FOURTEEN YEAR OLD BOYS AND THE GENERAL

When American GIs go through neighborhoods, breaking down the doors of homes, yelling in a foreign language (yes, English is a foreign language), and waving guns, not only is terror instilled in every Iraqi in the home, but it’s these young boys who are affected the most, as will be shown by their subsequent attitudes and actions against Americans.

And who doesn’t understand their feelings and beliefs? After all, their “whole life” has been under an American occupation, being only nine or ten when the American troops invaded Iraq.

On September 16, 2001, these boys heard Bush Jr. pledging a crusade to rid the world of evil-doers and on March 23, 2004, Colin Powell also used the word “crusade.” Every Arab Muslim would conclude it meant -- the taking of the “Holy Lands” and the Annihilation of Muslims.

The boys remember that before the GIs came, there was “peace.” They and their sisters went to school and played in the streets, like countless other children throughout the world. But for the last five years all they have seen is violence and the daily humiliation of Iraqis, especially of their fathers, mothers and sisters. Family honor is very important in most cultures. In some countries girls who have been raped, are then killed by their father or brothers to “protect” the family honor.

I believe a focus group comprised of these boys would be very alarming and bleak. It would show us the brutal truth of how the American occupation is seen as just that – American Generals running Iraq, caring little about Iraqis.

These 14-year old boys may even talk about their desire to join the insurgents to get even for what the American GIs did when they barged in to their homes – even perhaps for just the way they looked at their sisters.

Many of us this is not the fault of our troops – the blame lies with Bush Jr. for going into Iraq with little understanding of what was about to be released – a civil war.

Most of us who served in Vietnam (for me it was with the 101st Airborne, 1967-68) had no understanding of this normal response and feelings of nationalism. We had no idea that many Vietnamese males were both angry and humiliated at seeing so many Vietnamese women (in some cases their mothers and sisters) spending time among the bed sheets with American troops.

American troops tend to believe that their military and political leaders know what is best, and have little or no knowledge of Iraqi culture, so most of them will not realize how their actions have greatly affected the people of Iraq until years from now. Meanwhile, those 14-year old Iraqi boys believe they have to get even with the American troops and restore the family honor.

And Bush Jr. continues to get his military advice from seven-time draft dodger Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, who used his connections to avoid military service.

Bob Mulholland served and was wounded in Vietnam (101st Airborne; 1967-68).