Posted on 08/27/2008 7:51:05 PM PDT by xzins
2nd BCT unit had Europe’s deadliest deployment
In April 2007, Baghdad was ramping up for what would become the city’s deadliest month for U.S. soldiers. Americans had flooded the city as part of the "surge." Insurgents, including Mahdi Army militia members, weren’t happy.
The 51 American deaths during the ensuing fighting made April the worst month in the city up to that point, and more than twice as bad as just two months earlier. The casualties would keep climbing into May and June, when 59 soldiers died in each of those months.
April was the same month that American soldiers with 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment allegedly took at least four suspected Mahdi Army members to the side of a Baghdad canal, lined up the blindfolded and handcuffed prisoners and shot them in the head. (The battalion has since been redesignated 1st Battalion, 172nd Infantry Brigade.)
The battalion was in the thick of Baghdad’s fighting. Five battalion soldiers died in Iraq in April 2007 — one from small-arms fire and the remaining four from roadside bombs. In one attack April 6, 2007, three soldiers in the lead Humvee of a convoy through Baghdad died when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle. Ten days later, a roadside bomb killed one more soldier and enemy small-arms fire killed another.
The stress was felt as far away as the unit’s home in Schweinfurt, Germany. Neighbors called before visiting at odd hours to avoid spooking spouses who lived in fear of a knock on their door telling them their loved one had been killed in Baghdad, they told Stars and Stripes.
In the end, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, of which the 1-18 was a part, had the deadliest deployment of any Europe-based unit. Nineteen of those deaths were from the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry.
The IED + sniper death was the precipitating deaths for the alleged executions.
You have the known murderers in hand and you're told to release them. You know they will kill again.
What do you do?
Obey the lawful orders of my superiors in my chain of command to the best of my ability.
These boys are in deep shiite if this story is true.
Did you see the reflagged comment about 1/172nd?
CDL, you’re insane to let people go free you know to be murderers who will again murder your men.
And you’re insane to go against orders.
They’ve placed these men in an insane environment and wish them to be judged by sane rules.
You say, “to the best of my ability.” What if insanity inpairs your ability?
Assumes as fact matters not in evidence.
i would be inclined to cut a PFC on his first combat deployment a bit of slack, but not a FIRST SERGEANT AND A SERGEANT FIRST CLASS WITH MULTIPLE DEPLOYMENTS.
These guys are supposed to be more mature and capable, and be able to shepherd the 'kids' through stuff like this. That's why they have those stripes.
Aside from all of this, they were stupid for having witnesses around.
Just as easy to have their people move down the road a piece while they took care of business. Then this whole thing wouldn't be happening.
The fact that these are very senior NCOs says that they were certain they were right.
You disobey a lawful order, you're not right, and probably in a Shiite load of trouble.
Douglas MacAuthur thought he was right too. IIRC, that didn't work out too well for him back in 1950. He had five stars.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.