Marine accused of wrongful shooting needs our help...

16 nov 04 | Atlanta

[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?

[outofhere2]

Who do you think has the most credibility? Retired Col Jacobs in his dinner suite and bowtie or Capt. John Lewis, a brave and recently injured Marine? Jacobs is pathetic. He's been bought and sold which is typical of the MSNBC military analyst. Look at Jacobs on his way to some elite media dinner party. Disgusting as he doubts our soldiers in combat in Iraq.

[AmericanInTokyo]

See the international implications as it spreads?

Folks, it's hitting the Japanese websites and news press right now (Wednesday afternoon over there).

Quite anti-American in tone, judgemental, showing stills (without the lead up or background of the fighting explained) of the shooting and tainting us as immoral and having stirred up an Arab's bees nest (because it was in "a mosque, a holy site." A real "Rodney King" case is being created, with Uncle Sam on trial.

Gee, THANKS NBC. Gee, THANKS NBC. Gee, THANKS NBC.Gee, THANKS NBC.Gee, THANKS NBC.Gee, THANKS NBC.Gee, THANKS NBC.

Traitors.

[antceecee]

My email to Mr. Sites:

subject: Traitor

Why persecute an honorable young marine in service to his country? I guess you thought this would give you your 15 minutes! You are a traitor. You are a Tokyo Rose. For all the whining you media types do about supporting our 'troops', just who did you think the 'troops' are? Well - the troops are the guys that were in the fierce fire fight trying to stay alive and in the process killed the piece of scum shown on your video. Why don't you seem to be as shocked over the jihadist's murdering of an innocent Iraqi woman as you are over the shooting of this trash? I'll tell you why, you deliberately want to berate our (troops military, President, government or other) just fill in the word. You and the news outlets you work for are the lowest and most truly despicable representatives of the free media this country has ever seen. May God forgive you for what you are doing, I know I can't.

[Ladysmith]

Exactly what I said earlier today.

Where's Rummy on this??

[Ladysmith]

Self ping.

[SE Mom]

Are you looking at this Marine captain on MSNBC?

---

Capt John Lewis, Marine. WOW. God BLESS this guy- he is in uniform and really stepping out for this young marine who shot the terrorist.

This is an excellent show tonight.

My mantra for the week:
Please call the Marine Commandant's office and offer your support: 703-614-2500

[antceecee]

WE are in the midst of military action in Fallujah. This video is propaganda to those who seek to see us fail. Period. If they wanted to address this at the end of hostilities -go for it, but in the meantime quit giving succor to the enemy.

[Potomac]

I am in, how I can help!

[Txsleuth]

Yes I am---Capt. John Lewis, what a brave man. He wasn't injured to long ago. Look at the chest full of ribbons and medals. The attitude of the men that come back and have some pretty bad wounds is remarkable.

Have you seen the three men that Linda Vester had on yesterday. I think Fox has adopted them. They have been on several shows. It looks like two of them were pretty badly burned on their faces and probably the rest of their body as well. The other one, just like Capt. Lewis, lost an eye.

They are going around trying to get help for the "really wounded" soldiers.

When I hear Janene Garafalo on Sean just a whining about how awful everything is and then see men like Cpt. Lewis, it just makes me crazy.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I don't know. It's one thing to fly in dangerously on Thankgiving to be with the front line troops and carve turkeys (and God bless him for that), but when the s*** has really hit the fan, and our young troops need all the firepower as possible as they are forced to defend themselves from our OWN MEDIA as well as the ENEMY during a hot war phase, my how I sure hope our Commander-in-Chief and his Defence Secretary report quickly in for duty in the next few hours or day or so, on the side of our troops, and against THE ENEMY WITHIN.

He has the mandate. And he has to act. He needs to have the Secretary of Defense order an immediate cessation to all US or foreign civilian press in the area of the conflict, and no guarantee for their safety if they go back in "unimbedded" on their own after being told to stay out and back at the Press Center and wait patiently for regular press briefings. Let the chips fall where they may. Who can overrule the President and Secretary of Defense?

[Gondring]

You sound all too ready to hang our men at sunrise.

Aren't you the one implying something wrong was done in the video? If nothing's wrong with it, then why not let it be seen?

The arguments seem to be varied here... and this one you just put forward seems to admit that something wrong happened. Well, if something went wrong, why defend it as "standard operating procedure" and not admit it was a screwup!?

Personally, I suspect this Marine was unaware that the man he shot was a previously captured prisoner, and he didn't hear or listen to the cameraman telling him that. Honest mistake, likely. Also, perhaps it's someone else's fault if those captives weren't searched. Or if they were, that it wasn't communicated. We just don't know. So IMHO, we shouldn't fry the cameraman, nor jump to the shooter's defense, prematurely.

[yooper]

"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."

What if he is breathing and possibly holding an IED, which is what happened the day before. This soldier saw one of his friend's get wasted while operating under the system you espouse. What would YOU have done under the same circumstances, if you were in that Marine's shoes? That's right, you would have shot the guy, as we all would have.

A firefight is an occurrance where a man has the rare chance to see what he is made of, and to see what he will do at the drop of a hat, when his life and the lives of his fellow soldiers are at stake. A firefight is no place for a soldier to contemplate "what-if's."

After watching a buddy die and being himself shot in the face, do you really think that a Marine would stop and wonder whether or not a target is breathing? That Marine was trained to eliminate ALL potential threat, and "potential" is the key word here.

Your naivete is stunning....

[TexKat]

Two things about the report you posted. The sentence you just pointed out to me: That Sites said they killed three more of the insurgents that were left there Friday. I wonder when that happened and where they were.

My question in this, why was Sites with one group on that Friday and with another the next day, Saturday. And why did he know more about the situation inside the mosque than the Marines.

I thought all of the men on floor were dead, or so the Marines thought, until the one moved that the Marine screamed moved, and then was shot.

No they were not all dead. The reports state that they were wounded.

A video grab by television pool shot by U.S. network NBC shows a wounded insurgent inside a mosque in Falluja November 13, 2004. A television pool report by U.S. network NBC said on Monday that a U.S. Marine had shot dead an unarmed and wounded Iraqi prisoner in a mosque in Falluja. There was no immediate comment from the Pentagon on the report. (Editors note: the man is not the wounded insurgent allegedly shot dead by a U.S. Marine). REUTERS/Reuters TV/POOL

A video grab by television pool shot by U.S. Network NBC shows a wounded insurgent inside a mosque in Falluja, November 13, 2004. A television pool report by U.S. network NBC said on Monday that a U.S. Marine had shot dead an unarmed and wounded Iraqi prisoner in a mosque in Falluja. There was no immediate comment from the Pentagon on the report. (note: the man was not the wounded insurgent allegedly shot dead by a U.S. Marine). REUTERS/Reuters TV/POOL

Another thought: The woman that was complaining about seeing the pictures of all the bad stuff done in Abu Ghraib

As far as this woman's complaining, she needs to direct toward the car bombings and the beheading videos.

[No Longer Free State]

Sites now runs his own production company, Shoot First Films, from his home in Pismo Beach, California

Oh, sweet Irony, you bitch!!!

Of course, Sites's target is a Marine, the Marine's target is an enemy of our country.

[ScholarWarrior]

I would be proud to drive around with a bumper sticker that says

"He's dead now."

[TexKat]

This one must have been one of the foreign fighters. He had on socks and shoes.

[Txsleuth]

The Captain that was just on MSNBC was asked by Pat Buchanan if he thought that they should get rid of the embeds and he said No--he said that he thought that it was a good idea to have them so that the families back home and the public could see what was going on.

He insinuated that by seeing how dangerous it is, then maybe the public wouldn't be so critical. I think he is a little naive. It isn't the showing of the video, it is the tone of the narrative.

If that video had been shown as is, with a diffent tone of narrative. stressing the dangers of approaching injured or possibly dead insurgents, say, this whole thing would be different.

As far as Rumsfeld is concerned, I think he has been out of the country. He is also not one to give an opinion without studying the situation. He has been burned by the MSM and dems so many times, that he is very cautious before speaking to reporters, except for maybe Bret Baier from Fox. Rummy really likes him.

[outofhere2]

What's more important: Soldiers' lives or brown-nosed journalists lust for career? I hate to boycott anything but GE is off my Christmas list this year. Whirlpool websites are for me. Is this the thing that would let MSNBC know its insulted Americans and our troops for the last time?

[Texas4ever]

This does nothing to help our Marines. Lets not get MSM.

Keep our heads on and fight for the HONOR of OUR Marines.


I for one Want a T-Shirt wich I will wear Proudly Semper FI

How Can I get one> We should all wear one.

[yooper]

"Also, perhaps it's someone else's fault if those captives weren't searched."

YOU go search them....