Posted on 11/17/2004 3:35:00 PM PST by annyokie
Defending our marine in Fallujah - Wednesday, November 17, 2004 9:30 AM
The media attacks on our marine in Fallujah are more ways to get our soldiers killed. This is a guest blog by a former marine and Navy Seal, Matthew Heidt, whose blog can be found here.
Security Rounds
We're gonna see more on this issue in the near future. Most folks who've served in combat are taking a much more objective view of how things are changing w/re to the Law of Land Warfare than those who have not.
The shots fired at the "unarmed" terrorist in that mosque in Fallujah are called "security rounds." Its a safety issue pure and simple. After assaulting through a target, put a security round in everybody's head. Sorry al-Reuters, there's no paddy wagon rolling around Fallujah picking up "prisoners" and offering them a hot cup a joe, falafel, and a blanket. There's no time to dick around in the target, you clear the space, dump the chumps, and moveon.org. Are Corpsman expected to treat wounded terrorists?
Negative. Hey libs, worried about the defense budget? Well, it would be waste, fraud, and abuse for a Corpsman to spend one man minute or a battle dressing on a terrorist, its much cheaper to just spend the $.02 on a 5.56mm FMJ.
By the way, terrorists who chop off civilian's heads are not prisoners, they are carcasses.
UPDATE: Let me be very clear about this issue. I have looked around the web, and many people get this concept, but there are some stragglers. Here is your situation Marine. You just took fire from unlawful combatants shooting from a religious building attempting to use the sanctuary status of their position as protection. But you're in Fallujah now, and the Marine Corps has decided that they're not playing that game this time. That was Najaf. So you set the mosque on fire and you hose down the terrorists with small arms, launch some AT-4s (Rockets), some 40MM grenades into the building and things quiet down. So you run over there, and find some tangos wounded and pretending to be dead. You are aware that suicide martyrdom is like really popular with these kind of idiots, and like taking some Marines with them would be really cool. So you can either risk your life and your fireteam's lives by having them cover you while you bend down and search a guy that you think is pretending to be dead for some reason.
Also, you don't know who or what is in the next room, and you're already speaking English to each other and its loud because your hearing is poor from shooting people for several days. So you know that there are many other rooms to enter, and that if anyone is still alive in those rooms, they know that Americans are in the mosque. Meanwhile (3 seconds later), you still have this terrorist that was just shooting at you from a mosque playing possum. What do you do?
You double tap his head, and you go to the next room, that's what.
What about the Geneva Conventions and all that Law of Land Warfare stuff? What about it. Without even addressing the issues at hand you first thought should be, "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6." Bear in mind that this is a perpetual mindset that in reinforced by experience on a minute by minute basis. Secondly, you are fighting an unlawful combatant in a Sanctuary which is a double No No on his part. Third, tactically you are in no position to take "prisoners" because there are more rooms to search and clear, and the behavior of said terrorist indicates that he is up to no good. No good in Fallujah is a very large place and the low end of no good and the high end of no good are fundamentally the same... Marines get hurt or die. So there is no compelling reason for you to do anything but double tap this idiot and get on with the mission.
If you are a veteran then everything I have just written is self evident, if you are not a veteran than at least try to put yourself in the situation. Remember, in Fallujah there is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow, there is only now. Right NOW. Have you ever lived in NOW for a week? It is not easy, and if you have never lived in NOW for longer than it takes to finish the big roller coaster at Six Flags, then shut your hole about putting Marines in jail for war crimes. Be advised, I am not talking to my readers, but if this post gets linked up, I want regular folks to get this message loud and clear.
http://froggyruminations.blogspot.com/
Comment by Lori Kahler
It is also important to note that there have been reports that just five minutes earlier and a block away from this incident, another wounded insurgent blew himself up. He took the life of a marine and severely wounded six other marines who were trying to give aid to this insurgent. Let us not forget that Senator Kerry received a purple heart for a very similar incident, although Kerry shot the boy in the back as he was fleeing. Not only was this marine correct in shooting the wounded insurgent, he was obligated to or risk the death or injury to whole unit.
I don't have a ping list. Could you ping others, please?
Purple heart? I thought Kerry got the silver star for shooting a wounded VC.
Tonk is THE MAN with the veteran ping list.
Thanks, Chief. I need to write his addy down since it is so long.
A very good point. This should be the main, if not only, consideration made about whether an embedded reporter remains so or not. If they place Marines lives in danger to promote their career, can them.
My pleasure, and a great article you posted. I was always taught don't stop shooting until they stop twitching.
PING!
Thanks! Forwarded to hubby's vet pals!
Thanks Tonk.
Thanks! I see Tonk is on the case now!
Thanks, Tonk!
Today we have the press freaking out about a Marine killing a wounded enemy in the heat of battle.
Just weeks ago, the press was promoting the election of John Kerry to the Presidency of the United States, even though he was awarded a medal for bravery earned by chasing down a wounded teenage boy, and shooting him in the back.
How is this consistent?
The man is spectacular AND is still serving his country. He's actually broke new ground with the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The situation described here is different. The battle isn't over, and you can't afford to leave a hostile alive behind you. If you were delaing with a civilized enemy, an answer might be to tie them up and leave them for the MP's to collect later. But you can't afford to try to tie up these people. They may be sitting on a grenade with the pin already pulled, just waiting for you to move them.
Under the circumstances in Fallujah, I can't see any answer other than shooting every enemy, even the enemy wounded.
Have we sent a letter to this brave marine to let him know how many are supporting him in this situation? I hope he is not getting the impression that Americans are turning against him, because that is what he would think if he had access to the POOP (pathetic old obsolete media)! I am sure he must feel isolated--it makes my heart hurt to think that he will be punished for defending himself and his buddies!
This is a smart man. I am making a copy of this to give to my son who will be there soon.
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