Continuing On Haditha: Our Enemies Like Human Shields
I saw this yesterday on Michelle's site, but I was too tired to really comment on it. I should have. I know I should have. But, I decided to save it for today so I could rant a bit.
It seems that the MSM has decided to ignore an account presented by one of the Marines belonging to the Marine Company being investigated. Seattle's KING 5 TV got an interview with Lance Cpl. James Crossan. Cpl. Crossan was involved in the IED attack in question, and he suffered a broken back, shattered bones, and perforated eardrums from the attack. This is part of the account the MSM is not addressing, and it is a shame because this puts the attack in perspective; one that the Left would prefer to ignore:
Crossan: We used to go out on patrols and have the little kids count the patrols and all that stuff and we couldn’t really do anything except grab them and throw them inside their houses…
KING 5 TV interviewer: Why would you do that? Because you were afraid that the kids were scouting for the insurgents or you thought they were in danger?
Crossan: There are little kids that scout for ‘em. ‘Cuz later that day we, along the main road there, we cut behind a few buildings and the next patrol that went out got hit. And that little kid that was just there and there was people all around. But the day that I got hit they were planning a major attack and it got spoiled, so, and there was like 20 some people, insurgents, that were gonna attack the cop that day.
Then we got hit by an IED and the cops sent out a squad of Marines, and the insurgents just started attacking then, just right off the bat and we just foiled it. We were just driving back from the cop. I remember taking a left and then a right, and then remember waking up from the ground for a split second. And then waking up in the helicopter and then finally knew what happened in the hospital.
KING 5: So after you were injured, also tell me, you lost one of your guys. What can you tell me about him?
Crossan: We lost Lance Col. Miguel Terrazas. He was a good guy. He was from El Paso, Texas. And he was my point man. He was pretty much the guy I went to if I needed anything.
KING 5: Was he driving the Humvee at the time?
Crossan: Yes he was.
KING 5. And so you were sitting next to him?
Crossan: Yes, I was in the passenger side. I know in my heart if I was there, I possibly could have stopped what happened, so. ‘Cuz I know that the other team leaders and even staff sergeants…they both, they all kinda, listened to me and I just gave ‘em ideas and all that stuff. Things just went smoother. But I just don’t know.
KING 5: How do you feel about the villagers involved? Um, you know, do you have emotion as you think about them or not really?
Crossan: No. Because half of them were bad guys. You just never know, so. It really didn’t cross my mind.
KING 5: There are reports of, you know, little children being killed and women being killed.
Crossan: Little kids I can see being bad and even some of the women, but just over there, you just can’t tell who the bad guy was...
If anyone believes this is the first time that kids and civilians are used by our enemies, I suggest you check out Little Green Footballs' slide show regarding the indoctrination and recruitment of children. The Palestinians have been doing this for years.
But the part of the interview that will probably either be taken out of context by the MSM (if observed at all, as I have yet to see anything about this interview in the media today). Without putting the two together, there is no way to truly understand, in complete context, what the attitude was.
Crossan: ...And I know they [the Marines] did something irrational and they’re gonna get the consequences put on them.
KING 5: You think there are other instances like this that have happened with perhaps your squad or other squads?
Crossan: Probably yes in the Marine Corps and in the Army.
KING 5: Why do you think so?
Crossan: Things happen every day that you just don't hear about. You, I don't know, America only hears about the bad things over there. And they don't hear any of the good things. America just doesn't understand.
I think they [the Marines] were just blinded by hate, when they see T.J. (Terrazas) blown to pieces and me stuck underneath the wheel not knowing what happened. And they just lost control. Bad things happen.
Cpl. Crossan was not there to see the incident occur. He was evacuated from the scene via helicopter, but this is likely to be one of the most over-hyped pieces of the Haditha puzzle. His words will be used against him. "They just lost control" will become the new mantra of the John Murtha crowd, and they are going to use it to serve their purpose of further beating on the administration and the troops in Iraq. Combat is strssing them out, or some sort of nonsense. GAG!
These are professional soldiers, and they are trained to deal with stressful situations. Only a Kennedy would think that combat was about tea and crumpets, and vacations at Martha's Vineyard. (Sen. Kennedy did serve at the NATO headquarters during the Korean War. I do not berate him his service, but I am pointing out that the privileged among us rarely saw combat.) “It is well that war is so terrible -- lest we should grow too fond of it," General Robert E. Lee stated, and how true is that statement. However there are times when war is necessary, and for such times, we call upon the professionals to handle it.
At times things like this do occur. The MSM lie that this is equal to My Lai is preposterous. My Lai was a true war atrocity, and the death toll there dwarfed that in Haditha. Let me be succinctly clear on this: If these Marines committed a crime, the Marines will see to it that they are punished,a nd I support that. BUT, if they responded to a combat situation--a kill or be killed scenario where the only way out was in the use of deadly force--and that situation was escalated further by the terrorists using civilians for cover, then what are they supposed to do, die? I am sure some would agree with that, but I do not. We do not waste the lives of soldiers on the battlefield. And for those who look at this war as a waste need to seriously read up on why we are there, and why we are going to be there for awhile.
President Bush and Prime Minister Blair are talking about some withdrawals from Iraq, that is true. But it will not be withdrawals that will be detrimental to the mission. It will be a gradual step-down. And that is how it should be; a withdrawal of the sort that John Murtha, and now John Kerry, are preaching would be disastrous. It would be an out-and-out abandonment of Iraq, which is unacceptable to us or them.
Haditha, it if did occur as is being speculated--that US Marines opened fire without provocation on unarmed, innocent civilians, then they deserve the punishment meted out. However, if it went down as the Marines accused state--that they responded to an IED attack, and took fire from terrorists in nearby buildings, then they should face no punishment. But what is even more irritating than anything else is this story from the WaPo:
The U.S. military investigation of how Marine commanders handled the reporting of events last November in the Iraqi town of Haditha, where troops allegedly killed 24 Iraqi civilians, will conclude that some officers gave false information to their superiors, who then failed to adequately scrutinize reports that should have caught their attention, an Army official said yesterday.
The three-month probe, led by Army Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell, is also expected to call for changes in how U.S. troops are trained for duty in Iraq, the official said.
Even before the final report is delivered, Army Gen. George W. Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, is expected to order today that all U.S. and allied troops in Iraq undergo new "core values" training in how to operate professionally and humanely. Not only will leaders discuss how to treat civilians under the rules of engagement, but small units also will be ordered to go through training scenarios to gauge their understanding of those rules. "It's going to include everyone in the coalition," the official said.
"Core values" training? Is this anything like sensitivty training that our troops were forced to undergo in the 1990s? It sounds like it. Furthermore, the rules of engagement in combat already include what to do when it comes to civilians. What is does not address is what occurs if the civilians are being used in the manner that was apparently evident in Haditha. What will that training be, withdraw from combat if a terrorist grabs a woman or child, and hides behind them while firing at our troops?
Personally, that is a decision that I do not think I could handle. (As I think it should be as I am not in the military, nor in any law enforcement organization.) I cannot comprehend that sort of a decision running through the mind of a soldier when he is taking fire, but I can understand the debate that would rage in one's head over it.
But the fact remains that the whole story of Haditha has not been revealed yet. It is an ongoing investigation, and the little things that have semmingly trickled out seem to be coming more from the TIME article that broke this open to the public, and less from those investigating it. Until then we will have to endure the spin and deceit from the MSM. Just remember, dear readers, that the facts are not all out as yet, and it does look like this story could go either way. I would like to note though that John Murtha and the MSM basically has these men convicted already, and that is the damnable thing about this whole incident.
The Bunny ;)
I saw this yesterday on Michelle's site, but I was too tired to really comment on it. I should have. I know I should have. But, I decided to save it for today so I could rant a bit.
It seems that the MSM has decided to ignore an account presented by one of the Marines belonging to the Marine Company being investigated. Seattle's KING 5 TV got an interview with Lance Cpl. James Crossan. Cpl. Crossan was involved in the IED attack in question, and he suffered a broken back, shattered bones, and perforated eardrums from the attack. This is part of the account the MSM is not addressing, and it is a shame because this puts the attack in perspective; one that the Left would prefer to ignore:
Crossan: We used to go out on patrols and have the little kids count the patrols and all that stuff and we couldn’t really do anything except grab them and throw them inside their houses…
KING 5 TV interviewer: Why would you do that? Because you were afraid that the kids were scouting for the insurgents or you thought they were in danger?
Crossan: There are little kids that scout for ‘em. ‘Cuz later that day we, along the main road there, we cut behind a few buildings and the next patrol that went out got hit. And that little kid that was just there and there was people all around. But the day that I got hit they were planning a major attack and it got spoiled, so, and there was like 20 some people, insurgents, that were gonna attack the cop that day.
Then we got hit by an IED and the cops sent out a squad of Marines, and the insurgents just started attacking then, just right off the bat and we just foiled it. We were just driving back from the cop. I remember taking a left and then a right, and then remember waking up from the ground for a split second. And then waking up in the helicopter and then finally knew what happened in the hospital.
KING 5: So after you were injured, also tell me, you lost one of your guys. What can you tell me about him?
Crossan: We lost Lance Col. Miguel Terrazas. He was a good guy. He was from El Paso, Texas. And he was my point man. He was pretty much the guy I went to if I needed anything.
KING 5: Was he driving the Humvee at the time?
Crossan: Yes he was.
KING 5. And so you were sitting next to him?
Crossan: Yes, I was in the passenger side. I know in my heart if I was there, I possibly could have stopped what happened, so. ‘Cuz I know that the other team leaders and even staff sergeants…they both, they all kinda, listened to me and I just gave ‘em ideas and all that stuff. Things just went smoother. But I just don’t know.
KING 5: How do you feel about the villagers involved? Um, you know, do you have emotion as you think about them or not really?
Crossan: No. Because half of them were bad guys. You just never know, so. It really didn’t cross my mind.
KING 5: There are reports of, you know, little children being killed and women being killed.
Crossan: Little kids I can see being bad and even some of the women, but just over there, you just can’t tell who the bad guy was...
If anyone believes this is the first time that kids and civilians are used by our enemies, I suggest you check out Little Green Footballs' slide show regarding the indoctrination and recruitment of children. The Palestinians have been doing this for years.
But the part of the interview that will probably either be taken out of context by the MSM (if observed at all, as I have yet to see anything about this interview in the media today). Without putting the two together, there is no way to truly understand, in complete context, what the attitude was.
Crossan: ...And I know they [the Marines] did something irrational and they’re gonna get the consequences put on them.
KING 5: You think there are other instances like this that have happened with perhaps your squad or other squads?
Crossan: Probably yes in the Marine Corps and in the Army.
KING 5: Why do you think so?
Crossan: Things happen every day that you just don't hear about. You, I don't know, America only hears about the bad things over there. And they don't hear any of the good things. America just doesn't understand.
I think they [the Marines] were just blinded by hate, when they see T.J. (Terrazas) blown to pieces and me stuck underneath the wheel not knowing what happened. And they just lost control. Bad things happen.
Cpl. Crossan was not there to see the incident occur. He was evacuated from the scene via helicopter, but this is likely to be one of the most over-hyped pieces of the Haditha puzzle. His words will be used against him. "They just lost control" will become the new mantra of the John Murtha crowd, and they are going to use it to serve their purpose of further beating on the administration and the troops in Iraq. Combat is strssing them out, or some sort of nonsense. GAG!
These are professional soldiers, and they are trained to deal with stressful situations. Only a Kennedy would think that combat was about tea and crumpets, and vacations at Martha's Vineyard. (Sen. Kennedy did serve at the NATO headquarters during the Korean War. I do not berate him his service, but I am pointing out that the privileged among us rarely saw combat.) “It is well that war is so terrible -- lest we should grow too fond of it," General Robert E. Lee stated, and how true is that statement. However there are times when war is necessary, and for such times, we call upon the professionals to handle it.
At times things like this do occur. The MSM lie that this is equal to My Lai is preposterous. My Lai was a true war atrocity, and the death toll there dwarfed that in Haditha. Let me be succinctly clear on this: If these Marines committed a crime, the Marines will see to it that they are punished,a nd I support that. BUT, if they responded to a combat situation--a kill or be killed scenario where the only way out was in the use of deadly force--and that situation was escalated further by the terrorists using civilians for cover, then what are they supposed to do, die? I am sure some would agree with that, but I do not. We do not waste the lives of soldiers on the battlefield. And for those who look at this war as a waste need to seriously read up on why we are there, and why we are going to be there for awhile.
President Bush and Prime Minister Blair are talking about some withdrawals from Iraq, that is true. But it will not be withdrawals that will be detrimental to the mission. It will be a gradual step-down. And that is how it should be; a withdrawal of the sort that John Murtha, and now John Kerry, are preaching would be disastrous. It would be an out-and-out abandonment of Iraq, which is unacceptable to us or them.
Haditha, it if did occur as is being speculated--that US Marines opened fire without provocation on unarmed, innocent civilians, then they deserve the punishment meted out. However, if it went down as the Marines accused state--that they responded to an IED attack, and took fire from terrorists in nearby buildings, then they should face no punishment. But what is even more irritating than anything else is this story from the WaPo:
The U.S. military investigation of how Marine commanders handled the reporting of events last November in the Iraqi town of Haditha, where troops allegedly killed 24 Iraqi civilians, will conclude that some officers gave false information to their superiors, who then failed to adequately scrutinize reports that should have caught their attention, an Army official said yesterday.
The three-month probe, led by Army Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell, is also expected to call for changes in how U.S. troops are trained for duty in Iraq, the official said.
Even before the final report is delivered, Army Gen. George W. Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, is expected to order today that all U.S. and allied troops in Iraq undergo new "core values" training in how to operate professionally and humanely. Not only will leaders discuss how to treat civilians under the rules of engagement, but small units also will be ordered to go through training scenarios to gauge their understanding of those rules. "It's going to include everyone in the coalition," the official said.
"Core values" training? Is this anything like sensitivty training that our troops were forced to undergo in the 1990s? It sounds like it. Furthermore, the rules of engagement in combat already include what to do when it comes to civilians. What is does not address is what occurs if the civilians are being used in the manner that was apparently evident in Haditha. What will that training be, withdraw from combat if a terrorist grabs a woman or child, and hides behind them while firing at our troops?
Personally, that is a decision that I do not think I could handle. (As I think it should be as I am not in the military, nor in any law enforcement organization.) I cannot comprehend that sort of a decision running through the mind of a soldier when he is taking fire, but I can understand the debate that would rage in one's head over it.
But the fact remains that the whole story of Haditha has not been revealed yet. It is an ongoing investigation, and the little things that have semmingly trickled out seem to be coming more from the TIME article that broke this open to the public, and less from those investigating it. Until then we will have to endure the spin and deceit from the MSM. Just remember, dear readers, that the facts are not all out as yet, and it does look like this story could go either way. I would like to note though that John Murtha and the MSM basically has these men convicted already, and that is the damnable thing about this whole incident.
The Bunny ;)
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 12:41 PM
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