Source: Marine Corp Times
A person that does not remember history is doomed to repeat it.
It seems U.S. military leadership has completely forgot the lessons learned in Vietnam. How unfortunate.
A key member of Congress said he "wouldn't be surprised" if a dozen Marines faced courts-martial for allegedly killing Iraqi civilians Nov. 19. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., told Marine Corps Times that the number of dead Iraqis, first reported to be 15, was actually 24. He based that number on a briefing from Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Mike Hagee on Wednesday.
Hagee visited Capitol Hill in anticipation of the release of two investigation reports, which are expected to show that among the 24 dead civilians, five of the alleged victims, all unarmed, were shot in a car with no warning, Murtha said. The killings took place in Hadithah, 125 miles northwest of Baghdad.
At least seven of the victims were women and three were children.
Among the war crimes our military has committed:
Marine officials initially said 15 Iraqi civilians also were killed in the blast, but later reported that the civilians were killed in a firefight that took place after the explosion.
But a 10-week investigation by Time magazine resulted in a March 27 report that included claims by an Iraqi civil rights group that the Marines barged into houses near the bomb strike in retaliation, throwing grenades and shooting civilians who were cowering in fear.
How "freedom-like" of you, I say. Shooting innocent Iraqi women and children cowering in fear. Giving them no warning or chance to come out unscathed before firing on them or throwing live grenades into their housing units.
Many defense lawyers who handle such cases and congressmen who will be investigated have seen the evidence, and it looks really bad.
While no charges have been filed yet, defense attorneys who handle military cases are bracing for what could fast become a busy summer season in the courtroom.
"It looks like it's coming," said one San Diego area-based civilian defense attorney who has handled other cases of assault and manslaughter and has gotten a sort of "warning order" about potential new cases.
"I think there's a lot of pressure to do something," the civilian attorney said.
"It's going to be extraordinarily difficult for them to find enough defense counsel," one Marine Corps attorney said.
Hunter was matter-of-fact about the reports' contents.
"It is not good," he said. "Let the chips fall where they may."
Job well done, guys. Another shot-in-the arm for America's piss-poor public relations image.
Any time from now to the end of it all, any American soldier captured in a conflict will face certain torture and may worsen treatment thanks to the U.S. military leadership's lack or candor for following the Geneva Convention.
I'm just beyond disgusted by this report, and this really shows how bad things in Iraq really are.
Shooting at and throwing grenades at innocent women and children...come on, give me a break. And they have the balls to say Iraq is better now than when it was in control by Saddam. Yeah, right. In Iraq, meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Tags: [A dozen Marines may face courts-martial for alleged Iraq massacre], [24 dead civilians, five of the alleged victims, all unarmed, were shot in a car with no warning], [Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.], [Marine Corps Times], [Marines barged into houses near the bomb strike in retaliation, throwing grenades and shooting civilians who were cowering in fear], [I think there's a lot of pressure to do something], ["It is not good," he said. "Let the chips fall where they may"], [oppression], [war crimes], [Geneva Convention], [torture]
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