Ok. We fire have a sign and a roadblock. They don't stop. We tell them to stop. They don't stop. We fire in the air. They don't stop. We fire at their engine. They don't stop. What, pray tell, is supposed to happen next two days after the Iraqi VP declares "more suicide bombs to come"?

I don't disagree with what Mr. Dupont is saying, but if it's a choice between losing the military war or the public relations war -- I prefer to lose the public relations war.

I'm not convinced that this wasn't a suicide attack. Just because these are women and children doesn't mean that they weren't Saddam fanatics. You think only men are Baath members? Look at Huda Ammash, Saddam's bioweapons expert.

This reporter lost me when he claimed we were "regaining" the military advantage. Huh? When did we ever lose it? It is clearly biased reporting.

I think he meant regainging the image of military advantage. As in world wide PR.

Isn't it a little soon to be talking about "losing" either war? Criminetely.

I think I saw in CNN somebody saying that WashPost will have a story tomorrow saying the soldiers didn't fire any warning shots.

Dick Morris on Fox News tonite sited polls stating the majority of the American people are willing to accept the accidental killing of innocents instead of the killing of our armed forces.

I'll bet we find out later that they were some sort of human shields..
probably given the choice of running the gauntlet or watch the rest of their families get tortured. I wouldn't doubt for a minute, that the whole thing was set up!

I can't imagine why you would choose to try to run a checkpoint unless you are working with or as the enemy in some form or factor.

Just don't do it with your kids in the car.

Let's be honest here, folks. We ARE losing the PR battle (hate to use the war metaphor here) worldwide. We are widely viewed - and not just by the International Left - as a bully. The perception - not reality - is that we are a reckless, militaristic society. That characterization is wildly unfair and inaccurate; but it's one that is held by "average" people on the street around the globe.

I'm absolutely befuddled as to how exactly this has happened and, therefore, how we can mitigate it.

SMG

Here is the Washington Post article, INTEL DUMP's had a link to it for some time:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61229-2003Mar31.html

From it, it's not clear how much warning, and if any, was given.

S, we were only winning the PR battle when we were small and non-threatening, about 160 years ago.

We will never win the PR battle. Look at the humanitarian money we've spent for decades and get squat. It's lonely at the top. You want friends, you have to go to the bottom and be willing to be ruled by frankenreich.

That price is way to high.

Why did they not stop? Stupidity or confusion, maybe. On the other hand, maybe they or their driver had something to hide. Maybe they were the wives and children of some Baa'aath bigwigs trying to flee...?

When the US figures out how to win the PR battle against human shields, people who don't stop at checkpoints, suicide bombers, and innocent people who get confused with the first 3 because nobody's perfect all the time - maybe the US can tell Israel the secret.

Saddam is playing with the Palestinian playbook, and anyone on the other side is going to lose the PR war until the rest of the world wises up.

Oh darn, the PR war... I hate it when we lose that. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to call it a draw then.

US loses PR war to whom?

Check. We will never win the PR battle. With that in mind, I have decided I would rather be feared than loved. I'm not looking for any more friends, just security from my enemies.

I agree that we were never going to win the PR war, at least not during the war, barring massive pro-US demonstrations by the Shiites in the south.

This invasion might take only months, but the PR victory won't be achieved for years, and it depends heavily on how well the Iraqis themselves evaluate our post-war efforts.

About all I'm hoping for right now is to manage the PR campaign long enough to keep other Muslims on the sidelines.

No matter what we do, the Islamic world will hate us. We are infidels, they hate infidels, and we are more powerful infidels thwarting their attempt to spread Islamic hate throughout the world.

The middle east, once the cradle of civilization, is now a primitive and barbaric place. Islam is to blame.

That last post should read "we are more powerful infidels thwarting their attempt to spread Islamic-based hate throughout the world."

Decades after the oppressed Iraqis are liberated, they will probably turn on the U.S. like the French and Germans. It is the way of the world.

Another large factor in why we are loosing the PR war is good old envy and jealousy. We are the only remaining super power, even despite the recession, our economy is still in good shape, and people from all over the world still try to emigrate here.

I agree with Jack Ryan and others. We'll probably never know and if we find out, nobody over there will ever listen -- but I'd guess this was a setup. Big wig wives perhaps, families held hostage perhaps, or even, just one lone nut-case driver taking her friends for a "joy-ride."

We're gonna see a lot more of this. Ask Israel.

Another reason to hate US, via The Corner:

AMAZING WIN [Jim Robbins]
United States Military Academy cadets attending the World Model United Nations championship in Heidelberg, Germany, not only took the gold medal, but won more awards than any team from any school has ever attended a World Model UN conference. Competing against 850 students from 86 universities in 35 countries, twelve of thirteen West Point team members won the World Model United Nations Award for Diplomacy in their committees. This result is even more astonishing considering that the Cadets were role playing as French and German UN delegates, an incredible handicap to overcome.

We used to say, "Get 'em by the balls. Their hearts and minds will follow."

Tragic that women and children died, no matter what their reason. Our GI's did the right thing.

Those of us with an interest in personal protection have a saying: "Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six."

That's an appropriate sentiment in war.

I'm heartbroken by the toll of any war on children. But heartbreak is not an excuse to lose resolve.