Haditha the new My Lai?

[Hobbit]

Well, you could hardly call them spies as they were taken from their own country.

By the rules of the Geneva Convention (which you and your ilk like to throw around), any person found to be actively assaulting a military force without wearing a uniform that identifies them as soldiers, they are officially spies.

And we didn't take most of them from their own countries. Not all of them were captured in Afghanistan or Iraq (some were caught here in the U.S.), and most of the ones captured there are Syrian, Iranian, or Saudi.

 

[shepherdboy]

If they're POW's then the Geneva Convention applies to them, no?

GunnyL beat me to the punch-line. But what he says is exactly the circumstances for those angels at Gitmo.

 

[trobinett]

Iraq is a WAR ZONE, there are NO non-combatants.

Now, having got that out of the way, our troops are too well trained, and have too high a moral code to go around killing women, and children, PERIOD.

Debating about such behavior, and worst, beliving that such behavior took place in this instance, only shows the small minded behavior of those that would think such a thing.

This Murtha caricature SHOULD be ashamed of himself, and at the least, know that his actions only support those that would kill Americans ANYWHERE in the world, and rejoice in the act. Now that, my friends, is truly despicable.

These people just don't THINK beyond the next bribe.

I've become discussed with the whole process.:blah2:

 

[CSM]

Iraq is a WAR ZONE, there are NO non-combatants.

Now, having got that out of the way, our troops are too well trained, and have too high a moral code to go around killing women, and children, PERIOD.

Debating about such behavior, and worst, beliving that such behavior took place in this instance, only shows the small minded behavior of those that would think such a thing.

This Murtha caricature SHOULD be ashamed of himself, and at the least, know that his actions only support those that would kill Americans ANYWHERE in the world, and rejoice in the act. Now that, my friends, is truly despicable.

These people just don't THINK beyond the next bribe.

I've become discussed with the whole process.:blah2:

Unfortunately, such incidences do occur. As to whether such behavior actually took place in this instance, that remains to be determined. The point for us is that the US military does not encourage nor does it condone such actions.

 

[CSM]

Kudos, for keeping it real.It must pain you to say it?

It saddens me that any soldier would do such a thing.

The 99.9999% that do an outstanding job are tarred with the same brush when some low-life, air sucking slime ball commits a criminal act. That is truly unfair but that fits some people's agenda.

When they are proven guilty in a courtsmartial (not just tried in the media thank you very much!) then they should be taken out and summarily shot.

 

[CSM]

I agree with you %100, that is why I have kept shtum on the subject.Here in the Uk our lads have had their fair share of bad publicity, starting with fake photographs, which caused such a furore when they were published in the national press, turned out they were staged.Recently video footage was shown of some of our lads beating a few Iraqi youths, again there was public outrage, they forgot to tell us the same youths had been stoning and petrol bombing the soldiers before they were snatched and clouted round the ear.Then there is the case of some Iraqi's being forced into a stream, one of them drowned, uproar in the press, a soldier was charged and found not guilty.Trial by press is a travesty.

yep. That is why Murtha is found despicable to some...he of all people should know better!

 

[Dr Grump]

I submit that in spite of the constant 2nd guessing and continuous ABB rhetoric, the USA has fought this war in virtually a "gentlemanly" manner. If we subscribed to the do unto them as they do unto us IRT to prisoner handling, there'd be no oversight or argument. Just intell value and a video tape of them being beheaded.

I'd take you up on that bet. The Taliban would have argued their black turban were their uniform. But even then, you would be hard pressed to put them under the definition of a spy.

spy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sp)
n. pl. spies (spz)
An agent employed by a state to obtain secret information, especially of a military nature, concerning its potential or actual enemies.
One employed by a company to obtain confidential information about its competitors.
One who secretly keeps watch on another or others.
An act of spying.

I agree re how the US has handled Iraq and Afghanistan is as good as can be expected and that you cannot blame the military as a whole for Abu Garib nor this most recent business in Halditha.

Hobbit

I have never mentioned the GC once in any of my posts. At least my "ilk" don't use hyperbole and empty rhetoric ie, calling people traitors when they clearly are not....

 

[Matrixx8]

I don't. We should not be trying military in the press, they will deal with it. It's under investigation and the system should be allowed to work. We do as much for Saddam.

Absolutely. Innocent until proven guilty is a vital principle of any justice system. Although I agree with Murtha about the need to get out of Iraq and full disclosure about any military atrocities, I think he has overstepped his authority by going public on this issue before a courts marshall has taken place.

In many European countries it is illegal to name people publicly who have been accused or charged with crimes, until and if they are convicted. Once an innocent person has been tainted with a criminal accusation in public, their future reputation, career and even family relations could be in jeopardy.

Of course, the implications are much broader than this particular case. The same principle (innocent until proven guilty) should apply to the people held at Guantanamo and others suspected of terrorist activities.

 

[jasendorf]

While I can't condone Murtha's grandstanding, I can understand his frustration. Why didn't the Marines address this incident long before Time Magazine got a hold of the story?

You know the best way to avoid trial by press? Have a real investigation before the press does. I'm tired of military leaders blaming their failures to act on the press. Take some responsibility and initiative ffs... it's not like the press just suddenly appeared... you know they're going to get a hold of these incidents sooner or later. If you have your ducks in a row when the reporters start hounding there's nothing to worry about. Now the servicemen and women in the streets of Iraq are going to pay for their leaders' lack of oversight and that is sickening to me.

There's a reason corporations issue press releases before the press gets a hold of their quarterly earnings...

 

[manu1959]

While I can't condone Murtha's grandstanding, I can understand his frustration. Why didn't the Marines address this incident long before Time Magazine got a hold of the story?

You know the best way to avoid trial by press? Have a real investigation before the press does. I'm tired of military leaders blaming their failures to act on the press. Take some responsibility and initiative ffs... it's not like the press just suddenly appeared... you know they're going to get a hold of these incidents sooner or later. If you have your ducks in a row when the reporters start hounding there's nothing to worry about. Now the servicemen and women in the streets of Iraq are going to pay for their leaders' lack of oversight and that is sickening to me.

There's a reason corporations issue press releases before the press gets a hold of their quarterly earnings...

can you post a link to the fact that the marines had done nothing prior to the time magazine article

 

[manu1959]

I'd take you up on that bet. The Taliban would have argued their black turban were their uniform. But even then, you would be hard pressed to put them under the definition of a spy.

spy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sp)
n. pl. spies (spz)
An agent employed by a state to obtain secret information, especially of a military nature, concerning its potential or actual enemies.
One employed by a company to obtain confidential information about its competitors.
One who secretly keeps watch on another or others.
An act of spying.

I agree re how the US has handled Iraq and Afghanistan is as good as can be expected and that you cannot blame the military as a whole for Abu Garib nor this most recent business in Halditha.

Hobbit

I have never mentioned the GC once in any of my posts. At least my "ilk" don't use hyperbole and empty rhetoric ie, calling people traitors when they clearly are not....

so anyone not in a black turban would then be a spy and could be shot on sight?

 

[jasendorf]

can you post a link to the fact that the marines had done nothing prior to the time magazine article

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1174649,00.html

In January, after Time presented military officials in Baghdad with the Iraqis' accounts of the Marines' actions, the U.S. opened its own investigation, interviewing 28 people, including the Marines, the families of the victims and local doctors. According to military officials, the inquiry acknowledged that, contrary to the military's initial report, the 15 civilians killed on Nov. 19 died at the hands of the Marines, not the insurgents.

Best I can find.

So, BEFORE the article... but AFTER Time had the story in their hands.

 

[Dr Grump]

so anyone not in a black turban would then be a spy and could be shot on sight?

Nope. Check out my definition of spy. If somebody NOT in a black turban did fit the definition then they would be a spy. If not, they wouldn't.

 

[ErikViking]

By the rules of the Geneva Convention (which you and your ilk like to throw around), any person found to be actively assaulting a military force without wearing a uniform that identifies them as soldiers, they are officially spies.

This is true. Actually you only need a uniform path or some cloth to identify you as a combatant.

 

[pegwinn]

I'd take you up on that bet. The Taliban would have argued their black turban were their uniform. But even then, you would be hard pressed to put them under the definition of a spy.

a) To be recognized as such, the armed forces of a Party to a conflict must be organized and placed under a command responsible to that Party for the conduct of its subordinates, even if that Party is represented by a government or other authority not recognized by the adverse Party. In addition, these armed forces must be subject to an internal disciplinary system which, inter alia, enforces compliance with the rules of internationallaw applicable in armed conflicts. In particular, this compliance requires combatants to distinguish themselves from civilians, except in particular circumstances (see point c below) by a uniform or other distinctive sign, visible and recognizable at a distance, while they are engaged in an attack or in a military operation preparatory to an attack. Violation by a combatant of the rules applicable in armed conflict is punishable but if this combatant at least carries his arms openly during the engagement, he is not deprived of his right to the status of prisoner of war in case of capture. If the Party to which these armed forces belong omits or deliberately refuses to enforce compliance with these rules, it can result in all members of these forces losing their status of combatant and prisoner of war. (1)

FURTHER DOWN IN THE SAME DOCUMENT

3. Only persons acting under false pretences or in a deliberately clandestine manner can be considered as spies. Thus a member of the armed forces in uniform is not a spy even if he conceals himself to gather information.

 

[Annie]

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1174649,00.html



Best I can find.

So, BEFORE the article... but AFTER Time had the story in their hands.

May be the case, but look at what WAS done. I'm not excusing murder, if that is what happened, though it's still not clear, despite Murtha's pronouncement of 'in cold blood':

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/GEO037072.htm

FACTBOX-Investigation into Haditha killings in Iraq
31 May 2006 19:39:42 GMT
Source: Reuters


May 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Wednesday Marines would be punished if found guilty over the shooting of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha in November.

Here are highlights of the case:

CHRONOLOGY

Nov. 19, 2005 - A roadside bomb kills Lance Corporal Miguel "TJ" Terrazas, 20, from El Paso, Texas, during a patrol by Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division in Haditha. In the following hours, 24 Iraqis are killed. Marine investigators inspect the scene and take photographs.

Nov. 20 - Military says roadside bomb killed a marine and 15 civilians. Captain Jeffrey Pool says in statement: "Iraqi Army soldiers and Marines returned fire killing eight insurgents."

December/January - Families of some dead paid $2,500 for each by U.S. military, Iraqi human rights activist says. U.S. officer says in May he paid out $38,000 in total compensation.

January 2006 - Journalism student Taher Thabet, via an Iraqi human rights group, passes video of bodies and homes where they died to Time magazine. Time says Pool dismisses it as al Qaeda propaganda. But Baghdad military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson recommends investigation into possible foul play.

Feb. 14 - Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli, the No.2 U.S. commander in Iraq, initiates a preliminary investigation.

March 9 - Chiarelli directs further review of the incident by the Naval Criminal Investigation Service.

March 27 - Time magazine publishes survivors' allegations that marines ran amok after Terrazas's death. Iraqi human rights group issues the video showing residents describing rampage and bodies. U.S. military confirms accounts from Haditha doctors to Reuters that all the civilians were shot, not killed by bomb. Witnesses say dead were in three houses and a car.

April 7 - Three officers, 3rd Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Chessani, Kilo Company commander Captain Lucas McConnell and Captain James Kimber are relieved of command.

May 26 - U.S. defence official says marines face charges up to murder after media reports that investigators are about to recommend charges against about a dozen marines, including murder and lying in reports.

May 30 - New Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tells Reuters he is tiring of "excuses" about "mistakes" by U.S. troops and wants Iraqis to probe Haditha and similar incidents.

May 31 - President Bush says in his first comment on the affair: "If ... laws were broken there will be punishment."

INVESTIGATION

- The NCIS investigation is not complete and no final decisions on charges have been made, defence officials say.

- John Warner, chairman of the Senate armed services committee, says it will probe incident and its aftermath.

- Democratic Congressman John Murtha, a former marine, says the military attempted a cover-up and accuses marines of killing "in cold blood". He says the effect on opinion about the war will be worse than the 2004 Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.

- Some US media compare Haditha to the 1968 My Lai massacre in Vietnam, when US soldiers ran amok in the village, and killed some 500 people, mostly women, children and old men.

- U.S. politicians briefed on the investigation are quoted as saying several marines, led by a sergeant, went from house to house killing people and also killed four students and a taxi driver in a car that approached the scene. Photographs of the corpses suggested some victims had been kneeling when killed. Survivors and neighbours give similar accounts to journalists.

HADITHA

- Haditha is a Euphrates valley farming town 200 km (125 miles) northwest of Baghdad in Iraq's western Anbar province, the heartland of the Sunni Arab insurgency seeking to topple the Shi'ite-led government backed by the United States.

- Marines, who have suffered the worst casualties among U.S. forces in the Iraq conflict, mounted several offensives last year in the region around Haditha, where they have often been hit by roadside bombs, the most effective killer of U.S. troops.

- A roadside bomb killed 14 marines in August near Haditha and destroyed their armoured amphibious assault vehicle. Six were killed by gunmen in the town, and a seventh was killed by a car bomb in nearby Hit a few days earlier.

THE DEAD

In addition to Terrazas, Iraq's Hammurabi human rights organisation listed the dead of Nov. 19 as follows:

House 1: Asmaa Salman Raseef, 32, Abdullah Waleed Abdul Hameed, child, Abdul Hameed Hasan Ali, late 70s, Waleed Abdul Hameed Hassan, 35, Rasheed Abdul Hameed Hassan, 30, Khameesa Toama Ali, 65.

House 2: Younis Salim Raseef, 41, Aida Yaseen Ahmed, 35, Muhammad Younis Salim, child, Noor Younis Salim, 14, Sabaa Younis Salim, 9, Aisha Younis Salim, 2, Zainab Younis Salim, 3, Huda Yaseen Ahmed, 28.

Car: Ahmed Finer Muslih, 25, the taxi driver, Khalid Oyada Abid, 27, Wajdi Oyada Abid, 22, Akram Hameed Flayeh, 21, Muhammad Fatal Ahmed, 21.

House 3: Jamal Ayed Ahmed, 41, Chassib Ayed Ahmed, 27, Marwan Ayed Ahmed, 28, Kahtan Ayed Ahmed, 24.

Now a bit more on Haditha:

http://hughhewitt.com/archives/2006/05/28-week/index.php#a002316

Haditha Revisited
by Mary Katharine Ham

A couple of bloggers and reporters are offering context on the environment in Haditha.

CNN's Arwa Damon reflects on her time in Haditha, part of it spent with the Marines of Kilo Company, 3rd Batalion, 1st Marines. It's a fascinating read:

I know the Marines that were operating in western al Anbar, from Husayba all the way to Haditha. I went on countless operations in 2005 up and down the Euphrates River Valley. I was pinned on rooftops with them in Ubeydi for hours taking incoming fire, and I've seen them not fire a shot back because they did not have positive identification on a target. (Watch a Marine's anguish over deaths -- 2:12)

I saw their horror when they thought that they finally had identified their target, fired a tank round that went through a wall and into a house filled with civilians. They then rushed to help the wounded -- remarkably no one was killed.

I was with them in Husayba as they went house to house in an area where insurgents would booby-trap doors, or lie in wait behind closed doors with an AK-47, basically on suicide missions, just waiting for the Marines to come through and open fire. There were civilians in the city as well, and the Marines were always keenly aware of that fact. How they didn't fire at shadows, not knowing what was waiting in each house, I don't know. But they didn't.

And I was with them in Haditha, a month before the alleged killings last November of some 24 Iraqi civilians. ​

I wish we saw more coverage like that about Marines on a daily basis.

H/t Superfun Powerhour Blog, who has more in his round-up.

Uncle Jimbo has an in-depth discussion of the rules of engagement in close quarters battle like Marines were facing in Haditha:

I have never been to Iraq and have no direct knowledge of this incident or anyone involved. I do have extensive experience training teams in hostage rescue and close quarters battle (CQB) and have been on countless training and multiple live operations kicking doors in.

There is one and only one relevant standard for this whole incident and that is the reasonable belief that your life or the life of others is in danger. If that is reasonably believed then deadly force may be employed, absent that belief it may not. There are other factors that would impact this, like rules of engagement, but in this case the Marines ROE obviously included the right to return fire. The question is was there any, and if not why did they fire? If the Marines killed people without reasonable belief they were in danger, then they committed murder. If they had a reasonable belief in their danger, they did not.
​

The whole thing is helpful for understanding what soldiers are facing every day in Iraq, for now and beyond the Haditha investigation.

Blue Crab Boulevard offers a soldier's view.

Whatever the NCIS uncovers, the rights of these men must be protected. Even under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the military's judicial system, suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty. The fact that the media, and even a former Marine congressman are already talking about these men as if they're guilty is disgusting and just plain wrong.

O.J. Simpson, arguably the most guilty innocent man in recent history, was treated with more respect during his circus of a trial than these Marines are being given now. They are men in uniform, men who have sacrificed more than most ever will in the name of the United States. They deserve our respect until such time as a verdict is reached which calls that respect into question.
​

H/t Bruce Kesler, who has thoughts on the My Lai comparisons:

Anyone who doesn’t wait or reserve judgment until the very careful military investigations are complete is jumping the gun as much as Murtha.

The only thing that seems pretty clear at this point is that it is definitely not, either by MSM imagination or reality, analogous to My Lai. There is no officer leadership of the Marines in the engagement, there is no command cover-up, there is no hint of purposeful rather than reactive action, the scale is far smaller.
​

Villainous Company has more on media coverage.

This Guardian article, written in August 2005, describes Haditha as it was a couple months before the incident. It is not pretty:

The executions are carried out at dawn on Haqlania bridge, the entrance to Haditha. A small crowd usually turns up to watch even though the killings are filmed and made available on DVD in the market the same afternoon.

One of last week's victims was a young man in a black tracksuit. Like the others he was left on his belly by the blue iron railings at the bridge's southern end. His severed head rested on his back, facing Baghdad. Children cheered when they heard that the next day's spectacle would be a double bill: two decapitations. A man named Watban and his brother had been found guilty of spying.

With so many alleged American agents dying here Haqlania bridge was renamed Agents' bridge. Then a local wag dubbed it Agents' fridge, evoking a mortuary, and that name has stuck.

A three-day visit by a reporter working for the Guardian last week established what neither the Iraqi government nor the US military has admitted: Haditha, a farming town of 90,000 people by the Euphrates river, is an insurgent citadel.

That Islamist guerrillas were active in the area was no secret but only now has the extent of their control been revealed. They are the sole authority, running the town's security, administration and communications.

A three-hour drive north from Baghdad, under the nose of an American base, it is a miniature Taliban-like state. Insurgents decide who lives and dies, which salaries get paid, what people wear, what they watch and listen to.
​

Scroll through this casualty list to meet the 20 Marines who lost their lives in August in this insurgent stronghold. They died in two separate attacks: 14 died "when a roadside bomb exploded beneath their Amphibious Assault Vehicle during combat operations south of Haditha, Iraq, on August 3, 2005," and six "sniper team members killed by enemy small-arms fire in an ambush outside Haditha, Iraq, on August 1, 2005."

 

[Gunny]

I'd take you up on that bet. The Taliban would have argued their black turban were their uniform. But even then, you would be hard pressed to put them under the definition of a spy.

spy ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sp)
n. pl. spies (spz)
An agent employed by a state to obtain secret information, especially of a military nature, concerning its potential or actual enemies.
One employed by a company to obtain confidential information about its competitors.
One who secretly keeps watch on another or others.
An act of spying.

I agree re how the US has handled Iraq and Afghanistan is as good as can be expected and that you cannot blame the military as a whole for Abu Garib nor this most recent business in Halditha.

Hobbit

I have never mentioned the GC once in any of my posts. At least my "ilk" don't use hyperbole and empty rhetoric ie, calling people traitors when they clearly are not....

Semantics. The Taliban can claim whatever they wish. All the Nazis at Nuremberg plead "not guilty," too. Technically speaking, that definition CAN be applied to the Taliban, bathtowels on their heads or no.

They are a backwards-assed, 7th century people who believe in using terror to attain their goals; whether, local or abroad. I don't care if they are held in GTMO until they turn to dust. I don't care if they promise to fly them home and on that flight have some people "fall overboard."

And I REALLY don't care if their precious little Holy Book is dunked in the toilet. We treat them all nice and swell, but why is it these terrorist organizations have no prisoners? Because they can't control their bloodlust long enough, that's why.

In case you haven't noticed, my give-a-shitter's broken where these scumsucking bottom-feeders are concerned.

 

[Annie]

Links at site, pics too, something to keep in mind:

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/005300.htm

HADITHA MARINE: INSURGENTS USE KIDS
By Michelle Malkin · May 31, 2006 09:30 PM

Seattle's KING 5 TV nabbed a must-see interview with one of the Marines injured at Haditha on Nov. 19. (Big hat tip noted below to Red Cuppa Hot Politics.)

The Marine is Lance Cpl. James Crossan, who rode in the passenger seat of the Humvee that was struck by an IED. The driver was Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, whose body was split in two by the attack. Lance Cpl. Crossan suffered a broken back, shattered bones, and perforated eardrums.

You should watch the entire interview (we've got a four-minute segment over at Hot Air) and then you should compare it with the selective MSM coverage--which is hyping the parts that damn the Marines most and ignoring the full context of Lance Cpl. Crossan's remarks. I've transcribed a significant portion for you here:

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 me?

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...

Now, Lance Cpl. Crossan does suggest that Marines crossed the line (the part of the interview that will become the most publicized), though it should be kept in mind that he had been helicoptered from the scene and did not witness the alleged atrocities:

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.​

If you watch the interview, you'll note the KING 5 interviewer sounding perplexed about the idea of children being used by the insurgents. I suggest she and other MSM reporters shocked, shocked by this concept familiarize themselves with LGF's Palestinian child abuse slideshow. A few photos:

terrorkid.jpg

terrorkid002.jpg

terrorkid003.jpg

***

Terrazas' father backs the Marines.

Troops to receive "core value" training

Milblogs contest: Send Murtha an inscribed book

 

[Annie]

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michelle/malkin053106.php3

The truth about Haditha

By Michelle Malkin


http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Democrat Rep. John "Cut and Run" Murtha thinks he knows the truth about Haditha — and he has been blabbing it to every last cable show host that will host him. The loose-lipped former Marine has accused troops of wantonly killing some two dozen civilians, including children, "in cold blood" in the terrorist stronghold in Iraq last November. There are two ongoing military investigations into the incident itself and the actions of higher-ups in the Haditha aftermath.


Let me repeat that: The investigations are ongoing. Not complete. Official reports aren't expected for several weeks.


I do not know the truth about Haditha. Neither do Murtha and the media outlets calling the alleged massacre a massacre before all the facts are in. It would be helpful if they could handle these grave charges without serving as al Jazeera satellite offices. GOP Sen. John Warner, who like Murtha also served in the Marines, struck the right tone over the weekend — refusing, unlike Murtha, to render a verdict against the Marines before trial and avoiding Bush Derangement Syndrome, but also taking the allegations very seriously.


I do know this. Children are dead. Other children have been orphaned. There are pictures of bullet holes and bloodied homes. There are evolving stories about what happened last Nov. 19 and serious allegations of a possible cover-up.


I also know this: Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, the Marine who was killed by a roadside IED that day, followed a proud family tradition of military service. He had received a commendation for bravery on his first tour of duty in Iraq in 2004. One of his fellow Marines said Terrazas's body was split in two by the bomb explosion that rocked his Hummer while on patrol that morning.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". HUNDREDS of columnists and cartoonists regularly appear. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

And there's this: Haditha is crawling with terrorists. The Associated Press points out that "in just three days last August, six Marine snipers were killed in Haditha and 14 Marines died in nearby Parwana in the deadliest roadside bombing of the war." Most wanted al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is reported to have lived in Haditha. The Washington Post quoted a military lawyer noting that Nov. 19 was the Marine 3rd Battalion's "hottest day" in Iraq.


"In addition to drone surveillance that day," the paper reported, "AV-8 Harriers were dropping bombs, helicopters were evacuating wounded, and a large firefight occurred about one-third of a mile from the site of the civilian shootings, said several people familiar with the investigation." Audio of radio traffic that day reportedly contradicts Rep. Murtha's claim that the Marines did not come under small-arms fire after the roadside explosion, according to one of the Post's military sources.


We know this, too: Naval Criminal Investigative Service officials have not turned their backs. Time magazine, which initially broke the story of survivors' accounts that prompted the military probe, reports that Haditha residents — who have yet to be visited by any of Iraq's own officials — "were gratified by [the investigation's] thoroughness" and "were especially impressed by the NCIS investigators" conducting three separate enquiries.

Finally, there is this incontrovertible fact: There are countless numbers of anti-war zealots on the American Left rooting for failure. They believe the worst about the troops. They've blindly embraced frauds who've lied about their military service and lied about wartime atrocities. They've allied themselves with socialist kooks and coddled murderous dictators. They are looking for any excuse to pull out, abandon military operations and reconstruction, and impeach the president.


They insist on giving suspected foreign terrorists more benefit of the doubt than our own men and women in uniform. And that, I know, I am not willing to do.


I will wait. I will pray. And I will remind you that while the murder of civilians is and remains an anomaly in American military history, it is the jihadists' way of life.

 

[Gunny]

As was said many pages ago by several of us, IF the Marines who are accused of committing war crimes are found guilty, they shoul dswing from the highest yardarm. I have no sympathy for them. The rules and the law is constantly drilled into their heads. I'm not up on it for no reason. Neither are CSM or PEGWINN. It's drummed into our heads.

At teh same token, it is despicable yet typical of the left to convict them in the media prior to a trial.