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The Marines are in Mortal Danger

This will show you why we are so screwed up in Iraq now:

Marine Corps commanders said they planned no change in their long-term tactics in Fallujah as a result of the deaths yesterday. Major General James Mattis, commanding the First Marine Division, has told troops that the test of their mettle will be not to lash back at the Iraqis because of casualties.

To the division's classic motto, "No better friend, no worse enemy," Mattis has affixed a preface for the mission in the Anbar Province, which includes Fallujah: "First, do no harm."

FIRST DO NO HARM. Now in the nastiest crap hole on earth with RPGs and mines and bullets flying like hail our brave Marines are being ordered by their commanding officer:

FIRST DO NO HARM.

Why not "Please Shoot Us First".
What does an enemy think when they confront an enemy who's motto is "First Do No Harm".

More Importantly, what does this do to the morale of our Marines. Marines who for hundreds of years have prided themselves on courage, bravery, leadership and not management, attacking not retreating. And now this, from one of their own! AND NOW! After such a hideous act against our Countrymen.

He who dares wins. He who hesitates is lost.
S.A.S motto

I will lose a man but not a moment.

A generals principle talent is to know his soldiers mentality and gaining his confidence

-Napoleon Bonaprte

I tell you, If this is the way we are going to fight the "War on Terror", we might as well file it right up there with the War on Poverty and the War on Drugs.

Lost.

"Marine Corps commanders said they planned no change in their long-term tactics in Fallujah as a result of the deaths yesterday."

As a Marine, wouldn't it concern you if "long-term" tactics were changed as a result of a single action? Do you think the "long-term" tactics were developed without the assumption that good guys might die at some point? These tactics weren't developed by Martha Stewert. The Marine 2 Star in charge there wears a bronze star awarded for valor in combat. This ain't no perfumed prince. Graphic violence is a shocker to someone unfamiliar with combat but burned corpses aren't a rare sight in a combat zone. Let these men do their job as professionals. Not enraged amatuers.