Murder of civilians at Haditha seems more likely to be true
see "Evidence supports Marines deliberately shot Iraqi civilians" (AP via Denver Post, 8/2/06)
http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_4126637
As investigators go through the evidence from the deaths of civilians in Haditha, Iraq, it seems to be becoming more likely that there will be murder charges against Marines, as well as cover-up or at least incompetence charges against officers up the chain of command.
If this happens, it is an unmitigated disaster for the US, the Marines, our activities in Iraq, and the likely results for Republicans in the upcoming elections.
The prestige of the US will be further eroded. I don't care a lot about that, but still having a good reputation is better than not having one. It will bring particular cries about our staying out of the International Criminal Court. I'm completely opposed to our participating in the court, but I hate the idea that people will say we are staying out because we have criminals working for the nation.
The Marines, an old and proud organization, will take a severe hit to its reputation, and possibly to its recruiting ability. They will become the butt of sick jokes, and it will take years (of perfect behavior) to recover the esteem of the nation.
The Iraqis will view us with even more suspicion than they already so. Iraqi politicians will be emboldened to challenge us, to call for us to leave. Militias will use it as a recruiting tool, with likely excellent success. Any little bit of appreciation that the Iraqis had for the USA will be gone...probably for a generation.
And, finally, it's another thing to keep Republican voters home and motivate the Deaniac-fringe wing of the Democrats on election day. If I were a betting man, and I am, I would bet that the GOP loses control of the House of Representatives in November.
I hope I'm wrong, but given how worthless the Republicans have been, how they have presided over the biggest government spending in history, the biggest growth in an entitlement program in history, an inability to get rid of the death tax, and going along with a minimum wage increase, it's hard to care much who wins.
[Addition to the original post]
Readers should not think that my posting this article means that I am against the war, or against the Marines. The Marines are one of our greatest institutions, and the war, while it is clearly going badly, was probably something we had no choice but to take on.
Here's a very relevant quote from today's Wall Street Journal:
Bing West, a former assistant defense secretary, reflected on Haditha in a recent piece about the war's course for the July issue of the Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute:
"The Iraq war is being played out against a backdrop of bitter partisan politics in the United States. Of those on the front lines, 70% get out after four years of service, with no long-term benefits. All they want is praise for their valor and service. They want to be able to say. 'I served at Fallujah, Najaf, or Mosul' and be respected for their dedication.
"Their valor is absent from this war because it is not reported. In Fallujah for instance, 100 Marine squads engaged in 200 firefights in cement rooms, using rifles, pistols, grenades and knives. By any historical comparison, this was extraordinary. In Hue City in 1968, there was one fight inside a house. In the entire history of the SWAT teams in the United States, there have not been 200 fights with automatic weapons inside rooms. Yet the courage of our soldiers and Marines in battles in Fallujah, Najaf, etc. received little press notice. Now we face the test of whether the press will place the tragedy of Haditha in perspective, or whether Haditha will unfairly become a false symbol....
"What happens if the youth of America adopt the same fractious attitudes as their political leaders? Who then will serve? In the tone of our criticisms while we are at war, we as a nation should be very careful that we do not undercut our own martial resolve. If we as a nation lose heart, who will fight for us?"
| Print article | This entry was posted by Rossputin on 08/03/06 at 03:15:23 am . Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. |
Yours truly
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08/03/06 @ 02:05:59 pm
The only people who will snivel about this are the psuedo-intellectual class and leftists. It is the same as the Mel Gibson "disaster".
Harry Truman said it best when asked about firing Macarthur. The American press was crying for blood, Truman's blood. He said, "Give them six weeks and they won't even remember his name." He turned out to be right.
The Corps has too long a history and too high a standing for this to leave a lasting tarnish. There are too many Americans like me who, even with the current claims, think that the investigation is so much bull shit. The claims were made by an Iraqi group in conjunction with a Palestinian journalist who is a known liar. The bodies were long gone. Much of the physical evidence is just not there. And the investigating officer is committing a court martial offense by talking to the press prior to charges being formally filed. It smells like your socks!!!
And as for the press having the ability to make this stick: the credibility of the press is at all time lows and sinking. The majority of Americans do not believe that the press is honest when dealing with Iraq and the military. The Muslims who claim there was atrocity have even less credibility with Americans than does the press.
Look and the "horrors" of Abu Graib. Other than the loony left, of which the mainstream media are founding members, no body cared or cares. This too shall pass. Those Marines will be cleared in a court martial. And the only black eye that the Corps will suffer will be among good service men who think that they are too PC.
08/03/06 @ 02:25:32 pm
Upon further reading and thought, the most likely outcome of Haditha is that Americans will have even less trust and respect for the press and politicians. They will see clearly that the way to tell if a journalist is lying is to see IF they are writing.