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]

[sigh]

[liberty or death]

Wars are one by the total destruction of the enemy or that enemy surrenders. When these bombers strap one on and kill soldiers or civilians we should then flatten whichever village that person lived. It won't be long before the civilians start giving up these suicide bombers as they'll be more afraid of our retaliation rather then fearing the bomber and his co-conspiritors.

[usmcobra]

"It is well that war is so horrible, else we should grow too fond of it." -General Robert E. Lee

The UN has made war not so horrible any more, it has hampered our ability to force a rapid conclusion to it with our enemies by denying a resolute victory over them. Now we negotiate cease fires, Draw up demilitarized zones, agree to "Temporary" settlements for refugees, allow our enemies to regroup and rearm, we trade the lives of our brave men and women for time against a foe that will not rest until we are dead enslave or one of them.

But Islam and the terrorists driving it's latest campaign of conversion by force have made one fatal error in logic, you cannot force your religion upon a stronger country through terror, the time is rapidly approaching when they will learn the hard way that the benevolence we live by is not a weakness but the safety on our power to destroy.

[liberty or death]

I fear that before we teach them the "Hard Way" its gonna take a massive terror strike, killing possibly in the millions.
Most people learn through pain and suffering what a few know by reading history.

[freema]

!

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the extra ping. I missed this great refinishing. Thanks for doing this.

[potlatch]

Enjoy!!

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks this has been put into my Murtha Clip of great realities.

[potlatch]

LOL, that's funny!