US says flag incident was a 'coincidence'

By Kim Sengupta in Baghdad

11 April 2003

It was, by any measure, an astonishing coincidence. As the biggest statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad was pulled down "spontaneously" in front of the world's media, the Stars and Stripes which flew on the Pentagon on 11 September was at hand to be draped over its face.

The US army denied that the toppling of the 20ft edifice by a tank tower was stage-managed. It was a coincidence, they said, that Lt Tim McLaughlin, the keeper of that flag, happened to be present.

And, it has to be noted, the commander of the US marines who completed the capture of Baghdad did express concern at the time that the use of the Stars and Stripes smacked of triumphalism. It was later changed to an Iraqi flag. But not before acres of TV footage had been shot.

Yesterday, the US army banned any display of the flag on vehicles, buildings, statues and command posts, halting its display almost everywhere but the US embassy in Baghdad.

There was some suspicion that the crowd that jumped up and down on the metal carcass had been bused in from the Shia suburb of Saddam City. That was not the case, they were mostly local. But they were the same people who chanted "My blood, my spirit, I shall die for you O Saddam" – until the last day of the regime.

Flushed with victory, the marines one spoke to had no doubts about the war's justice. But when asked whether they had seen any proof of a link between al-Qa'ida and the defeated Iraqi regime, there was general puzzlement.

When one of the few remaining "human shields" in Baghdad, Uzma Bashir, from Rickmansworth, baited the troops with shouts of "Yankee murderers", Cpl Ibrahim Rahim exploded: "I scooped up the brains of two young marines ... They died fighting to liberate Iraq. And you stand here insulting them with this shit." He added: "I am a Muslim ... and I know this region. That woman is seriously abusing her right of speech."

Captain Brian Lewis, a tank commander, said: "All we are trying to do is create the conditions for representative government."

...absolute coincidence, just a freak of fate, Serendipity, an odd chance occurence.

No this was not a staged event - really, really, really. I'm not joking this was a spontaneous uprising and the Lt. As luck would have just happened to be on hand - with the Flag.

And if you believe that I have a nice Bridge for sale - it gives access to the Island I own in the Florida Cays.

Yeah, youre right, its all a conspiracy, those people arent really rejoicing for being liberated from a murderous dictator, rather, they enjoyed being slaves to Hussein. Gee, you're so smart.

Who cares about flags anyways. Only the brainwashed children of mutant corporate eidolons with nothing better to do than slaughtering other children. anyone with one iota of sense knows that the flag is only a symbol of repression.

He is da man! I love him! He defeated you anti-war protestors and the terrorists at the same time!

Bush "DEFEATED" the anti-war protestors? I didn't know that we were at war with him, too?

So tell me, when did the Marines come into our midsts, stage a phoney statute busting, and get our pictures waving our USA flags and praising our "liberators?" I musta missed that Peace Demonstration.

Get a clue. What is wrong with your statement. Try this: Everyone loses when there is a war.

You probably (I'm just assuming) that this war is like Vietnam. Well, its not like your war, its different. Its a different war in all respects.

Everyone loses in war, but the Iraqi people won their freedom, the American people and the free world won a safer country (now that weapons can't be given to terrorists). Maybe one day you'll admit that. Until then....... BUSH !!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!

well this guy probably thinks that bush won the last election too.

not too bright if you know what I mean

Can you describe what "freedom" means?

uh, how would a person in a country know they are "free"/

i'm working on a paper for my 9th grade "social studies" class

an i need som help.

thnaks

Wow, you are an idiot. Yes, there was no majority of Americans who voted for Bush. But you ever hear about the electoral college? I'm assuming you never went to school as you are scratching your head right now. "Duh, electoral college????? DUH......". Well, thats ok, dont like the American/democratic way of choosing president? Go to Cuba or North Korea, idiot. Can'T go to Iraq though, because its a democratic country now, haha, too bad for you!

I can't believe anyone supports this tyrranical Hitlerite government run by the CCC which is linked to the KKK and uses black bosses to cover thier bullshit. Jesus, there's not one man who's not some sort of sellout in the senate. Winning an illegal war only makes you more of a criminal. When we come to vote you down, there won't be a safe job in Washington. We're 90 million strong and growing, you're losing men day by day, and we don't even have to kill, frame or jail ya, you guys are content to die on a battlefield for the sins of your fucking country. "Our father high in heaven, smile down upon your son, who's busy with his money games, his women and his guns, If Jesus saves me, then he better save himself, from the glory glory seekers, who use his name in vain, Yeah Jesus saves me." Jethro Tull

I hope god is as forgiving as you damnable Christian conservatives think he is. And I hope the children of Iraq who have been killed haunt you in your nightmares forver. To put it in an old yiddish phrase, "may you grow like an onion, with your heads in the ground." And I hope to god, someone heard me when I said those cluster bombs were not dropped in my name. Especially when munitions were recklessly pointed at journalists in direct violation of international law.

can't believe anyone supports this tyrranical Hitlerite government run by the CCC which is linked to the KKK and uses black bosses to cover thier bullshit



what the fuck are you going on about now you crazy wench?

Hhahahaha, I stopped reading mymicz post about 1 sentence in when i realized he was crazy nut!!!

For the historically curious the phrase used as my title is an old NAZI slogan. Translation: The Leader is Today!

To the person who so loves Der Furhrer Bush: No this is not Vietnam. It's the same but different. Both were resource wars. Vietnam has large Tin and Offshore Oil deposits. (There's that "O" word again. Maybe Lucas can do a new series "Oil Wars". GeeeDuhbya as a modern day "Palatine" and Rummy Vader.)

Returning to the column at the head of the thread I would note that not one of the shills has had anything resembling a fact based refutation of the article.

So, I'll state it again - the statue pull down was a staged PR event. Based on the reports beginning to roll in their are still spontaneous Guerilla attacks. A Suicide bomber blew himself up at a U.S. Check Point killing an undisclosed number of Marines.

Oh those grateful Iraqis. They just love those "Liberators" who have killed and maimed their loved ones.

I bet you were happy when those Iraqi terrorists blew up Marines. I bet you had some sort of sick content happy feeling, because you believe you justified your views. I bet you felt as sick as shit when you first saw the Iraqis rejoicing because they are liberated. So then you made up the conspiracy theory "That video was all set up, Americans made them do it. Yeah, that'll work....'' But sadly you are wrong, you lost the war and the prevention of Operation Iraqi Freedom, now go cry about the 2000 elections again!

"So, I'll state it again - the statue pull down was a staged PR event. Based on the reports beginning to roll in their are still spontaneous Guerilla attacks. A Suicide bomber blew himself up at a U.S. Check Point killing an undisclosed number of Marines. "

This one's almost too easy. Dio must be getting near the end of his prescription.

Contrary to ALL reports Dio is asserting that what the world saw was a PR stunt and that an "undisclosed" number of marines were killed in the "palestinian" type attack.

It's almost brilliant. His evidence? It consists solely of the notion he has that, if something happens that he didn't want to happen then it must not have happened. And any evedence supporting that happenstance is therefore incorrect or fabricated. He can't lose.

And as proof of this logical magic show he uses the term "undisclosed number" which implies that, although the report is no deaths, the marines MUST be covering the truth up and keeping the real number to themselves.

Point is this. Of course there's still fighting going on and of course every news broadcast is slated to the right OR left. But to categorically deny ALL reports is insane.

Welcome to Dio's world.

Fresca you still playing that same old "Our leaders are never wrong!" tune. Go get an education of what life is about in places other than your turd stained bedroom. Your just a golf attendant for the corrupt rich sleaze anyways.

I'm very curuous about this article. I've seen nothing anywhere else suggesting that the flag used to cover the statue was the same that flew over the Pentagon on 9/11. In fact, I saw one report on CNN that stated that the flag was given to the marines by one of the Iraqis.

Did the writer of this article just make this up?

I've been all over the internet looking for a source for this story. It seems to me that if the flag really was from the Pentagon on 9/11 that some news source other than the Belfast times would have reported it. Certainly, the US media would have loved it.