U.S. Marines: Ferocious, lethal and legal

North County Times ^ | Nov 22, 2005 | Editorial Staff

[JeeperFreeper]

Our view: Italian criticism of tactics misplaced, as is foolish Pentagon dissembling

International critics are wrong to brand U.S. Marines as war criminals because troops have used incendiary weapons in combat. Almost as wrong are the Pentagon spokespeople who undermine our Marines by denying or otherwise trying to hide this fact of warfare.

As reported Sunday by North County Times reporter Darrin Mortenson, there is an Internet campaign that accuses U.S. forces of using chemical weapons in Iraq in violation of international law. The accusations are bunk, but their profile was raised two weeks ago by a documentary aired on Italy's state-run television broadcast network.

[JeeperFreeper]

Some of the media get it because they had reporters on the scene, not in a hotel in Bagdhad or a studio in N.Y. The pogue spokespersons at the Pentagon haven't a clue about the ground combat and should not be allowed near a microphone. Semper Fidelis, Marines

[NYleatherneck]

Havn't heard pogue in a while, made me laugh... And you are dead on.

Semper Fi

-B

[MNJohnnie]

The mission is to kill terrrorists, not make the hand wringing Political Leftists feel good about themselves. Answer to these twits should be "Go play in your room Junior, the Adults are too busy to deal with your self absorbed tempertantrum right now". Killing the terrorists is the mission. What ever weapon does the most killing with the least risk to our people, use it.

[chesty_puller]

Pogue..........damn it's been a long time since I even thought of that one.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Is this the same Italian TV station that gave $8 million to the terrorists (to buy weapons to kill our soldiers) to ransome one of their commie reporters?

[Gulf War One]

Yeah, but does it ever fit. Conjures up images of lazy, fat, scared pogues wandering the hotel lobby in search of pogey bait, when they should be covering the war.

Semper fidelis

[JeeperFreeper]

It's state run, like PBS here, I guess. Certainly seems to be run with same disrepsect for the truth as ours, that's for sure. Go read the srticle and spread the word. The reporters were there when this happened. It was mortars and directed on enemy targets.

[MrStumpy]

Just hearing that word brings me back. Pogue sure fits these A.H.s at the pentagon who need to take a page out of Rumsfeld's book (in a war we kill people and break things too bad) paraphrased of course.

Marine before it was popular!

Stumpy

[Eagle Eye]

Matt Lauer covered the opening phases of OIF from the balcony of his hotel in Doha, Qatar. Even though CENTCOM had a huge media center on base, Pogue Matt stayed in his hotel.

[Americanexpat]

I didnt know WP was outlawed. We used the hell out of it in Nam include WP grenades, Nothing breaks up an attack like WP. If it burned through the bodies of terrorists and caused them extreme agony I say use more of it.

[JeeperFreeper]

It's not illegal; nor is napalm. And the Marines still use both with effect. Naplam was used to clear some fortified building on one side of bridge in initial invasion.Result: KFM, Kentucky Fried mujadeen.

[JoeGar]

Willie Pete ... nah. Napalm sticks to hippies better.

[Americanexpat]

I know it isn´t illegal, should have used the sarcasm thing. As far as I am concerned anything we use that will kill the enemy and keep our soldiers and Marines alive is just fine.

[JeeperFreeper]

Amen to that.

[Defiant]

I think that we ought to nip this stuff in the bud, this effort by non-involved pantywaist countries like Belgium to take jurisdiction of the conduct of our troops in wars that have nothing to do with Belgium, and thus jeopardize our troops' movement through the world. Can you imagine that they could indict one of our Marines, and then he can't go anywhere in Europe or even to South America, because he could be subject to extradition!!!

We need to make it a federal crime to do that to our troops, make the Euroweenies individually liable in US courts, seize their assets under anti-terrorism laws (because they are supporting the terrorists by these actions), and impose sanctions on the governments that support the "international" courts or harbor them. Let those who threaten our armed forces feel threatened themselves.

[Dilbert56]

The Pentagon did not deny its use. A State Dept. moron said the WP was used to illuminate targets (because "white phosphorous" sound just like "magnesium" it was an easy mistake to make). Once again a newspaper editorial is riddled with factual errors.

[Allosaurs_r_us]

The mission is to kill terrorists, not make the hand wringing Political Leftists feel good about themselves. Answer to these twits should be "Go play in your room Junior, the Adults are too busy to deal with your self absorbed tempertantrum right now". Killing the terrorists is the mission. What ever weapon does the most killing with the least risk to our people, use it.

Not only that, but whatever it takes and also whatever hurts the most. Terrorists are just like anyone else, pain is something you remember and try to avoid. Also seeing your buddy light up like a sparkler on the 4th of July will definitely be something you will never forget! I think we ought to load them with pig grease too! Wonder how they would react if they knew not only are they likely to die, but be stopped from meeting their 52 virgins. Just a thought......

[JeeperFreeper]

A "pogue" generally refers to office clerk types. Most ground combat arms types, artillery and tankers , are spared the term. There are two theories as to its origin. One has its origin as to a Naval practice of trading candy bars ("pogey bait") to a clerk typist in admin for a favor. The more current theory is that it is an acronym for "Persons Other than Grunts". Grunts use it on nearly every one not an "go outside the wire and fight" infantryman or Corpsman. They use it quite disrespectfully.

[kas2591]

From: http://grunt.space.swri.edu/usmcdict.htm

POGUE: lazy individual, also office worker.

POGEY BAIT: candy, sweets.