Humvee Drivin' in Iraq.

It only takes a few dumbasses to screw up the image of an entire nation, and this is a good example!

P.S. No wonder they hate us.

I only drive like this in Grand Theft Auto. These soldiers have left a lot of their social skills back in America.

What if someone would have gotten hurt during that reckless driving? What if that little boy I saw had been hit? What if the soldiers would not have slowed down their humvee before reaching the end of a traffic jam or intersection?

But somehow war brings out weird behaviour in involved soldiers.. I'm sure that other countries have had soldiers who did not behave respectful of the besieged people. Right?

assholes..
maybe they have to drive like that to avoid getting shot because they drive like that.

doesnt add to any progress..

It's time we get the fuck out there...

WTF?! That's comeplete b.s. ... I can't believe that they can go aruond and hit random people like that, that is beyond screwed up.

Now we have asshat soldiers going around teasing kids with water, and now we have asshat soldiers going around bumping into peoples cars without a damn cares

This makes me sick, no wonder why people hate us. I'm tired of us being represented by asshat in command and his lackeys ... they're doing nothing but making us look like complete assholes.

Fucking righteous morons.

Hope they die.

Um, did you not hear their horn blaring the entire time? They may have been driving like that to get to and aid fellow soldiers or even Iraqi citizens. Those people were going out of their way to slow them down, no wonder the soldiers were getting frustrated. For crying out loud, did you see the guy near the end who just strolled out into the road picking his nose? He knew they were coming, he heard the horn...but he jumped out in front anyways. These people are completely ungrateful and are just as responsible for creating the current situation as anyone else. AND ENOUGH BLAMING BUSH FOR EVERYTHING, do you REALLY think he sent out a memo to these soldiers saying "Be the biggest asshat possible!"? Bush isn't responsible for half the crap people blame him for....he's certainly an idiot and has done a lot of damage, but stop using him as a scapegoat and do something about it yourself! Maybe you could actually stand up for yourselves, stop buying into the hype and what the media tells you to think, and make it known you want a change! Don't just vote people into office because they're from a different party than your scapegoat, vote for the people who actually have a clue. Let the politicians and the media know that you can think for yourself, and you don't eat up their sensationalism and bulls**t like it's your last meal. And for Pete's sake, don't give them any reason to think otherwise! The constant political mudslinging and drivel in the media isn't there because the people who produce it THINK you like it, they do it because they KNOW you like it! the only reason politicians draw attention to their opponents personal (AND COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT) faults is because they know thats all the American public is interested in today, and it has to stop! These people didn't get where they are today because of legs-up and blundering alone, they know how to work the crowd, and they do it well. STOP BUYING INTO WHAT YOUR TOLD TO AND THINK FOR YOURSELVES. Yes, our current situation in the middle east is bad, but are you doing anything to help by whining?! BUSH ISN'T SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR US BEING OVER THERE, intelligence from U.S AND INTERNATIONAL sources said there was a threat, and Bush jumped the gun. Now that we are over there, the uneducated, gullible, and vulnerable populous is a perfect recruiting ground for misguided, angry individuals who want nothing more than to destroy the U.S. What do you think will happen if we leave now? Iraq's oil fields will be GUARANTEED to fall into radicalist's hands, and we'll be in for a big surprise. The people over there have been misled and uneducated for centuries, and are easily fooled OR SUBJUGATED into believing whatever they are told, as long as they are told it's in the name of god. If we leave now, Iraq will become Terror-central, funded by oil. I may be completely wrong, who knows...But as long as you guys are allowed to voice your opinions, so am I. If I am proven wrong, I will be more than happy to apologize and be humble...but at least I didn't believe what I was told to. If anyone wants to contact/yell at me...my email is: senatorcynical@gmail.com. Remember, You can't change my mind and I can't change yours. I have just as much right to voice my opinion as you, so don't insult me in my personal space.

So tell us, Ian, why aren't you behind the wheel of the Humvee? If you're so sure we belong in Iraq getting these "completely ungrateful" people straightened out, why don't you get your little patoot over there and help get the job done? It's a civil question, without capital letters; do you have an answer?

I think we need to see more of the video and find out where they were going and why in order to make any judgment. It's unfortunate that those people in that street have to have this impression of American soldiers, but, like them, we don't really have the whole story, do we?

Yes, Ian, I heard the horn. Although, I would assume, and maybe I'm wrong, that if they were rushing to an emergency, that we'd also hear some sort of radio communication or instructions. Of course, we didn't exactly hear them giggling and snorting either.

In these times when we're constantly bombarded with extreme, sensational images like this (from ALL sides and opinions), it's hard not to jump to conclusions.

Who said I'm not going to when I'm old enough? Last time I checked, they don't take guys who are under age. By the way, I like how you turned this into a personal attack...you can call it "Civil" all you want, but I'm pretty sure that comment constitutes the opposite. I never said anything about us belonging over there, I merely stated that if we do things your way and drop what we're doing, we'll be in a bit of trouble. It's regrettable that we got involved in the first place, but we can't do anything about it now... so why not focus on fixing the problem instead of whining about it? I also included my email so you could send stuff like this directly to me. Please read the entire post before you judge someone, thanks. And next time you want to make a "Civil" comment, may I suggest you not use such a hostile and condescending tone?

Hey Ian:

Where's Osama?

They have to drive like this so they aren't a target, yet when they drive like this they make Iraqis hate us more, and make more enemies who will target Americans in the future, who will then have to treat more Iraqis as possible threats....

It's a no-win situation (read about Vietnam in your history books) and exactly why these types of wars should only be fought when absolutely necessary.

Bush got us stuck in this with the idiotic notion of "preemptive war."

QUOTE:
The Liberal Avenger Says:
Hey Ian:
Where’s Osama?

Being a minor, I am often ignored when conversations like this pop up. I am honestly flattered That you consider me your equal, or at least equal enough to converse with. I would appreciate it though if you didn't put words in my mouth, nor change the subject. I never said anything about Osama, Afghanistan, or Al-Qaeda....so how about coming up with an intelligent argument to refute my own. I am more than happy to listen. Once again, I feel the need to make some sort of remark regarding bandwagons...Everybody completely missed my main point in my first comment. I could really care less what people think about the middle east right now.... The truth is, our media and our government is corrupt beyond what we could ever imagine, and it's time we stop buying into their bullshit and think for ourselves. Honestly, do you really give a damn where Lindsey Lohan is tonight or if there is a picture of Obama with his shirt off? Do you really think we should vote somebody into power based off of what they said to so-and-so or if they voted yes on something once and no the second time? Do you really care if Senator so-and-so went out drinking on his night off? Seriously, who gives a damn? Oh wait, the American public. As long as people want to argue something intelligent with asshat remarks like "Where is Osama?", nothing will ever change. Seriously, you couldn't think of anything more concrete than "Where is Osama?" I apologize If I offended you Liberal Avenger, but as of now I really think it's time for a rude awakening....for everyone. Lastly, I would like to remind everyone that I included my personal email address for a reason...if you want to engage in a personal conversation, feel free to contact me there rather than filling neatorama's bandwidth with bullshit.
I've got a huge essay I'm working on tonight, So I'm going to be checking neatorama approximately every half hour... as is my habit when on the internet. Keep the comments coming, I love intelligent conversation!

If they stop for traffic they may get killed. If they drive like that they may piss people off.

Get killed or piss people off.

Kind of puts it in perspective.

War sucks.

BTW, I support our efforts in Iraq, does that mean I have to enlist to have a say Mary? Following that logic, nobody but veterans are eligible to shape foreign policy when force is involved. I prefer our current policy of Civilian control for the military.

BenJCarter says: "Following that logic, nobody but veterans are eligible to shape foreign policy when force is involved."

Sounds good to me! Indeed there would be less war if f'tard war dodgers weren't "playing Army" with other peoples sons.

Cheers yo,

PFC Burton
US Army

Doesn't seem much different than our own police. =P

Main difference seems to be the humvee has a weak horn instead of a siren, and they give your fender a love tap instead of a "guilty till you prove yourself innocent" fine. If I was driving the POS's like the folks in video, I'd prefer the love tap.

Soldiers don't drive like this unless there is a reason. It's not like these guys are just out for groceries and driving like this to get their ice cream home before it melts. When you're rushing to aide someone either with fire power or medical reasons this kind of driving makes sense. I used to work as an EMT and it's tough enough trying to get through traffic here in the U.S. let alone over there.

Bottom line don't be so quick to pass judgement when you only know a small portion of the story.

By the way if you really think they all "hate" us over there, you've spent way too much time listening to only one side of the story. Here's just one site to educate yourself http://theotheriraq.com/
Or just continue to be myopic and pessimistic. It's up to you.

You pacifists are pathetic.
Give war a chance!

Hey, if you want to sit in a lightly armoured car, in the middle of traffic for a few hours, with some insurgents watching you the entire time, be my guest.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why you don't want to be still and immobilized in a war zone.

Becki Says: "You pacifists are pathetic.
Give war a chance!" - Becki, you are a fool to think that war needs a 'chance'. People die. It's not pretty, it's not desirable, and in the case of the Iraq war, it is not justified.

He's a scenario I want you guys to imagine. A Canadian terrorist attacks China. China in retaliation invades the US, deposes the government, and sets up a "real" democracy. Sounds silly, doesn't it?

It's standard procedure in Iraq that when a US convoy is on the road all Iraqi vehicles are required to pull over to the side. Obviously heavy traffic can complicate things.

The rationale behind the aggressive driving is that Iraqis will get out of the way, because they know that bad things will happen otherwise. If bad things don't happen, there's less urgency to move out of the way. Basically, if the Iraqi's decision is to block a convoy or crash into another car, the military wants them to decide to crash into another car every time.

During most of the convoys I was on, the cars got out of the way as fast and far as possible and the roads were open. In downtown areas it was sometimes impossible, so the lead guntruck would "nudge" the cars out of the way.

Innocent bystanders in the way are not to be taken into account. Soldiers are specifically told that if a person is in front of the vehicle and they can't swerve out of the way without endangering themselves, they are to run that person over instead of braking.

I've heard stories of Iraqi children being pushed into a convoy in an attempt to stop the convoy then spring an ambush. It was specifically mentioned during our training as an instance where we may not want to run someone over, but we have to. Whether this situation has ever arisen, I can't say. I've never seen it or anything similar. It's usually just traffic jams.

That's pragmatism, for you.

Where'd you get yer license? A box of Crackerjaq?

Fact is, the way the Humvee was being driven isn't all that unusual for a place like Iraq. There are lots of other drivers doing the same thing with less reason than the Marines did. Traffic laws are treated more as suggestions. In a busy intersection it's the guy with the loudest horn and the boldest moves that gets through first.

people are saying stuff like 'if they drive around like that they'll just anger the people', look im sure they alll know by now what happens to sitting duck humvees in the middle of traffic. it's obvious from the horn that they're just trying to get through in order to survive it's common sense to be in constany motion at all times.

"Innocent bystanders in the way are not to be taken into account. Soldiers are specifically told that if a person is in front of the vehicle and they can’t swerve out of the way without endangering themselves, they are to run that person over instead of braking."

That (amongs other things) makes it so much easier to recruit suicide bombers. Hardly a good way to solve things in the long run.

PFC Burton says

"Sounds good to me! Indeed there would be less war if f’tard war dodgers weren’t “playing Army” with other peoples sons."

Indeed there would be less war.

Sucky part is, usually the F'tard dodgers end up in charge.

That doesn't change the fact that civilian control of the military is better than military control of the civilians...

This is why no-one likes US troops. The only thing you can trust them to do is cover their own asses, first and foremost.

@ Ian: the fact that you try to justify this behaviour makes me just sick. All you goddamn americans make me want to throw up. At least theres obviously some thinking ones around here.

Regardless of the reason for the driving, all of this, including this thread, seems very impolite. Not that my comment helps at all.

Based on some of these comments it appears that this is somewhat SOP. Blaring the horn constantly would seem to attract attention if they are really trying to avoid it. I know we are missing a lot of the context but it is extremely unfortunate if we are indeed running over any pedestrians, children or otherwise.

I fully understand that any unvarnished video of such a situation will likely cause many, including myself, to feel that we are being jerks and aggressors, and that reality requires a little dirtyness. My idealistic side hopes that we can be civil to one another regardless of religion, ethnicity, or political orientation, but it only takes one jerk to incite equal reactions. Our troops wouldn't drive like that if someone hadn't had killed or attacked them while stopped, but driving like that can't help the natives think highly of us - a lose lose situation no matter how you look at it.

Gosh I wish we could get out of there. I think both sides would be better off in the end......

Here's the basic concept. If a group of American soldiers sit and wait for a stop light, they might be shot at. MIGHT. Ask yourselves, do I want to get shot at or do I want to run this light.

Also notice the number of pedestrians that wave at the soldiers as they pass.

In response to grmpf:

Did you even read through any of my posts? I provided a sound theory as to why this may have happened, nothing more. I didn't try to excuse anything, I offered a possible explanation. The bulk of my posts (and the main point BY FAR) had nothing to do with the video. I recommend you read through all of my comments, because you are a perfect example of the conditioning the media and government puts us all through today with their constant sensationalism and bull-crap. The government is too concerned with their own petty bi-partisan squabbles and power mongering. The media feeds you nothing but drama, sensationalism and terror because THATS WHAT SELLS. A perfect example is Donald Trump...do you REALLY think he likes his hair like that? No! He does it because people make fun of it, and bad publicity is still publicity. Do you really think he cares that strongly about whatever his deal is with Rosie O'Donnell? NO! He carries it on because people talk about it, it sells tabloids, and he gets publicity. Negative publicity, but publicity nonetheless. Our Media and or Government is nothing but pointless, mindless drivel designed to play to our sick pleasures and either sway us to one side or sell something. I know I sound like some insane hippie or something, but it's only because if we want anything to change ANYWHERE, we have to do something about these problems here at home. Again, I provided my personal email just for things like this. By all means, continue to attack me with baseless, poorly thought out garbage in public.

I have a question for everyone who says they have to drive like that to avoid being shot at -- how bad an aim does one have to be to miss a humvee? I'm not suggesting I want our soldiers to be shot (I don't, of course), but driving a few mph faster than the rest of traffic to avoid being shot at?

"Oh, look! The humvee is driving moderately faster than the rest of the traffic. I'll just wave and perhaps shoot at the next one to stop at a red light."

CLIMB DOWN FROM YOUR SOAP BOX!

I think Americans are self-rightous, gun-toting imbeciles as much as the next guy, BUT if I was driving through hostile territory where I might get shot at at any moment, then I would drive just like these guys.

I'm sure this is standard operating procedure.

Unforunately, driving fast won't keep you from taking fire. The hope is that the faster you drive, the less time the enemy has to react to your convoy, whether that's with an IED, VBIED, direct fire, or anything else. It's same reason you run instead of walk when you're crossing an open area on foot, regardless of whether you're being fire upon at the time.

You're also not trying to keep the humvee itself from being shot, you're trying to keep the exposed gunners on top from being a stationary target. It's all about attempting to minimize risk for the convoy personnel.

The rule of thumb is not to drive a little faster than whatever traffic happens to be around, it is to drive as fast as the slowest vehicle in the convoy, in other words, as fast as possible.

I doubt they drive like that to avoid being shot.
Looks like they were in a hurry.
Perhaps somebody was dying somewhere.

What a bunch of asinine comments - "no wonder they hate Americans", "this makes people into suicide bombers", "Canadian terrorists in China".

Give me a break, and think before you comment.

Too many soapboxes, not enough soap.

it's a little bit too simple to be done of course, but why not to add a real strong horn ( not just a "tutt tutt" ) and flash light like police cars? just to really wa

...just to really warn cars and pedestrians you arrive?
perhaps its a little too basic and a little bit "gay" for military?

If they're making remarks about a guy picking his nose, they're not in a high-stress, someone's-dying, urgent rush. Obviously, they have to keep moving - it would be extremely dangerous to just sit still and wait for traffic to move along. I have to wonder, though, if every street is as crowded as this one -

ok, here's the deal.

1. You have to drive fast and maintain constant motion in urban areas in order to deny the enemy the chance to maneuver on your or ambush you.

2. Fact. It is the law in Iraq that all civillian traffic must yield to US convoys.

3. Fact. Driving faster will increase your chances of living thru an IED or VBIED (aka car bomb) because by the time you hit the initiator and the bomb goes off, you are already moving away from the bomb. I know about this, I've lived thru 2 IED's and 1 VBIED doing this.

4. Fact. Driving faster also protects the gunner, who is in the turret, from sniper fire. If the vehicle is sitting still, the only one not protected is the gunner, and he is a target for sniper fire. I've got a good friend who managed to not get shot or die while being shot at by two different snipers in two different positions at the same time.

5. Fact. Those of you who have not been over here, and have not seen what goes on here have no fucking idea what the real deal is over here, and you're all just armchair quarterbacks, and I consider you as useless as diahrrea.

6. Fact. The bad guys do use children as a way to get to Americans. They know Americans will help the children, and they use that to their advantage, they use children as bombers, as ways to stop the convoy to setup an ambush, and another tactic that I have personally seen; the bad guys are giving kids toy guns and telling the kids that if they point the guns at the Americans, then the Americans will give the kids candy. Then they videotape the kid as some soldier shoots the kid, thinking the weapon is real, because you really can't tell it not real until you take the gun away. I was lucky enough to be close enough to take the gun away.

7. Fact. From what I saw on the video, the soldiers driving the humvee followed the very restrictive ROE(Rules Of Engagement); so get off their nuts.

You disagree with the war, personally I think you're retarded for that, but hey, its cool with me; just don't go blaming the soldiers. I agree with the war, and will definately be coming back here again asap; however I disagree with the leadership at the general officer level, and I disagree with the way the war is being ran from the general officer level. You wanna make a change? Awesome, make them change their plan and send more COMBAT ARMS troops, no more support troops; there's not enough comat arms troops in country, and support soldiers mainly don't leave the wire. There's not enough combat arms soldiers on the streets patrolling and killing bad guys, and that's my disagreement with the war.

And if you think you know better, and haven't been here, go to your local recruiting office, sign up, get your ass over here, lemme know where you're at, and I'd be happy to be your team leader. Just make sure you go Infantry, b/c that's how you see things outside the wire. The real Iraq.

I'm out

USArmy.

One of the reasons why I like this website is because it gives perspective and gives a reason for people to think. Given that, I’d like to make a few points:

1. The Iraqi people have been subject to, and for the most part are accustomed to, the presence of both foreign and military presence in their urban areas over the last few years. These military forces are both highly visible and heavily targeted by the enemy. It’s hard to miss them when they’re driving through the streets.

2. These highly visible and heavily targeted military personnel and vehicles are targeted daily by planted explosive devices that can take any form – from the parked and/or moving vehicles, plastic bottles, piles of trash, etc. – as well as sniper fire, especially the gunner (a brave soul who exposes the upper half of his/her body on top of the vehicle). Because both these threats often depend on timing by the trigger-man, speed and momentum are key factors in subverting the enemy’s attack. Compound this with the enemy tactic of purposely slowing down military vehicles in order to make their attacks more effective, or in other words, so they can kill more people when they bunch up.

3. These military forces also consciously avoid heavily populated areas unless necessary, exceptions being areas requiring a security presence. Finding safe (i.e., minimally populated either by location or time) avenues of movement is a key part of route planning, and includes minimizing exposure of locals to threats, and inversely, exposing military personnel to potential enemies, who also tend to hide within civilian populations.

While I don’t expect the average civilian to understand why Soldiers or Marines may drive like they have a case of road rage on steroids, or to look past that the fact they’re not driving their Honda Civic in the middle of the O.C., I would ask they would appreciate the point others have made in the comments in that these people are driving with the knowledge that they are sitting ducks, unflinchingly and sorely wanting to protect themselves and their comrades, all the while driving through an environment filled with an unseen, extremely deadly enemy, and surrounded by people who they also have to protect, but at the same time have to be be wary of. Makes your head spin, doesn’t it?

Finally, going back to the point about perspective, anyone who’s been to Egypt, Italy, Spain, or South Korea has seen much worse driving than this. In fact, the “guy picking his nose” would’ve been run over twice by Vespas if he was doing the same thing in Rome.

PS – not the right type of website to talk about it, but the Iraqis don’t hate Americans because of they way they drive. A lot of them congenially tolerate (God forbid, even like) the military there, as they realize they wouldn’t be as safe without them. A lot of the angst and resentment (aside from the west's history in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict... yeah, it's a hot issue in Iraq) comes from not being able to do enough to make their lives safer from terrorists, sooner... although it’s not for the lack of trying…

Pigs is pigs. The pig soldiers, the pig government and the jew pigs who started the whole thing.

pigs.

Thanks, Rob, for telling it straight. Ignore the imbeciles posting negativity about the job you guys are doing. For every a$$hat with a negative comment, there are dozens of right-thinking individuals waiting to shake your hand and thank you for serving.

Keep up the great work. And thanks.

As an Iraq vet I'll attest to the insanity that is urban Iraq. These guys were doing the right thing by observing ROE that protected their own forces. You do NOT sit and wait for the traffic in a combat zone. I was a turret gunner on a deuce-and-a-half, and I'll tell you, the scariest times were when we slowed down or stopped.

"# AK-00 Says:
January 28th, 2007 at 6:05 am

This is why no-one likes US troops. The only thing you can trust them to do is cover their own asses, first and foremost."

We cover our own asses and the ones of our comrades because it is clear that asshats like you never will even be able to cover yourselves, let alone anyone else.

I don't support the war. That's why I had to get out after the first tour. What really gets me are the people who live their nice comfortable lives, have had to sacrifice nothing, and dump on the soldiers for doing what soldiers do. If you're that opposed to what they are doing, you should have protested harder, written more letters, talked to more people, contacted your congressperson. You know, all the things that responsible citizen of a democratic republic are obligated to do in order to perserve their freedom, but most are too lazy or apathetic to.

if i didn't know better i would have thought that was a dash cam from a mexican or any other central/south american taxi.

(for americans) don't get out of the way of a police car or firetruck and see how long it takes them to bump you. :)