Hell & Haditha

National Review Online ^ | June 2, 2006 | W. Thomas Smith Jr.

[SuzyQ2]

The vehicle, if close enough to the blast, flips into the air, snapping necks and spinal cords. Heads and limbs are torn from bodies. Gasoline ignites and ammunition cooks off, burning any survivors to a crisp. Those soldiers and Marines (many of whom are still teenagers) who witness the action are instantly shocked, physically sickened, grief-stricken, and enraged over the horror of having watched buddies—who have become closer than any sibling might ever hope to be—torn to pieces. Badly wounded buddies are screaming in agony. Yet the ones uninjured or with minor injuries have to respond as trained. They are dismounting from vehicles, simultaneously removing safeties from weapons and racing for cover or assaulting in the direction of the ambush where seen or unseen forces are shooting at them. The counterattack often requires the instant establishment of a base of fire by one group while an enveloping force prepares to overwhelm the enemy. Blood-pressure is peaking. Adrenaline is pumping.

[brazzaville]

Good evening.
"2) Safety on in a WAR ZONE? WTF?"

I always walked with the weapon on safe and my thumb on the safety.

The movement to fire with an M-16 safety is smooth and natural and with use becomes instinctive and silent.

The safety is, in my opinion, the worst part of a Kalashnikov's design.

Michael Frazier

[observer5]

The so-called witness was totally coached. I smell a RAT!

[Coop]

I never served (it shows, doesn't it?), so I didn't know.

No sweat. It's a fair question.

[wizardoz]

I heard a quote read today from the investigation. It was from the lone survivor in the house, a 12 year old girl. She said she was getting ready for school and when she heard the vehicles coming she covered her ears because she knew the explosion was coming.

Where could I read that?

[TheGunny]

YES, safetys on in a war zone. Unless that is...you wanna pop your best buddy in the head before you get to the fight?

[isthisnickcool]

I never watch CNN but I happen to have run across it flipping channels and Larry King is on. What I have been seeing makes me want to puke. What asses they are.

[LeoWindhorse]

yep , I agree . These regularly troublesome town and villages
should be put the the D-9's blade , leave nothing standing .

It should be also decreed that if the inhabitants support the terrorists their area will be declared a free fire zone with easy rules of engagement. Enough of this hand wringing and crying over spilled milk. Just please please , try to spare the women , kids and old people !

[MountainMenace]

Thanks for the post! It is the best balanced explanation of this situation I have read thus far. We can't sit here behind our keyboards and possibly imagine what combat over there is like. To judge them within the context of our daily lives is hypocrisy. Another previous post described Haditha as a haven for the insurgency with regular beheadings of Iraqis by Iraqis that were then published on DVD and circulated daily. What a debased hellhole! Why would we not think they would be affected by it?

[rlmorel]

[sinkspur]

My solution? Do what the Israeli's used to do..blow up houses. When an IED goes off, after the clean up, blow up the nearest house after it gets evacuated. That'll put new meaning into the words "neighborhood watch"!

That's not what the Israelis do or ever did. They blew up houses of perps or the relatives of suicide bombers when they could definitely identify them.

The Israelis did not blow up houses at random.

[Revolting cat!]

Excellent piece.But the story is (will be) too complicated for the simpleton media, the opportunist pols and their audience and supporters. We've got our Mylai, as Dan Henninger observes in this morning's WSJ. I, and I think we all, don't need to know any more beyond what we already know. Enough hand wringing, war is hell, those fighting it and dying in our name are not some neurotic Dustin Hoffmans, and the standards of polite society will never be met, sorry. The people we went over there to rescue are often the enemy. Imagine that! Henninger quotes the father of the dead Marine as saying (from memory) "I don't even watch the news any more." Enough!

[usmcobra]

One of your better efforts, I was impressed.

[McGavin999]

still this sounds like an excuse to me,

Of course it does dear, when the only action you've ever seen has been fantasies on TV.

[SE Mom]

The people we went over there to rescue are often the enemy.

---

My son said the guys giving you cigarettes, smiling and waving at you in the morning are the SAME ones who shoot to kill you at night. And somewhere in the midst of THAT madness...our Army and Marine Corps are expected to win "the hearts and minds"..

[Coop]

Don't know how I missed this comment from treasonous EX-Marine Jack Murtha:

Murtha contends photographic evidence of the incident proves beyond a doubt that the Marines at Haditha committed war crimes, making it critical the military take prompt action.

"These kind of things have to be brought out immediately," he told "This Week," "because if the Marines got away with it, other Marines might think it's okay."

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/story?id=2013939&page=2

Dishonorable Mr. Murtha - this former Marine has made you my extra special project between now and November. It's a promise.

Yet another bump for your worth opponent - Diana Irey

[Coop]

To my knowledge Ms. Irey's campaign has received at least 600 online donations since Dishonorable Jack opened his treasonous mouth to pronounce judgment on combat Marines. I don't know dollar amounts, nor do I know about snail mail donations. But suffice it to say that her support has exploded very recently. I look forward to that explosion continuing.

[armydawg1]

Now all we need is for the President to order more sensitivity training for those deployed to Iraq. Actually, its thought control, but that sounds too 1984ish.

Vets around the country should be sending his opponent money. She is far behind in fund raising, $75K to $1.2 million.

[armydawg1]

Thank you Baynative. And what about the outside, unspoken, maybe, just maybe possibility that the civilians were used as human shields? Also, the BBC has a video tape on their site that shows the bodies of several children with no bullet holes or damage to their heads, where they were supposedly shot.

What do you think Murtha? Someone lying here? Maybe you?

[bobby.223]

the first saftey is between the ears. no friendlies get zapped IF the 4 rules are followed, no exceptions.