The news media as well as some Americans have been highly critical of the shooting of a wounded terrorist by a Marine in Iraq. Below, an unidentified Marine responds. He shows an intelligence and grasp of the obvious that the press and some of our countrymen lack. This is a must read:
It's a safety issue pure and simple. After assaulting through a target, we put a security round in everybody's head. Sorry al-Reuters, there's no paddy wagon rolling around Fallujah picking up "prisoners" and offering them a hot cup a joe, falafel, and a blanket. There's no time to dick around on the target. You clear the space, dump the chumps, and moveon.org. Are Corpsman expected to treat wounded terrorists? Negative. Hey libs, worried about the defense budget? Well, it would be waste, fraud, and abuse for a Corpsman to expend one man-minute or a battle dressing on a terrorist. It’s much cheaper to just spend the $.02 on a 5.56mm FMJ. By the way, in our view, terrorists who chop off civilian's heads are not prisoners, they are carcasses. Chopping off a civilian's head is another reason why these idiots are known as "unlawful combatants". It seems that most of the world's journalists have forgotten that fact. Let me be very clear about this issue. I have looked around the web, and many people get this concept, but there are some stragglers. Here is your situation Marine: You just took fire from unlawful combatants (no uniform - breaking every Geneva Convention rule there is) shooting from a religious building attempting to use the sanctuary status of their position as protection. But you're in Fallujah now, and the Marine Corps has decided that they're not playing that game this time. That was Najaf. So you set the mosque on fire and you hose down the terrorists with small arms, launch some AT-4s (Rockets), some 40MM grenades into the building and things quiet down. So you run over there, and find some tangos (bad guys) wounded and pretending to be dead. You are aware that suicide martyrdom is like really popular with these idiots, and they think taking some Marines with them would be really cool. So you can either risk your life and your fire team's lives by having them cover you while you bend down and search a guy that you think is pretending to be dead for some reason. Most of the time these are the guys with the grenade or vest made of explosives. Also, you don't know who or what is in the next room. You’re already speaking English to the rest of your fire team or squad which lets the terrorist know you are there and you are his enemy. You are speaking loud because your hearing is poor from shooting people for several days. So you know that there are many other rooms to enter, and that if anyone is still alive in those rooms, they know that Americans are in the mosque. Meanwhile (3 seconds later), you still have this terrorist (that was just shooting at you from a mosque) playing possum. What do you do? You double tap his head, and you go to the next room, that's what!!!
What about the Geneva Convention and all that Law of Land Warfare stuff? What about it. Without even addressing the issues at hand, your first thought should be, "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6."
Bear in mind that this tactic of double tapping a fallen terrorist is a perpetual mind set that is reinforced by experience on a minute by minute basis. Secondly, you are fighting an unlawful combatant in a Sanctuary, which is a double No-No on his part. Third, tactically you are in no position to take "prisoners" because there are more rooms to search and clear, and the behavior of said terrorist indicates that he is up to no good. No good in Fallujah is a very large place and the low end of no good and the high end of no good are fundamentally the same... Marines end up getting hurt or die. So there is no compelling reason for you to do anything but double tap this idiot and get on with the mission. If you are a veteran, then everything I have just written is self evident.
If you are not a veteran, then at least try to put yourself in the situation. Remember, in Fallujah there is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow, there is only now. Right NOW. Have you ever lived in NOW for a week? It is really, really not easy. If you have never lived in NOW for longer than it takes to finish the big roller coaster at Six Flags, then shut your hole about putting Marines in jail for "War Crimes".
It's a safety issue pure and simple. After assaulting through a target, we put a security round in everybody's head. Sorry al-Reuters, there's no paddy wagon rolling around Fallujah picking up "prisoners" and offering them a hot cup a joe, falafel, and a blanket. There's no time to dick around on the target. You clear the space, dump the chumps, and moveon.org. Are Corpsman expected to treat wounded terrorists? Negative. Hey libs, worried about the defense budget? Well, it would be waste, fraud, and abuse for a Corpsman to expend one man-minute or a battle dressing on a terrorist. It’s much cheaper to just spend the $.02 on a 5.56mm FMJ. By the way, in our view, terrorists who chop off civilian's heads are not prisoners, they are carcasses. Chopping off a civilian's head is another reason why these idiots are known as "unlawful combatants". It seems that most of the world's journalists have forgotten that fact. Let me be very clear about this issue. I have looked around the web, and many people get this concept, but there are some stragglers. Here is your situation Marine: You just took fire from unlawful combatants (no uniform - breaking every Geneva Convention rule there is) shooting from a religious building attempting to use the sanctuary status of their position as protection. But you're in Fallujah now, and the Marine Corps has decided that they're not playing that game this time. That was Najaf. So you set the mosque on fire and you hose down the terrorists with small arms, launch some AT-4s (Rockets), some 40MM grenades into the building and things quiet down. So you run over there, and find some tangos (bad guys) wounded and pretending to be dead. You are aware that suicide martyrdom is like really popular with these idiots, and they think taking some Marines with them would be really cool. So you can either risk your life and your fire team's lives by having them cover you while you bend down and search a guy that you think is pretending to be dead for some reason. Most of the time these are the guys with the grenade or vest made of explosives. Also, you don't know who or what is in the next room. You’re already speaking English to the rest of your fire team or squad which lets the terrorist know you are there and you are his enemy. You are speaking loud because your hearing is poor from shooting people for several days. So you know that there are many other rooms to enter, and that if anyone is still alive in those rooms, they know that Americans are in the mosque. Meanwhile (3 seconds later), you still have this terrorist (that was just shooting at you from a mosque) playing possum. What do you do? You double tap his head, and you go to the next room, that's what!!!
What about the Geneva Convention and all that Law of Land Warfare stuff? What about it. Without even addressing the issues at hand, your first thought should be, "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6."
Bear in mind that this tactic of double tapping a fallen terrorist is a perpetual mind set that is reinforced by experience on a minute by minute basis. Secondly, you are fighting an unlawful combatant in a Sanctuary, which is a double No-No on his part. Third, tactically you are in no position to take "prisoners" because there are more rooms to search and clear, and the behavior of said terrorist indicates that he is up to no good. No good in Fallujah is a very large place and the low end of no good and the high end of no good are fundamentally the same... Marines end up getting hurt or die. So there is no compelling reason for you to do anything but double tap this idiot and get on with the mission. If you are a veteran, then everything I have just written is self evident.
If you are not a veteran, then at least try to put yourself in the situation. Remember, in Fallujah there is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow, there is only now. Right NOW. Have you ever lived in NOW for a week? It is really, really not easy. If you have never lived in NOW for longer than it takes to finish the big roller coaster at Six Flags, then shut your hole about putting Marines in jail for "War Crimes".
[My Thanks to Tom Nick for this article]
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8 comments:
I do not know what this has to do with 9-11 since Iraq is irrelevant on that issue. Other than that, I would note that that terrorism (defined as the intentional targeting of noncombatants) has historically been a part of warfare. Along those lines the US has probably been the the greatest user of terrorism. The fire-bombing of Dresden comes to mind. We deliberately targeted the civilian population of Germany to bring pressure on its government. It failed. On the other hand, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were acts of terrorism that succeeded. In Japan the ends apparently justified the means in that the use of the atomic bomb probably saved more lives than it cost. Returning to a jaded Marine in Iraq, if he has been reduced to the level of his foe, then what is he fighting for? If the answer is "himself and his buddies" then we have lost.
This is a sad commentary. If the situation in Iraq is so difficult that our soldiers and marines on the ground think it is no more complex than kill-or-be-killed, then let's get out of there RIGHT NOW before the American fighting man becomes an animal, a terrorist himself in an American uniform, an outright thug. The only war in my lifetime (I was class of '64) I have seriously doubted, before it even began, was this nonsense in the middle east. I don't think you had to be much of a historian to see all this coming. The incompetence of the civilian leadership team notwithstanding, President Bush's sincere desire to plant a flag of democracy in the middle of the middle east is and was the most adolescent of thinking. For me it isn't the money, it isn't the impact on the military, one way to the other - it is cost in American prestige, American wisdom, American leadership, and America's desire to be the moral leader of the world that is the real tragedy. Whenever and however we manage to extricate ourselves from this mess, it is a stain that won't go away very soon. For the most part I'm very proud of the performance of our military forces. I cannot say the same for our political intelligencia.
Who the hell is "anonymous" and why is he/she opening his/her mouth? If you do not have the courage to sign your name, stay silent. Please leave the military men and women ALONE who are only trying to do what WE have asked them to do, under the mission objectives WE have set forth. Yes I mean WE...You, me and every other American who voted in the last election or not.
For those of you who did not vote...you have even less room to complain. Get off of your high horses, and DO something that will make a difference, do not just bitch about it, and say it is "wrong". Hind sight (in my admittedly limited experience" always seems to be better than 20/20. If you want to make a difference in Iraq, there are many opportunities to make yourself useful...Help a child learn to read in An Najaf so he or she has somewhere to go BUT to the mullahs. "Sweat Equity" takes on an entirely new meaning when its your sweat at 120 Deg F in Battle Rattle and wondering where the Gomers are.
And just because "Anonymous" says that Iraq and 9-11 are not related does not make it true. 9-11 occurred (in my opinion) because of the same type of attitude that exists in places like Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, and the rest of the Fundamentalist Muslim world...They dislike America and the West because we make people better than their nature, just by existing. We are a beacon of hope to the world because anyone can be anything here, if they are smart enough and willing to work hard enough and apply themselves.
I apologize for the ramble, however, the point I wish to make is simple...Stand for something and stand behind it, or step aside, keep quiet and let us get on with the tasks we have been assigned by the people we elected. If you do not like the policy, that is your prerogative, but at least have the moral courage to sign your name to your stance so that we have some idea who we are talking to.
And to you Marine, I say keep you head down, your powder dry and get some for me...I'll be bringing in more bullets later in the week!
I do not know the identity of "anonymous"'; however, that is the beauty of of a democracy. First, Bush justified the Iraq war on the false basis that Iraq posed a threat to our national security. Any high school senior who was reasonably well read knew that was false. Second, even Bush early on admitted there was no connection between Al Queda and Iraq. Third, Saddam did not tolerate any threats to his absolute control over Iraq. Think about our support of Pinochet as a bulwark against Communism. In short, Iraq became our centerpiece in the war on terror as an afterthought to excuse Bush's monumental blunder. Bush's war has killed and wounded more Americans than Al Queda. It is time to hold him accountable.
Please be kind enough to use an identity when you comment and refrain from hostility. I am glad to see this article has peaked your interest, but I would like the discussions to remain intelligent and civil.
Thanks Ralph. I guess that was the point I was trying to make...Identify yourself and stand by your opinions.
First, I have never served. With that said,I can say I would not know what it might be like(spoken like a civilian) but family member have. They do not talk about what they see or what they have gone through. And I am not sure I really want to ask either. I will not judge because I don't know what I would do in a given situation if my life or others were in danger.
And I pray I will never know. Second, I do know that these people do not want to talk and make peace. I am thankful when family members come home.
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