Despite the best efforts of the Lincoln Group, hired by the administration to portray America and American democracy in a positive light, the real propaganda war in Iraq centers around Islam and appeals to Islamic duty and solidarity as shown here: "Softened tone of jihad propaganda conveys the same bitter message," from the Telegraph:
The voice of Fallujah's insurgency lives on. Once the loudest and most terrifying in Iraq, it now speaks through posters and flyers plastered on mosques and street corners. Yet, while the blood-curdling diktats baying for jihad have largely disappeared, there is nothing to say that the more subtle approach of the new messages is any less effective.Documents translated by the US military and seen by the Sunday Telegraph reveal a patient, pleading tone, politely advising locals about their duties as jihadists, in the same manner as a local mayor might chide people about non-payment of council tax.
"To the residents of our respectful family," reads one flyer. "Where is your support for the Mujahideen? God has spoken to his believers and told them to fight. It is your legal duty to do so."
Another adopts the style of a frustrated headmistress rebuking recalcitrant pupils. "Today we will talk about the children," it says. "We have asked many times for them not to be close to the coalition forces, but at the same time we have seen them accumulate around their vehicles. This has caused us to abort many of our operations."
It goes on to accuse the Americans of enticing children with toys and sweets to create a human shield around them. "They just want to make your children as armour for themselves."
Insurgent attacks that have killed civilians are blamed on the coalition forces, the Iraqi army - referred to as the "soldiers without God" - or Iranian agents.
"The Americans and the Iranian guards are working together to recruit mercenaries to damage the name of jihad and make ugly pictures of the Mujahideen," reads one flyer...
It goes on to accuse the Americans of enticing children with toys and sweets to create a human shield around them. "They just want to make your children as armour for themselves."
Sounds like the Sunni terrorists are projecting again. They accuse the Americans of doing what they themselves do all the time. They regularly do it in Israel in the PA territories, and I'm sure that they do it in Iraq. So they are no doubt especially sensitive to what may seem like someone else doing it. But they won't admit that the do it themselves and are past masters at it.
It is interesting that they also put the "Iranian guards" [that is, Shiites] in the same bag with the American unbelievers. This is in accord with the principle Kulli kufar millatun wahidun. Hence, the Shiites are just as much kufar as you and I. But they don't want to acknowledge that.
This is exactly what we are doing, by educating and enticing them into secularism however we have too. It makes extremists mad when we can offer goods and services,choices and knowledge,and they offer up 72 virgins when you kill yourself and supposedly end up in heaven.
Now if they have educated even in the least bit then they would compare apples to apples and I'd bet that they would choose to live.
Most of them probably never even knew that a different kind of world existed before we deposed saddam and now that they see some small bits and pieces they want to know more... and with knowledge comes power.
"The Americans and the Iranian guards are working together to recruit mercenaries to damage the name of jihad and make ugly pictures of the Mujahideen".. ROFLMAO
Unfortunately, that is the mental level at which a whole lot of locals work. This is the kind of propaganda that works - perhaps not with every one of them, but at least with enough to keep going.
... and the Sadrists blame the US for betraying the Shia to the Sunnis.
Its a no win situation.
Remember that the young Iraqis even up into their twenties have never known a world without Saddam Hussein. There is an old sufic saying - if you try to get the child to drop the stinking onion he will hold on to it tightly - show him a beautiful apple and he will drop the onion of his own accord.
Thats a great idea, coax children to be human shields instead of human bombs and all it costs is a little candy. Brilliant!
OohRah!...Go Marines
yes those terrorist don't let children get in the way of their killing! hell they dont seem to mind killing them! l dont believe a bit what they say. there are fewer US servicement getting killed, fewer car bombs.. and the media cant stand it!
Depends which insurgents your talking about. Al-Qaeda terrorists have no qualms about killing children. However Sadrists and most Ba'athists try to avoid civilian & Iraqi (military) casualties and just go for foreign troops.