Insurgents...no, al queda...no, criminals!

[frogcycle]

I have noticed a trend of late in news releases from OIF to describe the hostile forces with whom our forces engage as "criminals." Not "enemy," not "insurgents," not "Al Queda," not "terrorists." Just plain "criminals." they still use the other terms too, but "criminals" is becoming more popular.


Another wave of reframing the issue? Is the occupation now officially a "police action?"
Is this laying the groundwork for yet another definition of the "mission" of our troops?

Perhaps it is to avoid admitting that they are combatants in a civil war? Becaues of course if that were the case, we'd have no business being there.

Coalition UAV engages RPG team, kills four criminals (Basra)
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080416-08
April 16, 2008

Coalition UAV engages RPG team, kills four criminals

BASRA, Iraq – A Coalition forces Predator unmanned aerial vehicle observed five criminals attack an Iraqi Army patrol with rocket propelled grenades on the eastern side of the Hayyaniyah district at approximately 1:00 a.m. on April 16.

The UAV engaged the criminals and fired a Hellfire missile killing four and wounding one.

The criminals’ vehicle was suspected of containing more weapons and ammunition and engaged and destroyed by a second Hellfire missile.

On a side note, this account is actually pretty cool, assuming you stipulate that the "criminals" were enemy in a war. Because, of course, just pounding a hellfire into the midst of a gang of criminals would not exactly be the rule of law, would it? Anyway, getting past the lack of justification for our doing it, the fact is that somebody in Las Vegas, or St Louis, or some other stateside base drove to work from a house in the suburbs, sat down at the desk, got his work assignment, flew his vehicle (Predator) from its base in Iraq to Basra, spotted these characters launching their RPG attack, fried them, returned the predator to its base, went home to the wife and kids. Now if we were using that capability to actually engage enemies, it would be pretty good!

[happyslug]

1. At least these are Criminals NOT Bandits

The insurgents in the Warsaw Ghetto were Bandits, at least we are fighting Criminals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Ghetto_Uprising

The Stoop Report:
http://www.holocaust-history.org/works/stroop-report/htm/intro000.htm

Page 12 of the report, where the term "Bandit" is used (out of many):
http://www.holocaust-history.org/works/stroop-report/htm/strp011.htm

Remember the Ghetto upraising was between the Defeat at Stalingrad (February 2, 1943) and the battle of Kursk (Where the German Army faced its greatest defeat (July 4-August 23, 1943).

Kursk:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kursk

Stalingrad:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad

Hitler wanted to regain the initiative on the Eastern Front in Kursk, after the German Defeat at Stalingrad. In between he decided it was time to "clean up" the Jewish Ghettos in Poland, which lead to the Ghetto revolt in April 1943.

Is this part of the same pattern? Dehumanized your enemies, call them criminals, and move against them heavily, for you are looking sure defeat in the face elsewhere? That is what Hitler did in April 1943, round up all the Jews, before the Russians could defeat the German Army in the Field.