# Which part of 'War Zone' don't you understand? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 8, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527 "2005-03-08T14:22:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/21 "2005-03-08T17:18:56Z")
I don’t know who’s in the right and in the wrong about this incident. But if things are still this totally fucked up from a security POV, can we assume that it’s gonna take a great deal more than a bunch of blue fingers to make Iraq safe for democracy? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/22 "2005-03-08T17:32:07Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > These were trained Italian secret service agents on a notoriously dangerous roadway with a rescued hostage in the car. To me this lends more credence to the possibility they _didn’t_ fuck up. Highly trained secret service people are usually very aware of their surroundings. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/23 "2005-03-08T17:42:54Z")
> [@Ithaka](#): > > Hmmm, possibly the most ignorant and piss-brained OP I’ve seen. > > **Quicksilver** , what exactly is your experience of war zones and how they work?\* If you have any how does it justify the ill-aimed bile spewing that you posted? Get a grip. Oooo… you got me there, mate. Mind like a steel trap you 'ave. Tell you another secret… I’ve never gone swimming in shark infested waters but I know enough not to jump in with a big ol’ bucket of blood and a “Free Lunch” sign around my neck. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/24 "2005-03-08T17:48:17Z")
Sharks can read? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/25 "2005-03-08T17:50:47Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > To me this lends more credence to the possibility they _didn’t_ fuck up. Highly trained secret service people are usually very aware of their surroundings. I thought so too so I was very surprised at the ultimate outcome. Still, both sides admited to an absence of communication, and trained or not, mistakes do occure. However, the rantings of targeted persecution from the reporter are the object of my pitting not so much the actions of her security personel. But I can see how tempting it is for some folks to want to ignore that subtle point. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/26 "2005-03-08T17:55:08Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Sharks can read? Just wanted to make sure that reporters don’t confuse the shark attack for unprovoked aggression. Of couse, it’s possible that some will still jump to the conclusion that the sharks posted that sign to deny responsibility. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/27 "2005-03-08T17:57:54Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I don’t know who’s in the right and in the wrong about this incident. > > But if things are still this totally fucked up from a security POV, can we assume that it’s gonna take a great deal more than a bunch of blue fingers to make Iraq safe for democracy? It’s rational responses like this that spoil it for everyone in the pit! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/28 "2005-03-08T18:03:03Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I thought so too so I was very surprised at the ultimate outcome. Still, both sides admited to an absence of communication, and trained or not, mistakes do occure. > > However, the rantings of targeted persecution from the reporter are the object of my pitting not so much the actions of her security personel. > > But I can see how tempting it is for some folks to want to ignore that subtle point. I agree, I think it’s insane to think that Bush called it in. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/29 "2005-03-08T18:11:15Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > :rolleyes: > > Don’t be an idiot. Why? Is there a difference in your mind between a couple of thousands of american corpses and a couple of thousands of irakies one? In my mind the only difference, (an important one), is that the terrorist were deliberately targeting civilian… American soldiers simply don’t seem to give a damm of who they are targeting. In both cases innocent dies for no reason ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/30 "2005-03-08T18:13:41Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > And the award for the Most Incisive Use of Non-Sequitur as a Rhetorical Device goes to… Did you mean?: And the award for the Most Incisive Use of a Rhetorical Device to a Non-Sequitur… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/31 "2005-03-08T18:16:33Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > American soldiers simply don’t seem to give a damm of who they are targeting. In GD I’d ask for a cite… but here… 😕 :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/32 "2005-03-08T18:24:38Z")
While I believe that this was a tragic accident, I’m highly sympathetic to the reporter’s belief that the US was out to get her. I mean, let’s look at the chain of events:[ol] [li]She’s Captured by insurgents and held for some time.[/li][li]Her Countrymen arrange for her release. Yay![/li][li]Before letting her go, the insurgents warn her that “The Americans don’t want to see her go free”. Silly terrorists.[/li][li]After getting through several checkpoints, the Americans do, in fact, open fire on her.[/li][li]As a result, she’s injured, and the archetecht of her freedom dies in her arms.[/li][/ol] She’s histerical, but really, can you blame her? I mean, those insurgents are starting to look mighty prophetic, aren’t they… ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/33 "2005-03-08T18:26:50Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Which part of ‘War Zone’ don’t you understand? Well for starters, just when did it become a war? Surely this is a “liberation of the iraqi people zone”. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/34 "2005-03-08T18:33:05Z")
> [@Menocchio](#): > > She’s histerical, but really, can you blame her? I mean, those insurgents are starting to look mighty prophetic, aren’t they… 🙂 You’re taking the piss! …right? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/35 "2005-03-08T18:36:38Z")
> [@Gary Kumquat](#): > > Well for starters, just when did it become a war? Surely this is a “liberation of the iraqi people zone”. Well technically, yes. The ones that are _not_ being indiscriminately targeted are SO going to be liberated… very shortly now. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/36 "2005-03-08T19:15:43Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Well technically, yes. The ones that are _not_ being indiscriminately targeted are SO going to be liberated… very shortly now. Yep, any day now. Say, how many people were blown to smithereens yesterday? 33? ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/37 "2005-03-08T21:05:25Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > To me this lends more credence to the possibility they _didn’t_ fuck up. Highly trained secret service people are usually very aware of their surroundings. Besides, they had already passed through, what?, two checking points already?; seems to me that they were aware of the procedures involved, why would they suddenly forget about that on the last one? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/38 "2005-03-08T21:16:19Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > Besides, they had already passed through, what?, two checking points already?; seems to me that they were aware of the procedures involved, why would they suddenly forget about that on the last one? Good point. We don’t have many facts, but if you throw together the few bits we obviously know, it leans towards the US soldiers fucking up. ---
**Author:** ![Tigers2B1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tigers2B1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tigers2B1)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/39 "2005-03-08T21:31:09Z")
_la Repubblica.it_ has just published pictures of a car that the publication says is the car in which Sgrena was riding and Calipari was killed. There are six pictures, all linked below - [http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/6.html](http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/6.html) [http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/5.html](http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/5.html) [http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/4.html](http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/4.html) [http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/3.html](http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/3.html) [http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/2.html](http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/2.html) [http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/1.html](http://www.repubblica.it/2003/e/gallerie/cronaca/autosgrena/1.html) The main site- > **[la Repubblica - News in tempo reale - Le notizie e i video di politica,...](https://www.repubblica.it/index.html)** > > Repubblica è il quotidiano online aggiornato 24 ore su 24 su politica, cronaca, economia, sport, esteri, spettacoli, musica, cultura, scienza, tecnologia. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527/40 "2005-03-08T21:34:45Z")
It’s still a war zone? I thought hostilities had ended, though! No one knows enough yet to make any call on it. It’s most likely that both parties fucked up. The poor woman was trying to do her job, got taken hostage, eventually got released, and then got shot and had to watch one of her rescuers died. Can we at least summon up the _slightest_ trace of sympathy for that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-part-of-war-zone-dont-you-understand/293527.md?page=3)