[Iron Eagle]

Your comprehension appears to only exceed your accuracy. I don't advocate anything. I certainly don't "placate" terrorists.

This Marine will be judged by his fellow Marines after a thorough investigation. That is the way it should be. Frankly, fellow Marines, with all the facts, will be in a far better position than you or me to Judge what happened here.

My point is -- we don't shoot wounded, unarmed, nonthreatening enemies. That's what separates us from them. If it turns out that the Marine was justified by some action about which we do not yet know -- that will be great.

One can certainly argue from his words that he perceived some threat.

I have not been in combat -- and it is not for me to judge his decision making. But I don't need to be in combat to say that we don't shoot people without a reason.

Of this I am sure -- an investigation is warranted. I hope it comes out well.

In the meantime -- as my original post indicated, this clip is being played around the world -- further undermining our troops, our reputation, and our moral standing. None of that is good.

In the end, if the facts justify the shooting, then screw what everyone thinks. But I am damn sure we here at Freerepublic can't make that call yet.


Semper fi

[Trippin]

"In the meantime -- as my original post indicated, this clip is being played around the world -- further undermining our troops, our reputation, and our moral standing. None of that is good."

Agreed, but who's fault is that? This goes to the heart of why I'm ticked by this incident. The media released this video, and is villifying the Marine PRIOR to an investigation. That's the problem.

The tape should have been given to the military, an investigation should have taken place, and only once ALL the facts are know (including whether or not the Marine knew the man was wounded, or belived he was faking death to lure them into a trap) should it be released along with the results of the investigation. Right now, the video is being shown with little regard to how the Marine percieved the situation.

[ex 98C MI Dude]

You're complaining that the terrorists might use this to recruit more adherents. They will use any and everything to try to recruit more idiots. So to conduct ourselves in a manner in which the enemy 'might' approve of is downright silly.

The terrorist was in a mosque, and had been fighting from that position. He had been wounded and disarmed the day before. The very next day another unit had come under fire in that area, and they thought that fire had come from that mosque. An assault against that position revealed the terrorists still in that position. One who may or may not have been incapacitated was shot by a Marine who was told by another of his team that the terrorist was 'faking' death. What else is there to understand?

You're sole concern seems to be about how the enemies of this nation 'perceive' this incident. That is my basis for the 'placate' statement. I stand by it, for you have not done anything to dispel that notion. You are willing to throw a Marine to the wolves to mollify the terrorists. No investigation is necessary, for the Marine did his job.