ENOUGH IS ENOUGH...
TIME TO BOOT ALL OF THE MEDIA OUT OF IRAQ!
Posted on 11/16/2004 4:34:34 AM PST by Atlanta
I'm going to start with a communication of support of this young Marine, to the Commandant of the Marine Corps himself. Then, President Bush and my Senator/Congressman.They are going to hear from me and I have all friggin day to do it. I am so livid about this that words cannot describe. As a former Marine myself, this young "Leather" was doing what he was trained to do, adapting to unreasonable circumstances (enemy tricks) and he did exactly what I would have done and what has always been done with a fanatical enemy. If authorities hang this Marine out to dry, I will never stop raising hell and will become a point man for pulling these guys out of theater entirely...MSM is SICK. Other suggestions?
As the cameraman said, these wounded had already surrendered 24 hours before.
In fact, if a prisoner is severely wounded or unconcious, then there's no need for him to indicate surrender to be considered hors de combat. Breathing is allowed...shooting for that is not justified.
Part of me suspects the Marines did not pay any attention to the cameraman (who had been there the day before and was telling the Marines that these insurgents were wounded and previously captured) and didn't realize that these insurgents had already been captured (and searched?).
The Marine probably did not realize that the one he shot had already been captured, and therefore thought he was playing dead to attack him. I'm betting it was a mistake born of confusion. That doesn't mean we should try to justify it.
We will know how smart (or stupid as the case may be) that the Administration or Pentagon is after this fiasco.
If, after one week, we STILL have imbedded news media along with our troops during dangerous work, many of these outlets clearly seeking to undermine our boys there, then we haven't learned a damned thing.
Wanna bet the imbeds, including seditious journalists who are "Citizens of the World" first and foremost, are still along for the ride a week from now?
What's wrong with censored, video feeds from the US military imbedded DOD civilian or military journalists, ONLY, on a daily basis, with short written summaries every hour? How about keeping the American MSM journalists away from this until we can go in and secure total VICTORY??
This is no longer the US MSM that was aboard troop trucks or landing craft in WWII, who wanted our boys to win, and followed the rules to help the US secure victory. Since we longer live in those days, then we should alter the rules to keep these clymers OUT!
Al-Jazerra has the unedited tape and are running it unedited. How did they get it? From NBC?
Does GE own NBC? If they do, I'll never buy another appliance of theirs.
Here's a question for the forum: Has an embedded reporter ever been fragged by the troops he is covering? If not, why not?
Remember General Electric owns NBC. If you want to make them understand that you disagree with this reporting boycott their products period. They are the parent company of NBC.
Yes, e-mails are a waste of time when significant volume is generated. Filters spit them out.
The best thing to do is bite the bullet and make a long distance call to the numbers previously posted or send an ordinary letter through the snail mail (USPS).
The art of warfare involves being able to handle stress of unimaginable proportions. It is a nasty thankless venture that drains you emotionally and strips you of every shred of decency you ever had since you were born.
Consider the fact that you are in a cultural nightmare situation in countries where you are compromised at every turn. Unable to directly communicate in most cases and deep resentment and hatred are your only companions besides your brothers in arms.
The house to house fighting in close quarters is the most stressful of all and unless you have been challenged face to face by an aggressor in a life or death situation you have no right to judge someone's actions when everything is weighing you down. If you have never held a buddy who has had his brains shot out or trying to hold in his intestines you are completely inept to stand or sit in judgement of someone's actions. Put yourself in his position of not knowing if a person is faking death or injury and is not officially held or immobilized as a prisoner like this marine faced after having lost his buddy the day before and being shot himself. After and during the intense emotional life threatening firefight with bodies strewn about think about what you would be feeling like ;not knowing if a grenade or some other booby trap weapon was planned for you and your buddies. Self preservation is what a soldier is trained to accomplish, and don't think for a minute or second that this situation is a isolated incident. It happens all the time, this time a scumbag reporter was in full view of what was happening. The embedded reporters must be handled differently in this WAR people. To get the SCOOP;is not the story. What I related to you in this article is the real story of what it takes to prosecute a successful War effort.
The sleaze bag reporters looking to one up the competition or win a Pulitzer prize is what I am the most disgusted about. The managed news media is the chief enemy of our media frenzied nation. This was a major concern in Vietnam and it has not gotten any better since then. The truth is they don't care anymore now than they did back then in fact its worse!
Now we have a nation in full blown denial not believing we are in a WAR for our very survival and we slip further down the slippery slope never to return the greatness we once enjoyed. Most of you don't have a clue, having never been put in a situation like this brave American hero was in and how dare you smugly condemn him for doing what he was trained to do. This is what being a Warrior is all about. War is as I said is a nasty thankless gut wrenching life changing situation that will leave you humbled and drained of emotion that makes you human. To fight these BASTARDS successfully you have to almost reduce yourself to their level stopping one notch short of total insanity to achieve victory. Never condemn what you don't understand and those ignorant pansies who protest against these soldiers will never know how to view the real world and what is right and wrong.
Look, its impossible to do their jobs and watch a bunch of selfish, promotion seeking reporters. This embed experiment has been bad from day 1. The press tells other side where our soldiers are, what type of weapons they're using, and time they might attack. Can you imagine reporters doing this during WWII? Embeds are embedded traitors and our soldiers are safer without them.
(BTW: This Marine was wounded the day before this incident and voluntarily returned to his post and to the fighting. Keep that in mind please.)
____________________________________________
Who is justifying anything? War is hell, and I despise
war worse than most. So, you have been in a war? And you,
of course, did it all right. You were in combat, I assume,
and always did it all right. Or maybe you just studied
theory. - You sound all too ready to hang our men at
sunrise. - I suggest this Marine take an early out and
leave the fighting to perfect soldiers like you. When
enough soldiers and Marines take early retirement from the
military, perhaps the DU geniuses can be drafted. This
should be interesting.
NBC should be nailed to the wall for releasing this before it was vetted. They are helping the enemy. They are becoming the enemy.
Right now MSNBC is talking about Court Marshall procedures with an Army judge advocate asking questions like "will it matter that this insurgent was a prisoner". It makes me sick. A prisoner? It was a mosque where the Marines had just taken fire from, not a prison. I still find NBC's behavior hard to believe. Of course those crooks at the UN and the Arab press are running away with this story. Maybe NBC News should move from New York City to Paris if they want to be an unbiased international news organization. This behavior is treasonous and should not be tolerated. Why does everyone on TV sound like they are routing against us?
No, because any soldiers that were dumb enough to let a reporter die while embedded with them are going to find themselves in a world of trouble. If they had anything to do with the death, the military is going to come down on them like the hand of God.
Are you looking at this Marine captain on MSNBC?
It seems to me that a Freeper lawyer who recently exposed Dan Rather as a fraud peddler may be available. Pinging Buckhead......
Here is one FREEPER who was quite angry about Abu Ghraib, and I felt at that time that it was a case of humiliation on prisoners who were essentially disarmed and broken and no physical threat... and could not respond--all for the sick, psycho-sexual fun of a bunch (a few) low-lifes that somehow got into the US military.
I put it in context, though, when at the same time the MSM refused to air footage of American and Korean hostages being beheaded. Panties on the head vs. slow beheading with dull knives. Quite a difference.
Well, all of us here might have disagreed to some extent on Abu Ghraib( and I had some good arguments), but DARNED if this situation is not Abu Graib. Enemy in the hot of battle, injured Marine, terrorists full of bags of tricks, stress/pressure of hot fighting, you name it. I sure hope the Pentagon does not hang this young guy out to dry. I'll really be angry if they do. Some here might even drop our support of the War, if it looks like we are going to be POLITICALLY CORRECT rather than in it to WIN, WIN IT QUICKLY and get it over with.
I'll work along with you and others to stand up for this guy and our troops so they can win for once. Vietnam: We've been there, we've done that. Let's win for a change.
Because they are. Chris Mathews is the worst.
they have all lost their mind. they hate it so bad that bush won, that they are ready to turn this war into a political victory by losing this war. Even at the cost of our soldiers. WE MUST ACT NOW.
Collectively and Loud. WE must do something all at once to show our disgust. But what....it must have a major impact as the elections did. Im not talking violent, im talking pocket hurting, mouth dropping unavoidable message.
What's your opinion on this one John? I have mine, but I suspect you know what mine is. :)
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