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A living enemy is worth more than a living Marine
Posted by Kim on September 6th, 2007
Three senior Marines have been censured as a result of their not initiating an investigation into the Haditha events.
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) - A major general and two senior officers have been disciplined for their roles in investigating the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha in 2005, the Marine Corps said Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. Richard A. Huck, former commanding general of the 2nd Marine Division, has received a letter of censure from the secretary of the Navy for the “actions he took and failed to take” in response to the killings.
The statement from the Marine Corps does not elaborate.
Col. Stephen W. Davis and Col. Robert G. Sokoloski also received letters of censure.
Davis was cited for failure to take action when informed of the slayings. Sokoloski was cited for unsatisfactory performance of his duties.
“Accountability and responsibility are the foundation of all we do as Marines,” said Gen. James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps.
“While these three officers have served their country and corps exceedingly well for decades, their actions, inactions and decisions in the aftermath of the Haditha incident did not meet the high standards we expect of Marine senior officer leadership,” Conway said.
In retrospect had these Marines done their job we wouldn’t be where we are now. The media wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on with this Haditha story; and importantly the junior Marines charged with murder, wouldn’t be under the gun right now. John Murtha still owes all of them an apology.
Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Johnson, former commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force, was fully exonerated, the Marine Corps statement said.
Good.
The disciplinary action came as a preliminary hearing continued in the Haditha case for Staff. Sgt. Frank Wuterich, 27, of Meriden, Conn., who is accused of unpremeditated murder in the slaying of 17 of the Iraqis.
Wuterich has acknowledged shooting five men who were at the scene of the bomb blast but claims he did so because they were running from the site of the explosion. Combat rules at the time allowed Marines to shoot at people fleeing the scene of an attack.
Capt. Alfonso Capers, to whom Wuterich reported for about two years before the killings, struggled for an answer in military court when Lt. Col. Paul Ware, the investigating officer overseeing the Haditha case, asked how Marines are trained to confront mixed crowds of enemies and civilians.
“Is there a schoolbook answer?” Ware asked.
“There’s not,” Capers replied.
Really? Some of us know this but it’s obvious others do not. And many feel that when ground combat conditions exist and civilians are in the area, enemies should be allowed to go unharmed. The fact the more Marines would have been killed (as well as more civilians) means nothing; a living enemy is worth more than a self defending living Marine. The sacrifices are acceptable when its the life of a Marine; when enemies die it’s a crime.
UPDATE:
HERE is one of those people who believe that enemies who hide among civilians, who dress like and act like them, should live while our Marines stand by helpless, and die as a result of more attacks. Stinking Feat need to be washed. In bleach.
September 6th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
It’s sickening that our soldiers face charges for doing their jobs. Sickening in the extreme.
September 6th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
Since the insurgents are civilians, it’s always the case that when killed the only thing anyone reads about is that civilians were killed. If some iraqis and media are to be believed US troops have yet to kill one terrorist, since all they have ever killed are civilians. BS pure and simple.
September 6th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Newsman reports a video of Haditha being doctored by investigators.
September 7th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
I find it disturbing that anyone would attempt to justify the massacre of civilians by lumping ALL Iraqis into the category of “The Enemy”. Had they been fighting, they would have been combatants and deserved what was coming to them, but these were unarmed women and children. The killing 24 Iraqi noncombatants, including 11 women and children was a crime.
If in fact ALL Iraqis are the enemy, then what the hell are we doing there trying to help them rebuild? Lets nuke the whole place and come home. We’re over there because there are good Iraqis that we want to see succeed and God bless every soldier who has put their lives at risk to do this difficult job.
The soldiers who carried out this massacres were not doing their jobs, so don’t pretend that killing children is part of the daily grind.