The road to Haditha: changing face of war

Baltimore Sun ^ | 8/22/06 | George Bryjak

[Coop]

SAN DIEGO // On Nov. 19, 2005, a unit of Marines arrived at the Iraqi village of Haditha to remove the bodies of civilians reportedly killed by a roadside blast. What they found were infants, women and children shot in the face and chest and the body of a wheelchair-bound elderly man riddled with bullets.

A group of Marines are under criminal investigation that could lead to murder charges in the slayings of 24 civilians in the western Iraqi village. Like Abu Ghraib, Haditha has become synonymous with war atrocities, in this case an alleged act of retribution for the roadside bombing death of a fellow Marine. If the Marines are charged, it will be for a military court to determine their guilt or innocence. But some already have sought to explain what can never be condoned.

"Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood," Rep. John P. Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat and former Marine Corps officer, contended based on his discussions with military officials.

While stress may have been a factor in that particular incident, the changing nature of war and the American military's response to those changes provide a history and context for the challenges confronting U.S. servicemen and women in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere today.

...

Military sociologist Charles Moskos notes that when insurgents are supported by the local populace, innocent civilians are likely to be viewed as the bad guys. "In these situations of extreme stress," he notes, "one can lose one's moral balance."

... George J. Bryjak, a former Marine, is a research associate in the department of sociology at the University of San Diego. His e-mail is bryjak@verizon.net

[Coop]

"one can lose one's moral balance."

Indeed. For example, this author chose not to make a single mention of terrorists routinely using women and children as shields, but rather focused all his attention on blaming America (specifically, her military.

This garbage just makes my blood boil. The jerk didn't even consider that the Marines may not even be guilty of crimes.

This crap is only going to continue unless and until America's military supporters rise up. And I'm not sure that will ever happen.

[Coop]

Letter to Mr. Bryjak:

Title: You were a Marine?

I find it difficult to believe you EVER wore the eagle, globe and anchor. The only thing missing from your hit piece was your pronouncement of guilt -- although you did make up for it by quoting Jack Murtha.

Presumption of innocence? Familiar with the term? Look it up sometime, ESPECIALLY when discussing our finest waging combat on behalf of our country. It would have been fascinating to have seen such a mention in your hit pi... err, objective article.

You and Murtha are both disgraces to the Corps, not to mention the human race.

Coop
"Hawkish, decorated combat Marine veteran"
USMC, 84-93

---

And yes, I did see Bryjak's little mention of guilt being up to a military court caveat. Strikingly different from the tone of his article.

[Coop]

"Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood," Rep. John P. Murtha,

Never forget why we're rallying in October.

Come to the National VFTT Boot Murtha Rally
Sunday, Oct. 1st in Johnstown, PA

[Coop]

Ping

[Coop]

Ping

[Senator Goldwater]

The Baltimore Sun is so unbalanced, you have to read it laying down.

[usmcobra]

No matter how difficult the military objective, how chaotic the field of battle, the wholesale killing of civilians can never be justified or excused. To absolve military personnel of any responsibility for their behavior is to take the first step toward condoning war crimes.

Our enemies justify the wholesale killing of civilians all the time, to them it is a way to break our will to fight back, to them it is the only way to break our nerve, to them if they can make the war we are fighting too terrible we will surrender rather then fight back.

I don't believe that our Marines killed everyone in the immediate area as retaliation for a single roadside bomb and the death of one Marine, but perhaps they should have, the insurgents would have, the terrorists would have, our past enemies would have, they're fighting to win this war, and today we are fighting to look civil while losing it.

Ultimately the moral balance of history is written by the victors of any war, they get to decide who get tried for war crimes, they get to decide who lives and who dies after one side has surrendered, and we know what the insurgents, the terrorists, Al Queda, Bin Ladin, islamofascists have in mind for every American or for that matter every non Muslim in this world should we lose to them.

They won't be as civil, as kind, as gracious in victory as we have always been. they will enslave us and destroy us as a pox upon their planet, perhaps it is time to show them we can be even more brutal then they can even imagine in their wildest nightmares to break once and for all time their willingness to destroy anyone that doesn't follow their beliefs.

[stand watie]

YEP!

murtha, the CREEP, must GO!

free dixie,sw

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

This guy is such a dirtbag!Marine?my ass.Biased?you bet.

[Leatherneck_MT]

Total War

Nothing else is acceptable.

[river rat]

I'm sure glad I didn't know there were assholes like this in the Corps -- when I naively believed I could trust ALL the brothers around me with my life..

How in hell can ANYONE turn on our warriors, before ALL the evidence is in??? It really disturbs me, that bastards like Murtha and this asshole have an agenda that doesn't include our Republic's security, survival..and Force Protection at the highest priority.

What is very revealing, and disturbing is the realization that OUR media and politicians are so eager to get "ahead of the facts" and propagandize in a manner demeaning to our Corps and giving aid, comfort and encouragement to our enemy..

A POX on all their asses. They had better "duck and dive" when the SHTF, cause lots of folks will remember their treachery and come hunting.

Semper Fi

[TomasUSMC]

There are everyday a growning army of vets coming back to the United States and seeing things that they will want to change SOON. The politicos better listen to them or they will start to lose their jobs to them.

And thats exactly what this country needs, a Leader who has been in the Shiite.

[flightline]

I can't agree more, all the vet's have to stand, and as always we do have the numbers to help change. All that is left is to get it done!!!!!! Penn. in Oct. is one way to show are interest and further determination, Vets have a voice and sooner or later they will have to listen

[freema]

The Road to HadithaFallujah offensive-American marines carry an injured colleague after a mortar exploded on their position

[freema]

The Road to Haditha Marine Lance Cpl. Mike Meyer is evacuated after being shot during a firefight south of Baghdad, Iraq, in 2003.

[freema]

The Road to Haditha U.S. Marines with 3rd Batt., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division load an injured Iraqi man on to their vehicle after the bus he was riding in came under fire as it entered a military compound that U.S. Marines had recently taken in southeast Baghdad on Tuesday, April 8, 2003.

[freema]

The Road to Haditha A critically injured Marine brought to Balad Air Base is lifted into an aircraft for medical evacuation to Germany in June. During the flight, he was cared for by a specialized critical care trio consisting of an ICU nurse, emergency medicine physician, and a respiratory therapist. Photo by SrA Tim Beckham. Photo by Christopher J. Haug, MSgt, USAF.

[freema]

The Road to Haditha Three Marines are wounded by a land mine at Kandahar's airport, where they are moving most of their operations from Camp Rhino in the nearby desert; one is in danger of having his leg amputated.

[freema]

The Road to Haditha Jessica R. Ross, a Navy corpsman with the Surgical/Shock Trauma Platoon at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, checks the heart rate of an Iraqi boy Nov. 16, 2004. Marines brought the boy and his father to the SSTP after the boy sustained a broken wrist and shrapnel in his leg during a mortar attack against a Marine checkpoint in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.