BASTARDS.
Posted by: Libby Gone™ | October 21, 2005 at 05:39 AM
Seems to me you're just saying the tradition of cleaning the body is stupid. What seems stupid to me is burning the bodies. It smells of hiding evidence. Is this routine military practice? Why didn't the soldiers just leave the bodies for people more versed in the culture to clean? What would U.S. Americans say if the same groups were doing battle on U.S. soil and the Taliban burned the bodies of the soldiers it killed?
Posted by: BlackWidow | October 21, 2005 at 07:51 AM
Seems to me you're just saying the tradition of cleaning the body is stupid. What seems stupid to me is burning the bodies. It smells of hiding evidence. Is this routine military practice? Why didn't the soldiers just leave the bodies for people more versed in the culture to clean? What would U.S. Americans say if the same groups were doing battle on U.S. soil and the Taliban burned the bodies of the soldiers it killed?
Here is a long excerpt from an article on the incident:
US soldiers in Afghanistan burnt the bodies of dead Taliban and taunted their opponents about the corpses, in an act deeply offensive to Muslims and in breach of the Geneva conventions.
An investigation by SBS's Dateline program, to be aired tonight, filmed the burning of the bodies.
It also filmed a US Army psychological operations unit broadcasting a message boasting of the burnt corpses into a village believed to be harbouring Taliban.
According to an SBS translation of the message, delivered in the local language, the soldiers accused Taliban fighters near Kandahar of being "cowardly dogs". "You allowed your fighters to be laid down facing west and burnt. You are too scared to retrieve their bodies. This just proves you are the lady boys we always believed you to be," the message reportedly said.
"You attack and run away like women. You call yourself Taliban but you are a disgrace to the Muslim religion, and you bring shame upon your family. Come and fight like men instead of the cowardly dogs you are."
(Tom Allard, Published on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 by the Sydney Morning Herald / Australia )
Posted by: BlackWidow | October 21, 2005 at 07:56 AM
Larry,
Bravo!
I wonder what would happen if you were to send it to say, the New York Times or some other MSM paper as a letter to the editor?
In my opinion it is a master piece that goes beyond satire.
Bravo!
Posted by: Friend of USA | October 21, 2005 at 08:06 AM
Black Widow,
The terrorists always fight as per the Dutchess of Queensbury's rules. They're also signatories to the Geneva Convention(s) and they never broadcast videos threatening "ïnfidels."
Posted by: I am the ponytailed guy | October 21, 2005 at 08:10 AM
Yes. It IS Rocket Science.
FORMULAS FOR MODEL ROCKETRY
(Force Derived from Rocket Motor Test Stand)
1. Impulse (For Each Motor) = Force from Spring Scale (N) / Average Burn Time (s)
= _____N.s.
Force must be measured in Newtons, may have to convert from kilograms to newtons.
Average Burn Time is the average of Initial Impulse and Sustained Impulse per motor.
2. Force (Rocket Thrust) = F_T = Average Impulse (N.s.) / Average Burn Time (s)
Average Impulse is the average of all impulses for that type of motor.
Average Burn Time is the average of all Initial Impulses and Sustained Impulses obtained for that specific type of motor.
(Actual Measurements)
3. Average Weight of Rocket =
((Mass of Rocket w/ New Motor + Mass of Rocket w/ Used Motor)/2) x Gravity
= ________N
4. Decent Rate = Distance of Fall / Time of Decent => d/t = ____m/s
Drop Height = _____m
Drop # Decent Time (s)
1 __________s
2 __________s
3 __________s
4 __________s
Average
Time __________s
Distance of fall is from a known height (ie. Gym Balconey).
5. Final Velocity 1 =V_F1 = ((Rocket Thrust - 1)(gt)) / Average Rocket Weight = ____m/s
'g' is gravity and' t' is flight time.
(Theoretical Calculations)
6. Drag Formula = D = CDO A 1/2 PV^2
Drag increases as the square of the velocity increases.
CDO is the Aerodynamic Drag Coefficient determined by shape and surface smoothness.
'A' is the cross sectional Area of an aerodynamic shape, to include nose cone, body tube,
tail section, launch lugs, and tail fins.
'P' is the density of air, greek symbol Rho.
V^2 is the Velocity Squared.
7. Net Force = F_net = Rocket Thrust - Average weight of rocket - drag = ____N
8. Acceleration = a = (Net Force acting on rocket) / (Average Mass of rocket) = ____m/s^2
9. Final Velocity 2 = v_F2 = Acceleration x Average Burn Time = ____m/s^2
10. Average Velocity = v = (v_F + v_I) / 2 = ____ m/s
Use both v_F1 and v_F2 for v_F
11. Terminal Velocity = v_T = Square Root of: ((2W) / (CDO P A)) = ____m/s
'W is the average weight of the rocket.
12. Thrusting Ballistic Coefficient = TBC = (WI - 1/2WP) /CDO A = ____kg m/s
'CDO' is Coefficient of Drag Overall, and often estimated at 0.75 for model rockets.
'WI' is the Initial Weight of a rocket with a new motor and packing tissue.
'WP' is the Weight of Propellant.
13. Coasting Ballistic Coefficient = CBC = (WI - WP) / (CDO A) = ____kg m/s
(Calculations From Actual Flight Data)
14. Altitude #1 = Average Velocity x Time of Flight = ______m
15. Altitude #2A = If < A + < B is less than 90^o use CD = AB ((Sin < A)(Sin < B)) /
(Sin < A + < B)) = ______m
16. Altitude #2B = If < A + < B is more than 90^o use CD = AB ((Sin < A)(Sin < B)) /
(Sin (180 - < A - < B)) = ______m
17. Add distance to eye level: CF = CD + DF = ______m Total Altitude
18. Speed = CF / Flight Time = ______m/s
19. Horsepower = (Mass x Altitude) / (76 x Burn Time) = ______kg m/s
(Rocket Motor Labeling)
1. Green - Single stage.
2. Purple and Blue - Top stage of Multi-staged rocket.
3. Red - Booster and Intermediate staged rocket.
(Code Designation)
1. 1st Portion indicates total impulse or total power produced by motor.
2. 2nd Portion, number shows the motors average thrust in Newtons.
3. 3rd Portion, number gives the delay in seconds between burnout and ejection.
Examples
1/2A - 6 - 2 & B - 6 - 4
An "A" motor is twice as powerful as a "1/2A" motor.
A "B" motor is twice as powerful as an "A" motor, etc.
http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/pams/physics/PCEP/www/PCEPTeachers/verneb/rockfml.htm
Posted by: Bush4Ever | October 21, 2005 at 08:41 AM
Which of those symbols means "about"? Because we can't be forcing people to have exact answers, you know.
Posted by: Dodger | October 21, 2005 at 08:49 AM
when the islamic freedom fighters burn people it is done in the name of peace.
Posted by: dave | October 21, 2005 at 09:05 AM
Dear Friend of USA,
(Sarcasm aside) That's why they're called terrorists.
-BW
Posted by: Black Widow | October 21, 2005 at 09:46 AM
BW -
Weren't those boys in Khandahar the same lot that rounded up the "offenders of the faith" and took them to a soccer match?
Unfortunately, they turned out to be the "halftime entertainment". I still recall a video where the Taliban made a woman kneel in front of the soccer goal then shot her in the back of the head.
I guess that's Muslim for:
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!
(in your best Andres Cantor voice)
Even if this account from the land of Oz were true, remind me again - we're feeling sorry for les Taliban because...?
(crickets chirping...)
Cheers - DC
Posted by: DC | October 21, 2005 at 10:14 AM
Dear Black widow,
What?!...
Posted by: Friend of USA | October 21, 2005 at 10:49 AM
Dear Black Widow;
We are always striving to be sensitive to the Religion of Peace. As the article noted, in a somewhat tongue in cheek way, burning is done for hygiene reasons. The bodies could have been contaminated with disease, or
partially decomposed. Not only that, if the local village had not properly taken care of them as per religious custom, there might have been a reason their own people didn't touch them. Remember, the bodies were burned allegedly in sight of a taliban stronghold, so why the taliban didn't see to it is something that should be asked.
Also, you are forgetting that 18 months ago, the Fallujah chapter of Al qaeda International, a Wahhabist sect of the Religion of Peace burned and mutilated four US contractors.
Posted by: Cricket | October 21, 2005 at 11:38 AM
1. The Geneva Conventions apply to treatment of all human beings (including terrorists and prisoners of war).
Here are some quotes from the Convention:
A. Even if they are found to be "unlawful combatants" they still have rights under international humanitarian law – to humane treatment, to a fair trial if charged with a crime, and not to be tortured.
B. …under the Geneva Conventions, it's up to an independent judge to determine the status of the "detainees," not whoever detains them. As well, Canadian regulations on prisoner-of-war status dictate that detainees must be brought before a military tribunal to determine whether they're prisoners of war or not.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/iraq/genevaconventions.html
2. If these Taliban members had been alive, this would have been tantamount to mutilation or torture. Under the Geneva Conventions, it is not up to soldiers to decide the form of punishment inflicted. Soldiers do not get to be judges. They do not get to decide what is adequate punishment for a terrorist. So it is not a matter of the terrorist "deserving" this treatment or not.
3. I am more concerned with the reaction of the entire Muslim community who are now aware that this incident took place. This was not a desecration of the terrorists so much as a descration of the Muslim faith.
I qoute:
"You allowed your fighters to be laid down facing west and burnt. You are too scared to retrieve their bodies. This just proves you are the lady boys we always believed you to be," the message reportedly said.
And so it seems that the soldiers were actually aware of what they were doing.
4. This is related to 1. I have more criticism for rational people who behave in despicable ways than I do for those who are not rational. I do not consider terrorists to be rational. But I do consider the majority of US soldiers to be rational. I am not surprised when a terrorist behaves in such a manner. I am surprised, critical and angry when a soldier (a representative of the US whose role in Afghanistan is funded by my tax dollars) behaves in such a way.
Basically, this is about ethical behavior. The only arguments I have heard so far do not address the root issue. Just because terrorists have done horrible things does not mean that it is okay for soldiers to behave unethically, particularly in a situation in which such behavior serves no purpose but to incite animosity. And I mean animosity not only from terrorists but from law-abiding Muslims toward not only soliders but all US Americans.
P.S. To brainsample: As I said, this is about behaving ethically. No rational person believes stoning homosexual people is ethical. There are bad and good things in nearly every religion and culture. For example, the Catholic Church still discriminates against homosexuals and yet it seems to have many clergymen who are somewhat less discriminate...
In the past, many Protestant churches in the southern states sanctioned and promoted slavery. They even used Christianity to justify its existence. This just goes to show that religion can be manipulated to suit selfish ends. It should surprise no one that some Muslims use religion to attain and maintain their power. We have our own example at home.
Posted by: BlackWidow | October 21, 2005 at 11:48 AM
What we don't need to do at this point is draw any conclusions, especially from unverified newspaper reports. It's not like there haven't been wrong ones before.
And no BW, that is not SOP, but on the other hand, until the investigation is concluded, we won't really know what happened, or why. Which is why it is called an "investigation". A process, during which questions are asked of witnesses and answers are learned.
And in the meantime, responsible people hopefully will withhold judgment.
Or not, I suppose, as their natures dictate.
And then we have the press, whose idea of responsible reporting goes something like this;
News at 11
Posted by: Bush Ate My Soul... | October 21, 2005 at 11:50 AM
That last "example" should have been plural. I don't buy into the blame everything on one person crap. And neither, I think, do most liberals. I think that's the strange thing about this site. I find some of it humorous, but it's such a polarized and warped representation of both sides. Well, the aspects of those sides with which I am familiar. And by hiding it all in satire, many of you are allowed to give vent to your bigotry and hypocrisy in ways that you usually could not in an honest and serious debate. Really educational...
-BW
Posted by: BlackWidow | October 21, 2005 at 11:52 AM
News at 11, thanks for being at least open to the possibility that something wrong might have happened.
-BW
Posted by: BlackWidow | October 21, 2005 at 11:54 AM