What do You Think of This?

[shabil37]

I've ALREADY done two tours in Iraq. Now, with that out of the way, EVERYTHING that has come to light about this incident, both in the media (not credible) and from inside the Corps (credible) has told us that these Jarheads killed a civilian, not an insurgent (although many times they are one in the same).

The only thing these Jarheads have accomplished is the fact that they are making the mission harder for everyone else.

(although many times they are one in the same).

My main point!

[SSgtOfMarines]

(although many times they are one in the same).

My main point!

I always thought they were almost one of us.I hope that piece of S**T rots in hell!!

What do you think there playing paintball over there?????

When was that EVER your main point? You posted nothing similiar to what I did. Your first post was to show your a$$ and your second post was to try to show me up.

[shabil37]

My first post was to try and see where you were coming from. It looks like you take the side of someone trying to save his OWN sorry ass!

[SSgtOfMarines]

My first post was to try and see where you were coming from. It looks like you take the side of someone trying to save his OWN sorry ass!

I take the side of whoever is telling the truth. If it turns out that this Corpsman is lying, then he deserves to rot in jail.

[ivalis]

feel sorry for the doc, kind of like going for a ride w/ your buds and they knock over a liquor store.

[SSgtOfMarines]

feel sorry for the doc, kind of like going for a ride w/ your buds and they knock over a liquor store.

Best analogy I have read about this incident.

Btw, long time no speak Ivalis

[horselady]

I heard a conversation between this sailor's father and
Michael Savage (radio host) when the incident was first
being reported. According to him at that time, his son
had told him that the "civilian" who was killed was one
of many such insurgents who were firing upon them at
the time. He didn't mention whether or not this "civilian"
was firing or not, but he said he was not cowering in
a corner with family like most civilians would. He said he
appeared to be with the insurgents that were firing even
though he wasn't firing at that moment.

He did speak of his son as part of the group that were
being wrongly accused by Iraqi "civilians" who may not
be armed themselves but who shelter and support
insurgents from time to time.

Now this was one father's version but the thing that stood
out in my mind was how he always said "they" to include his
son and never intimated that his son wasn't part of this group
that had been wrongly charged, nor that he was trying to
get the rest of the group to stop shooting. I never had the
impression from listening to him that his son alone was not
a part of what had or hadn't happened.

[horselady]

(although many times they are one in the same).

My main point!

I don't know how our troops in Iraq can distinguish between
the civilians and the insurgents at all, considering no one
wears uniforms. Does that mean they can only shoot at
people who are shooting at them? But even then, how do
they know who the civilians are, since a civilian might just
pick up the gun of a dead insurgent and start firing?

I'm sure many civilians have been killed in other wars because
they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Did it
become front page news? Not talking about My Lai here.
The difference was there was no hostile media liberals there
who were looking to charge our military with war crimes
or to undermine the war effort and disgrace the
President, as so many are now.

Read this account from a CNN reporter, who wasn't out
to "get" our troops:

“CNN” reporter's shock at the Haditha allegations
By Arwa Damon
CNN, Wednesday, May 31, 2006;

BAGHDAD, Iraq

"I know the Marines that were operating in western al Anbar, from Husayba all the way to Haditha. I went on countless operations in 2005 up and down the Euphrates River Valley. I was pinned on rooftops with them in Ubeydi for hours taking incoming fire, and I've seen them not fire a shot back because they did not have positive identification on a target.

I saw their horror when they thought that they finally had identified their target, fired a tank round that went through a wall and into a house filled with civilians. They then rushed to help the wounded -- remarkably no one was killed.

I was with them in Husayba as they went house to house in an area where insurgents would booby-trap doors, or lie in wait behind closed doors with an AK-47, basically on suicide missions, just waiting for the Marines to come through and open fire. There were civilians in the city as well, and the Marines were always keenly aware of that fact. How they didn't fire at shadows, not knowing what was waiting in each house, I don't know. But they didn't.

And I was with them in Haditha, a month before the alleged killings last November of some 24 Iraqi civilians.

I'm told that investigators now strongly suspect a rampage by a small number of Marines who snapped after one of their own was killed by a roadside bomb.

Haditha was full of IEDs. It seemed they were everywhere, like a minefield. In fact, the number of times that we were told that we were standing right on top of an IED minutes before it was found turned into a dark joke between my CNN team and me.

In fact, when we initially left to link up with the company that we were meant to be embedded with, the Humvee that I was in was hit by an IED. Another 2 inches and we would have been killed. Thankfully, no one was injured.

We missed the beginning of the operation, and ended up entering Haditha that evening. The city was empty of insurgents, or they had gone into hiding as they so often do, blending with the civilian population, waiting for U.S. and Iraqi forces to sweep through and then popping up again.

But this time, after this operation, the Marines and the Iraqi Army were not going to pull out, they were going to set up fixed bases.

Now, all these months later, while watching the tapes, I found a walk and talk with one of the company commanders that was relieved of his duty as a result of the Haditha probe.

After being hit by an IED, his men were searching the area and found a massive weapons cache in a mosque. Although it wasn't his company that we were embedded with, the Marines had taken me to the mosque so we could get footage of the cache.

And so began the e-mails and phone calls between myself and my two other CNN crew members, Jennifer Eccleston and Gabe Ramirez: Do you remember when we were talking with the battalion commander and his intel guy right outside the school and then half an hour later they found an IED in that spot? Do you remember when we were sitting chatting with them at the school? And all the other "do you remember whens."

There was also -- can you believe it? -- the allegations of the Haditha probe."




I understand this sailor's need to CYA, though I don't respect
him for it. As someone else said, they were all in it together.
And he should have kept his mouth shut. Then again that's why
he is Navy, and not a Marine.

[drumcorpssnare]

My take on this whole issue is that the media is not censored enough. They should not be able to say or print anything that "goes against" what we're trying to accomplish. This kind of garbage was not tolerated during WWII.
The media loves to bash Bush, but invariably when you hear vets who are serving NOW...they say they want to stay, and get the job done! Otherwise, all the casualties have been for nothing!

When the U.S. fire-bombed Dresden, Germany and Tokyo, Japan in WWII, there were hundreds of THOUSANDS of civilians killed. Americans didn't whine and snivel about that. That's because they weren't worried about being Politically Correct!!!!!

[tntmondy]

It must be a wonderful thing to sit in the safety of a studio (the media) and Monday morning quarterback what those Marines and one sailor did. Those 8 had a split second decision to make. I have no clue what the FACTS are, other than I do know that the media likes to blow things way out of proportion. As for that sailor (not to defend him) but you have know idea what they (the prosecution) have threatened him with to get him to co-operate. Although the 8 of them should be sticking together and not turning on each other. Throw the media out of Iraq and let our troops do what has to be done so they can complete their mission and come home.

[Camper51]

So, if a murder was truly committed they should all say nothing???

I am sorry but the truth must come out of this so that no other incident like this happens again.

We have not heard the evidence, thus we cannot be the judge and jury.

When the evidence is in and the verdicts are read, then, and only then, will I make judgement on these Marines and the Sailor.

I pray that it was not a case of murder, but if it is then justice needs to be rendered to the proper people involved.

...

[bootlace15]

Camper51,

until there is a trial,they should say nothing they have not been charged as of yet. However they may be if someone testifies against them. The whole problem is,if they are not charged,why are they being held.If they can't have the same rights as everyone else,thats a crime against them!!!!!!!!! Where in the heck is Gen. Peter Pace?