Betrayed by the Marine Corps

Lieutenant Illario Pantano, 33, faces charges of premeditated murder that could cost him his life on the word of one disgruntled member of his command. The case could be a disaster for future combat operations if the charges aren't dropped.

Lt. Pantano faces these charges because he shot two suspected terrorists during a mission in Iraq.

During April's bloody siege of Fallujah, Lt. Pantano was leading his troops in raiding a house full of weapons. The terrorists emerged from the house, got in an SUV and tried to flee. Lt. Pantano and his troops shot out the tires of the SUV. They then made the terrorists search the SUV. The terrorists turned towards Lt. Pantano and started to rush him. He ordered them in Arabic to stop. When they did not, Lt. Pantano, concerned with the safety of his men, shot the terrorists. It turned out that they were unarmed, but Lt. Pantano didn't know that at the time.

Lt. Pantano himself reported the incident to his superiors and served with distinction for several more months before a Marine under his command filed a complaint alleging that he deliberately shot unarmed civilians.

Even conservatives seem afraid to discuss this story, yet this places an impossible burden on our troops. If we had had these rules in World War II, about 75 percent of our servicemen would have faced charges.

Just for example, do you know what our troops did in retaking Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands? They used flamethrowers to set fire to the bunkers where the Japanese troops were hiding, then when the Japanese came out, they methodically shot them, one by one. If our troops in Iraq tried that, they would be prosecuted, if the West and Pantano cases are any kind of example.

If Lyndon Baines Bush is going to apply PC standards to this war, then it looks like he has no intention of winning. And if we have no intention of winning, then why are we there?

This PR offensive by the Lieutenant's lawyer has been ongoing for weeks now.

The entire matter is subject to an Article 32 review under the UCMJ. Rather than being consumed by hyperbole, let's wait form something called "facts."

Comments like "Lyndon Baines Bush" encourage any reader to loan the writer $10,00 to help renew his Thorazine prescription.

2 posted on 02/19/2005 3:03:35 AM PST by MindBender26 (Having your own XM177 E2 means never having to say you are sorry......)

Here are a couple of salient facts.

This was investigated by the military already and they agreed with Lt. Pantano's version. The person who complained about Lt. Pantano has had all kinds of discipline problems and is widely known to dislike Lt. Pantano. The rest of Lt. Pantano's platoon agrees with his story.

The "Lyndon Baines Bush" comment comes in the context of discussing what appears to be an unwillingness to do what it takes to win this war and an apperent willingness to tie the hands of our troops.

And why aren't we making fuller use of our air power?

4 posted on 02/19/2005 9:30:04 PM PST by lainde ( ...we are not European, we are American, and we have different principles!")

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