[harpu]

The ONLY investigation that should be made is whether or not this GOOD MARINE should get a Bronze Star or a Silver Star for taking care of an Iraqi soldier/terrorist (who killed coalition forces) the way they all should be taken care of.

[Mister Baredog]

AMEN to that.

[IncPen]

Yes, string him up for killing an enemy who had just attacked our men.

Everything you need to know about this story is contained in this line:

Calls to Covarrubias' home and knocks at the door went unanswered.

I wouldn't blame the guy if he took out a couple of reporters, too.

[Restorer]

Only question is whether these men had surrendered or not.

He was probably wrong to kill the first man. We have to apply the same rules to ourselves as we do to the enemy, or rules of war are meaningless.

The second man, who was trying to escape, was probably a good kill.

[Central_Floridian]

If the Iraqi soldier was cooperating and was shot twice in the back I think it was certainly a war crime. If we do this to enemy soldiers can we complain when they do the same to us?
I understand that the Marine was very angry, I would be too but I don't think that justifies shooting the Iraqi in the back if he had given up.

[kellynla]

This is total unadulterated BS! You shoot at a Marine you are dead meat! Mess with the best, die like the rest! Semper Fi

[Walnut]

My sentiments exactly. thank you for your great service !!!!we are proud of you.

[jonatron]

Sounds like he deserves a promotion - If we start punishing good soldiers, we're in big trouble.

[OldFriend]

Agree. GIVE THAT MARINE A MEDAL!!!!

We need to make our opinion known before irreparable harm is done to the morale of those who put their lives on the line and deserve nothing buy honor for their sacrifice.

[robertpaulsen]

What Covarrubias did was wrong, but understandable. He compounded the situation by bringing it to the public's attention, therby forcing his superiors to take action.

A sad, sad consequence of war.

[cardinal4]

Thank God Bush got us out of America hating Clinton's ICC commitment. This Marine would already have an arrest warrant issued from the Hague.

[krb]

Sounds like "heat of battle" to me...

[cynicom]

Lawyers are screwing up the military system like they have the civilian "justice" system.

[El Gato]

Battlefield rules are not the same as those that apply when you find an intruder in your house. You can shoot those are merely fleeing for example, in fact you are expected to do so. Was the Iraqi wearing a uniform? If not he was liable to be sumarily shot. Was he comingled with legitimate civilians (ie. human shields) before the grenade attack? If he was wearing a uniform, even just an armband, and had surrendered, the rules are different. I'll bet no uniform.

Still he and his buddy should have kept their yaps shut. Shoot 'em, shovel 'em, and forget 'em. Although no need to shovel 'em in this situation.

[SBprone]

It's dangerous to fire RPGs at Marines.

We shouldn't do anything that would make it less dangerous!

[LibKill]

I'd have done the same thing. He did good.

[river rat]

This Marine appears to have killed an enemy that had achieved the status of "prisoner under control"...and compounded the violation, by telling about it...

Not good....

I always stressed disinterest in prisoners.

Semper Fi

[Godebert]

The Marine should have kept his mouth shut. Now he's in deep doo doo.

[Sandy]

Covarrubias, a Las Vegan and a 20-year veteran of the Marine Corps, said it was not vindictiveness that compelled him hours later to hunt down and kill the Iraqi Special Republican Guard member who launched the grenade.

He said it was justice. . . .

When the major fighting was over, the Marines settled in for rest, food and water.

But Covarrubias, who had suffered a severe concussion in the grenade blast, was not in the mood to rest. . . .

After dark, he said, he slipped off most of his gear and grabbed his pistol.

"I'm taking off," he whispered to a couple of other Marines. "I'll be back in a little while."

He took stock of the location of the grenade strike and its trajectory, figuring it must have been fired from a nearby house. He sneaked inside. Upstairs, he said, he found the Special Republican Guard member with the grenade launcher next to him.

He said he ordered the man to stop, forced him to turn around, and removed his black beret. He shot him twice in the back of the head.

He took the man's military ID as a souvenir.

Outside, the man's partner was escaping. Covarrubias said he chased him down and killed him as well. He took the man's ID and his AK-47 assault rifle.

"This," he said in the interview, holding up the two ID cards, "is justice."

SOURCE

[Arkinsaw]

Executing a surrendered soldier in uniform. Murder. Executing a surrendered soldier not in uniform without proper orders to do so. Murder.

We raised hell about the Iraqis doing this and announced our intent to prosecute those who did it as war criminals.

[Minty]

"Marine reservist Sgt. Michael Dunn, who fought alongside Covarrubias and was injured in the battle, said he stands by him "100 percent."

"If he wouldn't have done it, those guys probably would've come back and killed or severely injured other Marines," Dunn said. "He did the right thing."

I agree and this soldier is a hero. Period. He saved lives.