This is a Journal entry by David Conway

Things that are frightening

Post 1

David Conway

Members of violent street gangs getting weapons and training from the United States Military...

"Gangs claim their turf in Iraq"

"The Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings and Vice Lords were born decades ago in Chicago's most violent neighborhoods. Now, their gang graffiti is showing up 6,400 miles away in one of the world's most dangerous neighborhoods -- Iraq."

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-gangs01.html


Things that are frightening

Post 2

zendevil


I would imagine that folks who are into joining street fighting gangs would be very interested in joining possibly the largest street fighting gang on earth; learning new skills, practising them on people they don't have to meet next Saturday night & getting paid for doing all this.

zdt


Things that are frightening

Post 3

Baron Grim

I haven't read the article but is seems perfectly logical. The US military does a large amount of recruiting in the poorest of neighborhoods. The highest rates of gang activity are typically in poverty stricken neighborhoods. The local military recruiter is often the only person hiring.


Things that are frightening

Post 4

abbi normal "Putting on the Ritz" with Dr Frankenstein

As the Count said ;
It has always been the way.
They also offer get out of jail free cards to some facing imprisonment.

The military likes to have the ones that want to fight and kill to put in particular places ,so it is logical to take the already violent.smiley - ill It also makes sense because they cannot seem to be clear whether this is criminal activity or a war. It depends on which works best I guess.

Most of the people in the reserves never expected to fight a war but should have been aware of the possibility.
It was the best chance they had at getting more money,help with education and on the job experience. This "war" is the first primarily fought by reservists.

They have proven in a number of cases the recruiters lied telling the ranks they owned them more time. Hopefully it was stopped after being reported. We have a friend who was turned down for military several times due to his eyesight being poor with glasses. They took him last year and he is in the infantrysmiley - sadface He cnnot see well enough to know what he is shooting at and if he loses his glasses it could be life threatening to him!

The private contractors force is partially made up of US prision guards and other security workers. I have to wonder how many former prisoners ended up with their prisons guards and with what rank!


smiley - weird The oddest part to me is the private contractors numbered more than the soldiers for the first time. The soldiers often did not know who was giving orders or "helping".

smiley - ermAlso the fact we have not had any higher ups be punished for the acts of lower ranks whom have said they were told to do what they did.

Being an Urban war I have concerns about the soldiers not well suited for being police officers being on the urban beat afterwards. Particuarly with the high rate of PTSD and other stress aliments among the returning people. I hope they have a good screening process ready and money for treatment!


Things that are frightening

Post 5

abbi normal "Putting on the Ritz" with Dr Frankenstein

Good Article. I read it after postingsmiley - blush


Things that are frightening

Post 6

Willem

Good to hear from you NBY! Frightening indeed. These gang members can go to Iraq and have some fun times killing and raping and whatever they like, and be rewarded for it, receive acknowledgement for having served their country, and like said, in the process receive valuable training and experience that they can bring home to help them further their gangs' causes!


Things that are frightening

Post 7

abbi normal "Putting on the Ritz" with Dr Frankenstein

There have been reports of a high rate of PTSD when finished with duty. It is reported to be higher than ever though they mostly denied it happened in previous wars.

They are now returning soldiers to battle on anti-dpressants.
They do not have enough troops to send them home.
Some antidepressants make some suicudal and some more violent. I really doubt the soldiers being medicated and returned to war are being wwatched carefully for side effects. Almost sounds like one of those experiements the military is lnown to do when they have a large groups under their wing.

A friend of ours ,son is going soon. He worries about the transfer from Urban warfare to home. He was thinking they would decompress them in a quiet place(on duty)for 9 months.
I really doubt it.


Things that are frightening

Post 8

David Conway

Follow up:

The "good" news:

"It's a problem that's worse -- and more complicated -- than you think. I've talked to Marine officers in Anbar province who swore by their gang-bangers: No one else could spot criminal activity on a base more quickly; no one else could find so many holes in the base's protection."


http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/12/gang-banning-bi.html


The bad news:

"Military equipment thefts worry police: Gangs might acquire armor"

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20070119/ai_n17152615


Things that are frightening

Post 9

zendevil


Only "might" acquire more???

Surely "have acquired" would be more realistic; or "will acquire"... it's a bit like UK Government "assuring" people on Child Benefits that the fact the entire database somehow got lost "We have no reason to believe this info is in fraudulent hands, nevertheless;you should be alert to any unusual activity on your bank account"

smiley - rolleyes

*Hides tanks & cash under the mattress*

zdt


Things that are frightening

Post 10

Baron Grim

I believe I read in an article from Chicago earlier this year that military body armor had been found in the trunk of a gang-banger's trunk in L.A. I'm sure I can't find that article now, but it mentioned all the gang graffiti popping up in Iraq on the bases and that gangs were encouraging members to enlist to get training and armaments.


Things that are frightening

Post 11

Baron Grim

After just clicking on your cited article I believe it probably was the previous Sun Times investigation mentioned.


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