Shaffer
03-28-03, 07:22 AM
IN THE IRAQI DESERT -- Lance Cpl. Jack Self is killing people for the first time in his life.
In the past week, he has blown down buildings with the grenade launcher he mans atop a Humvee and has seen bodies in the rubble.
The 24-year-old Marine has no qualms about what he's done. But because of the many civilians on the battlefield - and the difficulty in telling friend from foe - he is a little worried about what he may have to do before the war is over.
Besides doing battle with uniformed Iraqi soldiers, Marines have been shot at by Iraqis in civilian clothes hiding in buildings. U.S. troops were further infuriated by reports that some American servicemen were killed by Iraqis who were waving a white flag and pretending to surrender.
U.S. officials have blamed irregular forces like Saddam's Fedayeen for much of the resistance that has hampered the American-led advance through Iraq, accusing them of faking surrender or posing as civilians, only to shoot Americans.
As a result, the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Infantry have become far more suspicious of the Iraqi people, looking at each one as a possible attacker.
"I didn't expect the whole civilian thing," Self said. "And that bothers me."
The Bentonville, Ark., native sat in the turret of his tan Humvee, from where he mans his Mark-19 rapid-fire grenade launcher, which he has fixed up with a CD player and speakers that are invariably blasting country music.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer/ap.asp?category=1107&slug=War%20Taking%20Lives
In the past week, he has blown down buildings with the grenade launcher he mans atop a Humvee and has seen bodies in the rubble.
The 24-year-old Marine has no qualms about what he's done. But because of the many civilians on the battlefield - and the difficulty in telling friend from foe - he is a little worried about what he may have to do before the war is over.
Besides doing battle with uniformed Iraqi soldiers, Marines have been shot at by Iraqis in civilian clothes hiding in buildings. U.S. troops were further infuriated by reports that some American servicemen were killed by Iraqis who were waving a white flag and pretending to surrender.
U.S. officials have blamed irregular forces like Saddam's Fedayeen for much of the resistance that has hampered the American-led advance through Iraq, accusing them of faking surrender or posing as civilians, only to shoot Americans.
As a result, the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Infantry have become far more suspicious of the Iraqi people, looking at each one as a possible attacker.
"I didn't expect the whole civilian thing," Self said. "And that bothers me."
The Bentonville, Ark., native sat in the turret of his tan Humvee, from where he mans his Mark-19 rapid-fire grenade launcher, which he has fixed up with a CD player and speakers that are invariably blasting country music.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/printer/ap.asp?category=1107&slug=War%20Taking%20Lives