Valiance Outweighs Abuse Allegations
The allegations about Marines killing civilians in Haditha last year are bad enough. But what’s worse is that one possible incident of abuse so easily overshadows the efforts of U.S. forces who struggle daily to prove we are not the Great Satan.
Certainly innocents are being killed in this war, and unlawful behavior should be punished, but recognize the difference:
Our highly disciplined troops are fighting under rules of engagement designed to protect and defend innocents, to minimize the loss of life. They regularly save lives.
The enemy has no rules. They kill as many innocents as possible, as horrifically as possible, every day. They murder outright, or attempt to spark revenge killings among rival factions, or launch attacks while among civilians, hoping that any return fire by U.S. or Iraqi forces will cause casualties. (please read the entire article)
There are men and women in uniform putting their lives on the line not only for each other, but for the innocent civilians. The women and the children injured by the same IEDs that the insurgents use to kill our soldiers, are being treated by our military medics, doctors, surgeons and on more than one occasion they are flown to other bases and even the United States for further treatment. These are not men and women who would blatantly kill innocents, they would lay down their lives to protect them and they have…often.
There are soldiers using whatever influence they may have in their hometowns to have supplies sent to them so that the children can go to school with brand new books and pencils. And other soldiers getting new shoes sent to them so that the children are no longer running in the streets in bare feet. There are the toys, the games, the balls, the hugs. These are not the actions of “cold-blooded killers” as Kerry and Murtha would have you believe.
I am not naive. I know that there are bad people in the service, just as there are in every organization, but the good people, the ones who believe in the mission and know they are doing what is right to help the Iraqi people, definitely outweigh those who are bad. We need to remember their sacrifices and honor them and not condemn them for the “alleged” actions of a few. Allegations that have yet to be proven.
I’d like to send every one of these surrender weasels that think the U.S. is so bad to see the autopsy of the two soldiers who were killed in what has been described as a “barbaric” fashion by Al Queda.
It might be a reminder what kind of monsters we are dealing with.
Thanks Anna for this post…I second Mike’s idea!..sigh.
Mike,
When I heard the first report of the condition of the bodies, I thought immediately of Somalia and the footage of those barbarians dragging them through the streets. After this, anyone who thinks that we are dealing with an “honorable” enemy is completely insane!
Thank you, Angel. I just can’t believe that the MSM and so many on the left are calling our Marines the bad guys.
Bad thing’s happen in war. I don’t think our service men are doing any more or less than what our government wants it to. However in war their are no rules. We have abandoned the Geneva Convention what makes us think they will act in a recognized manner.
My hart breaks for the families of all the GI’s lost and wounded in this mess.
What has not been addressed is what is our objective, A Western style democracy? I don’t think so where have we been able to do that. We have a long history of trying, no success.
That’s just it Jim, there are rules of war and from what I have read and heard (in many cases “from the horse’s mouth”), our soldiers have gone above and beyond in following the rules of war. It is these terrorists who are dressing as civilians using women and children as shields who have no honor.
As for the democracy, it’s form will be decided by it’s new government.
About Haditha: Even those “alleged actions of a few” can be construed to look like evil behavior — when they may NOT have been! The MSM is the worst at this as they continually take THE RULES OF OUR CIVILIZED SOCIETY & try to apply them to the “rules” played-out in a horrifying and chaotic war zone — which simply cannot be done. Meanwhile, the MSM loves to accuse our brave soldiers of “illegal behavior” on the battlefield — mostly because their tiny little minds cannot even conceive of the DIFFERENCES that exist in raw battle. Apples and oranges, baby. Just ask any Vietnam war veteran that was lucky enough to come back.
I will keep saying this. The terrorist thugs in Iraq are like the Werewolves in Germany after WWII. Forces belonging to no recognized command authority, no uniform [unless you think wearing the Nazi armband or the SS Totenkopf make a uniform], and the committing of terrorist attacks against the occupying powers and civilians. The Werewolves were shot on the spot.
The terrorists in Iraq deserve the same fate. Instead the US military has very restrictive Rules of Engagement in Iraq based on principles developed after so much combat in Europe.
Haditha is falling apart as people wonder why a ‘human rights’ group sat on the story for four months. And does anyone remember the name of the Warrant Officer at My Lai who was willing to shoot Cally’s soldiers to protect VietNamese civilians? The MSM tends not to remember that portion of the story.
Mike, it wouldn’t matter. To them it is merely evidence that we should not be there. People, like those mouthing off about supposed acts of torture by American soldiers, don’t care about Freedom or Liberty for anyone but themselves. And it’s all about them in the first place.
We should not be in Iraq, where we simply are drawing in people who don’t want us there, and are protecting their homes and culture from Western invaders. This is the fact-less mindset of the Left and the MSM. No amount of facts will sway them. Oh, some are salvagable. But most are beyond help.
And that is the most frightening thing of all. These people still have the power to sway the voters.
Trish, several of the other allegations involving our soldiers (i.e. Marine LT. Ilario Pantano falsely accused in 2004) have been proven false and as more and more information about “eyewitness” statements changing comes out about Haditha, I’m thinking that there won’t be any substantiated, indisputible proof against those soldiers.
Jim, the Geneva Conventions are rules for civilized nations. We are actually following them to a scary degree in Iraq when the very rules you bemoan are no longer in force.
We do not have to extend those rules to non-uniformed irregulars. And that’s what the so-called insurgents are, at the best. They are not a national army.
Thses are invaders from around the Arab world, not Iraqis. We do not have to accept their surrenders, we do not have to treat them with any compassion, we simply may – under those very rules of the Geneva Convention – execute them out-of-hand. And yet … we don’t, Jim. Because despite what our enemies, both without and within, have to say about the USA and our Armed Forces, we do everything humanly possible to limit damage to those actually firing weapons at us.
Take that to its logical conclusion. We have endangered the lives of the very people we send over there, not by putting them in a war zone, but by limiting every single one of their normal responses. We are so overly civilized in our fighting of this war that we would rather see our own people killed then to see an innocent Iraqi wounded by mistake.
Save your tender feelings for our own soldiers, and not for those Iraqis and Arabs who will not fight for their own freedom.
Anna, I have no doubt that there are factions working specifically against our troops by killing the Iraqis and doing everything they can to pin it on our troops. Saddam did it for years and I’m sure he taught his minions well.
You are so right, benning. It is because of the false allegations from the MSM, ACLU and far left, that the armed services are restricting actions which are causing more injury and death to our own troops than to the enemy. How is a soldier supposed to do their job when any action they may take against an aggressor is subject to investigation and law suits?
WELL SAID by everyone posting, here. Nobody’s pulling the wool over YOUR eyes!
I agree, Trish!
MSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSM
Also know to a few as the “free press” who ALSO put their lives on the line in Iraq. We have had more journalists killed and wounded(many by “friendly fire”) since the Bush plan for the enrichment of Halliburton and subsidiaries er.. I mean invasion of Iraq than in any other conflict in history.
Coming up with names like “surrender weasle” accomplishes nothing. I only wish you rabid frothing at the mouth war mongers could see that those who continue to put your beloved soldiers at risk NEVER SERVED. To claim that Kerry and Murtha will be “with you for the first shot” but then run away is one thing. To have the person say that be one who never served and actively avoided service is hollow and meaningless, like much of the rhetoric that is spouted by the Neo-Cons.
This entire argument is missing the point that Bush put us into this position for personal gain. That is shameful. Exposing mis-deeds and atrocities is patriotic, even when it indictes our troops.
Clean up in Aisle 15, someone just threw up every far left talking point in one giant spasm of non-coherent thinking.
Scot, I’m really interested. Do you have proof that Bush is gaining anything personally by being in Iraq? Have you researched Halliburton and their profits and do you know for sure if Bush still holds any stock or interest in the company? I’m just curious as to how you are coming to that conclusion.
Anna, you crack me up!
Actually he missed a meme, the cheap oil meme which was also used during Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
Enrichment of Haliburton meme is real old news. Try President Johnson owned stock in Bell-Textron and that was why we were in VietNam so Bell-Textron could sell more UH-1s to the Army and fatten LBJ’s wallet.
*yawn*
Just asking for a bit of original thinking here, work with me you progressives.
Anna, I’ve just heard that complaint so many times, yet I haven’t seen or heard of any proof on the subject. I thought maybe Scot knew where I could read or find more information on that from reliable sources. (Not Kos or DU or anyplace like that…far from reliable sources that they are.)
So, according to some, vilification of our troops is just fine as long as it serves to bring down Bush. Yeah, you support the troops.
Endangering our troops’ lives is also fine and dandy as long as the story gets out, even if it doesn’t contain the “real” facts.
We are fighting thugs who have no honor, scruples or integrity who have a long history of attacking the US. We are only now doing something about. Wouldn’t it be something to see the same outraged uproar over the way our troops are treated by the enemy.
how can you continue to support the policies of a bunch of draft dodging, defferrment weasel, war mongers?
Talk about putting the troops in danger! Yeah let’s send them over to fight a war that had nothing to do with terror, under-equipped, with a bunch of private contractors, send them on multiple tours and then make them pay for air fare home. Let’s make them scour the trash heaps for stuff to patch together some armour. Let’s dismantle the command and control and then not secure the country. Let’s allow the insurgents (who are in their last throes) to steal super high power explosives because we don’t want to upset Rumsfelds “war plan” by sending enough troops in to preven looting…
That is some real troop support there!
How can you have a rational thought in your head and not be mad as hell at this administration?
Scot, thou art troll for thine fetid breath doth pollute this blog with a dank miasma of blind hate.
Scot, I really don’t know where you get your ideas about the troops, but I’m sure Yankeemom can set you straight on some of your “so called facts” as her son is currently serving. As for the multiple tours, these soldiers are re-enlisting of their own free will because they know what they are doing is right and there are more and more seriously injured soldiers working harder than ever to get back to their units…again and again and again. No one is sending them back, they want to be there.
As for Iraq having nothing to do with terror, ask the Air Force pilots who had missles shot at them in the “no-fly” zones while Iraq was under UN sanctions. Ask the families of all those Kurds that Saddam slaughtered or better yet, ask the Israeli families who lost loved ones to suicide bombers that Saddam supported and paid for!
Oh, and just so you know, neither Lincoln nor FDR served in the military and had no problem performing the duties of Commander-in-Chief during a time of war.
Yankeemom, I apologize for my liberal commentator, you know that the troops are very important to me. I have no problem with debating the issues, but when it comes to spouting the left’s talking points, I want proof and since there has been no proof on the Haditha case (or many other cases in the news), I get ticked off when people accuse them of being guilty, too.
Look I don’t hate the troops, Anna or anyone else. I just think it is crazy the way this has turned into the troops getting screwed over for a lie. How can you excuse the actions of the administrations of both Bush presidents when they are responsible for this.
Saddam was our guy in Iraq just like Osama was our guy in Afganistan. The CIA and the Pentagon want you to forget all about how cozy we were. That implicates our administration in some shady dealings. Cheney, Wolfi, Hadley, Rummy (there seems to be aome pattern here) Condi, they, along with Bush, as director of the CIA, have allowed this thing to come to pass. This “global war” is exactly what they want. They don’t care about your kids. They just want to see war. They want to have war to allow them to dilute the freedoms under the guise of security, expand the presidential power over the Congress and Judiciary. They want to do this to you and your kids. I mean the parents of the kids just killed had to find out about it on the T.V.!!! The president can’t be bothered to pick up a phone and say something comforting to these people. NO they have to see this drama played out on television.
But, I am the one with “fetid breath” and “dank miasma of blind hate”… Sorry I guess you don’t want to hear anything other than “Stay the course!” ” Thousand points of light” Let’s invade Iran and North Korea too!THAT would really be supporting the troops huh? While we are at it we can invade, hell let’s just take South America. They stole our name after all… Then it wil all be one giant America. We can knock out Canada and have our allies Britan take over Europe then we can have a real war with Eurasia on one side and Oceania
on the other and we will be perpetually at war. That would be GREAT for the troops huh?
Scot we are in Iraq, that is a fact. The mission must be finished, that is a fact because if it isn’t finished, we will be. I’m sorry if this doesn’t work for you, but that is just the way it is. Railing against the administration is futile. And you can cast your vote to change it as the elections roll around.
As for who you blame, please don’t forget Carter (Iran hostages), Reagan (Iran Contra) or Clinton (first World Trade) when you rant about how we got to where we are today. There is plenty of blame to go around both sides of the aisle.
Scot, the United States of America is not an Imperial power. After the Boxer Rebellion in China the US refused any concessions like the UK got with Hong Kong or Portugal with Macao. Of the three colonies Spain surrendered to the US after the Spanish-American War – Cuba was granted independence very quickly, the Phillipines, despite Japanese occupation, became independant after WWII, which leaves Puerto Rico where the citizens can not decide via voting to be a state or their own nation. The Pacific territories Germany surrendered after WWI under League of Nations rules to the United States still maintain commonwealth status with the US. Panama is its own country though the US created the nation to get a canal dug.
The US track record is to give nations back to the people living there. And that is what the US is doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. If the US is to blame for Saddam being such an unholy terror then we as a nation have a responsibility to fix that error and that is what the US and its allies are doing. Same goes for Afghanistan where Reagan supported the Northern Alliance against the invading Soviet armies, to help the people repel a foreign invader. Once that was done, the US folded up its supply pipeline and then the Taliban shoved the Northern Alliance aside to take power so Osama found a sanctuary created by US good intentions. The US is trying to fix errors that spawned such terror.
Or are you in opposition to such a notion as taking responsibility and trying to correct a mistake?
Thank you Anna!
If it had been up to Scot, we’d all be speaking German.
I am highly impressed by US Forces. Pleas explain *they are Liberators*they are occupiers*they are Pirates*they are Plunderers or KILLERS at large. What are they, their leaders visit Afghanistan & Iraq, under cover of darkness as thief’s, have they committed any crime. They are against Saddam Hussain, Bin Ladin, Mullah Omar or against ISLAM & MUSLIMS, whom are they Killing now. Are they looking for Weapons of Mass destruction they will find them in ISRAIEL, INDIA, as they have provided? People feel it is the beginning of end of USA, I do not believe I feel other then BUSH their are Good GOD fearing people residing in USA, some how they have lost their SAY due to inherent fault of system. Sir no one repeat no one respects a terrorist,” TERROR ISM IS PRODUCTION OF IN JUSTICE”. If we do not identify the cause can we eradiate TERRORISM? Schoolteacher in any Southern State of USA can give you the solution, which is applicable universally. How was SLAVERY eradicated in AMERICA, not by Killing all BLACKS, but by recognizing them as equal human beings. If being Muslim is a crime why people in West are converting to Islam. Pleas don’t be misled by usurper leaders of Muslim states they were only born in Muslim family?I am at you service help you understand the void
tours
Arosebyname has blogged about germany tours.