posted November 19, 2004 12:12 AM              

NOTE: I am going to specify right here and now, that this is an OPINION piece. I am sure we are all capable of "googling" the facts on this story. Since there seems to be much discourse on the difference between FACTS and OPINIONS on this board (i guess no one was paying attention during 6th grade grammar class) I wanted to make it perfectly clear. He does ask many pertinent questions about this event.
http://www.newzmaniac.com/opinion10.html

The predictable backlash from Bush sympathizers is aimed at Kevin Sites, rather than the Marine who did the killing. They say that Sites is "aiding the enemy". They say he is no better than "the terrorists". Pray tell, how in the world does a journalist aid the enemy by reporting the uncensored news? Are we supposed to believe that "the enemy" had no idea that American troops were capable of this type of incident? I guess we're supposed to believe that Iraqis in Fallujah haven't heard yet about the torture at Abu Ghraib. Does uncensored news really aid the enemy? Only if the enemy is a large group of Americans who have become accustomed to whitewashed spin-cycle "news"; a healthy dose of uncensored news is the very aid that they need.

Don't bother calling me unpatriotic or un-American. When I checked last, the American military was to be exemplified by their adherence to the laws of war, regardless of the enemy's lack thereof. I've been in combat - have you? I know the Rules of Engagement - do you? I know what the Geneva Convention says - do you? I don't want the next video to be of Iraqi militia killing unarmed and wounded American prisoners, excusing it away by citing "combat stress".....do you? The more this incident is justified, the more permission is given for the same treatment of wounded American prisoners. I hope you can justify that.

posted November 19, 2004 07:52 AM              

I acknowledge that this was a war crime, but... so?

I don't know what the media hopes to achieve by publicising this, other than to aid anti-war propaganda.

That Marine will be court marshalled and made an example of. He'll end up in the brig, which is 100 times worse than a civilian prison.

But, it's a war. The people fighting this war are individuals like you and me, not brain-washed automatons... so when they stray from what how they've been trained, or snap, or follow their instincts which may be malevolent and bloodthirsty... It doesn't reflect on the military, it's areflection of that individual.

I mean, the left is constantly asking us to view Islam as a religion of peace, and not to judge all muslims by the actions of a minority of misguided extremists... how is this different?

posted November 19, 2004 09:48 AM              

Now, I don't know what was running through this Marine's head at the time, but (besides anger over his friend's death) there may have been an actual fear of further injury to himself or for his life.

*shrugs*

You asked for a justification.
I don't know if the above's that, but it may be a reason.

posted November 19, 2004 09:59 AM              

Statements such as Gonzales' that "the new paradigm (of the war on terrorism) renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions," are abhorrent (though, to be fair, he did then state that the "military remains bound to apply the principles of GPW because that is what you have directed them to do").

There are two books that I'm curious if you've read:
* _Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century_ by Jonathan Glover
and
* _On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society_ by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

posted November 19, 2004 12:15 PM            

But people like you MK that come on here and DARE people that differ from you in political preferences to JUSTIFY THIS..you are looking for a fight - but you won't get one- a crime is a crime and should be dealt with as such.

Prox - my ex-hubby left his work running a forensics division to work as a dentist pathologist that identifies bodies of soldiers that are killed in combat. He sees ALL the bodies from Iraq - I just got an e-mail from him and this go around he is really having a hard time processing our dead soldiers. Putting booby trapped bombs in their dead is killing at least one of our soldiers at a time.

posted November 19, 2004 06:32 PM              

Thats why I phrased it such. I could have posted it, made some outrageous anti war statements about it, but I didnt.

Its nice to see everyone looking at this from a human point of view, as opposed to the Republican or Democrat world view, isnt it?

posted November 19, 2004 08:10 PM            

Once again the blogger world has stepped up to the plate to do job the mainstream media are supposed to do - but seldom bother to do anymore.

While U.S. and Arab media went-pedal-to-the-metal with the NBC video of a Marine in Fallujah committing the "atrocity" of defending himself and his platoon against a wounded terrorist, PowerlineBlog.com has helped put the incident in perspective by publishing a letter from a brother Marine who describes just what our guys are up against.

The moving account is beginning to make the rounds on talk radio, with WABC host Mark Levin sharing it with his audience Thursday night.

We thought it was worth doing the same:

Letter From a Fallujah Marine:

This is one story of many that people normally don't hear, and one that everyone does. This is one most don't hear:

A young Marine and his cover man cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with AK-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain. The insurgent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor (doctor)!"

He is badly wounded, lying in a pool of his own blood. The Marine and his cover man slowly walk toward the injured man, scanning to make sure no enemies come from behind. In a split second, the pressure in the room greatly exceeds that of the outside, and the concussion seems to be felt before the blast is heard. Marines outside rush to the room, and look in horror as the dust gradually settles.

The result is a room filled with the barely recognizable remains of the deceased, caused by an insurgent setting off several pounds of explosives.

The Marines' remains are gathered by teary-eyed comrades, brothers in arms, and shipped home in a box. The families can only mourn over a casket and a picture of their loved one, a life cut short by someone who hid behind a white flag.

But no one hears these stories, except those who have lived to carry remains of a friend, and the families who loved the dead. No one hears this, so no one cares.

This is the story everyone hears:

A young Marine and his fire team cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with AK-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain. The insurgent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor (doctor)!" He is badly wounded.

Suddenly, he pulls from under his bloody clothes a grenade, without the pin. The explosion rocks the room, killing one Marine, wounding the others. The young Marine catches shrapnel in the face.

The next day, same Marine, same type of situation, a different story. The young Marine and his cover man enter a room with two wounded insurgents. One lies on the floor in a puddle of blood, another against the wall. A reporter and his camera survey the wreckage inside, and in the background can be heard the voice of a Marine, "He's moving, he's moving!"

The pop of a rifle is heard, and the insurgent against the wall is now dead. Minutes, hours later, the scene is aired on national television, and the Marine is being held for committing a war crime. Unlawful killing.

And now, another Marine has the possibility of being burned at the stake for protecting the life of his brethren. His family now wrings their hands in grief, tears streaming down their face. Brother, should I have been in your boots, I too would have done the same.

For those of you who don't know, we Marines, Band of Brothers, Jarheads, Leathernecks, etc., do not fight because we think it is right, or think it is wrong. We are here for the man to our left, and the man to our right. We choose to give our lives so that the man or woman next to us can go home and see their husbands, wives, children, friends and families.

For those of you who sit on your couches in front of your television, and choose to condemn this man's actions, I have but one thing to say to you. Get out of your recliner, lace up my boots, pick up a rifle, leave your family behind and join me. See what I've seen, walk where I have walked. To those of you who support us, my sincerest gratitude. You keep us alive.

posted November 21, 2004 04:52 PM            

The military is doing what it HAS to do.

WE are NOT there...we DO NOT know the situation..we cannot reasonably say what needs to be done.

I look in my guys eyes, when he tells me he has killed before. I know it hurts, but like he said he had to do it..when the enemy is firing at you (he was talking about his tour in Bosnia) and they are trying to kill you and your comrades, you shoot back- you kill..or you die.