Miss D, I think he was in shock.....The Americans brought this mobile Pizza Hut Van and a Burger King Van a few days later to Shaiba air base. Word spread like fire around Southern Iraq and it never tasted so good after 4 months of 'boil in a bag' rations which was normally Beef Stew and Dumplings. They also had a rare commodity called refrigeration with them and those cans of pop were ice cold to die for It became a bit of a Mecca down there for a short while. I believe Tony 'Norm' Hadley is now a airline pilot Cheers Andy.
Each to their own P-P, besides he wanted it with me when he heard about my record as the most photographed soldier in Iraq. I think he was after some tips Cheers Andy
All well and good were it not for a) he'd never lower himself to ask anyone for a tip, and b) he'd never actually take any advice he was given.
Me change the record? It's not me who's posted photo after photo of myself..... now THAT is getting a little repetitive
...these "missing posters at Basra". How went these people missing and when? Were they soldiers or civillians? Killed in the war or went missing in some other way?
Kuno, I think it maybe a combination of both although I can't confirm that. The troops and people in the South were treated very badly by the regime due to their religious beliefs. The population of Southern Iraq is mainly Shi'ite Muslims (pronounced sheer not she ite) which originates from the Iranian border area. Saddam's regime was prodominately Sunni Muslims as he was with a few Christians in the Baath Party. Sunni and Shi'ite have a deep rooted hatred of each other that goes back thousands of years to their different religions prophets. Anyway as a result of this and a failed uprising by the Shi'ite Muslims in Basra against Saddams regime (which was encouraged and part supported by the Americans after Gulf War 1) they were treated pretty bad. After thousands being killed by the Republican Guard the coalition put a no fly zone in the North (Kurds) and South (Shi'ite) of Iraq to protect the civilians I heard stories of Iraqi officers and the Republican Guards shooting privates in the feet to stop them retreating (I don't know if its true). The Baath Party and Secret Police had some regional headquarters in Basra and they stank of death in the basement rooms and cells, it was obvious what had been happening in those buildings. One rumour circulated whilst I was there was when the officers and Republican Guard did retreat the 'privates stripped off their uniforms for civilian clothes and went home. I came across a lot of empty enemy posistions with uniforms amongst them which would suggest the later story to be true. Without sounding like a potilical broadcast (Because I know I have gone on a bit) despite whether people think the war was right or wrong in Iraq- I have my own personal views. Saddam Hussein was a evil bastard that is for sure. Cheers A sorry for going on Andy
I would point out that the 'hatred' between these two branches of the Islamic religion can't go back 'thousands' of years as Muhammad claimed to have his visions and thus founded the Muslim faith around 610 AD. Their differences are over who succeeded as religious leader after the fourth caliph, Ali. So the split wasn't until 661 AD and the hatred must have started some time after that.
I do apologise and bow to your superior knowledge on all things although I was speaking in general terms from my memory rather than google search. Cheers Andy
No, I apologize. I'll remember to ignore inaccurate posts in the future. But if someone asks a question, why not answer as accurate as you can, or not bother.
