Posted on 11/16/2004 7:01:14 AM PST by areafiftyone
FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. Marines rallied round a comrade under investigation for killing a wounded Iraqi during the offensive in Falluja, saying he was probably under combat stress in unpredictable, hair-trigger circumstances.
Marines interviewed on Tuesday said they didn't see the shooting as a scandal, rather the act of a comrade who faced intense pressure during the effort to quell the insurgency in the city.
"I can see why he would do it. He was probably running around being shot at for days on end in Falluja. There should be an investigation but they should look into the circumstances," said Lance Corporal Christopher Hanson.
"I would have shot the insurgent too. Two shots to the head," said Sergeant Nicholas Graham, 24, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "You can't trust these people. He should not be investigated. He did nothing wrong."
The military command launched an investigation after video footage showed a U.S. Marine shooting a wounded and unarmed man in a mosque in the city on Saturday. The man was one of five wounded and left in the mosque after Marines fought their way through the area.
A pool report by NBC correspondent Kevin Sites said the mosque had been used by insurgents to attack U.S. forces, who stormed it, killing 10 militants and wounding the five. Sites said the wounded had been left for others to pick up.
A second group of Marines entered the mosque on Saturday after reports it had been reoccupied. Footage from the embedded television crew showed the five still in the mosque, although several appeared to be close to death, Sites said.
He said a Marine noticed one prisoner was still breathing.
A Marine can be heard saying on the pool footage provided to Reuters Television: "He's fucking faking he's dead."
"The Marine then raises his rifle and fires into the man's head," Sites said.
NBC said the Marine, who had reportedly been shot in the face himself the previous day, said immediately after the shooting: "Well, he's dead now."
THOROUGH PROBE PROMISED
The Marine commander in Falluja, Lieutenant General John Sattler, said his men followed the law of conflict and held themselves to a high standard of accountability.
"The facts of this case will be thoroughly pursued to make an informed decision and to protect the rights of all persons involved," he said.
Marines have repeatedly described the rebels they fought against in Falluja as ruthless fighters who didn't play by the rules. They say the investigation is politically motivated.
"It's all political. This Marine has been under attack for days. It has nothing to do with what he did," said Corporal Keith Hoy, 23.
Rights group Amnesty International said on Monday both sides in the Falluja fighting had broken the rules of war governing the protection of civilians and wounded combatants.
Gunnery Sergeant Christopher Garza, 30, favored an investigation but like other Marines said the Pentagon should weigh its decision carefully.
"He should have captured him. Maybe the insurgent had some valuable information. There may have been mitigating circumstances. Maybe his two buddies died in Falluja," he said.
Sites said: "I have witnessed the Marines behaving as a disciplined and professional force throughout this offensive. In this particular case, it certainly was a confusing situation to say the least."
The U.S. military has been embarrassed by scandals in Iraq, most prominently the Abu Ghraib affair in which at least eight U.S. soldiers have been tried or face courts-martial over the abuse of prisoners at the jail outside Baghdad.
There have also been several cases in which soldiers have been charged with wrongfully killing Iraqis during operations.
They took the mosque and actually administered First Aid to the remaining five.
Not only was the mosque "reoccupied" but the Marines were fired upon.
So we saved their lives and they used our kindness to shoot at us again.
All the people not associated with terrorists were warned in enough time to leave the city.
Many of the "civilians" left were there to support terrorists causes.
Gunnery Sergeant Christopher Garza, 30, favored an investigation but like other Marines said the Pentagon should weigh its decision carefully.
"He should have captured him. Maybe the insurgent had some valuable information. There may have been mitigating circumstances. Maybe his two buddies died in Falluja," he said.
Actually just down the street a civilian terrorist that was killed was booby trapped with explosives. It's kind of weird to make the Marine look bad by saying maybe his buddies were killed. The coalition forces are all in it together. So any of them killed were their "buddies" IMO.
Rights group Amnesty International said on Monday both sides in the Falluja fighting had broken the rules of war governing the protection of civilians and wounded combatants.
The other side goes by no rules of war.They brutally murder civilians, cut up their bodies and torture them. They would gladly play dead in order to kill more of the Coalition forces.
I seems only the good guys are seen as bad by the press and liberals.
Not the poor freedom fighters-insurgents-"liberators"-bloodthirsty cowards-terrorists.
If we spent all the time AI and other terrorist supporting groups wanted us to capturing these shameless cowards we would have lost many more men.
Our side DID protect and help heal the combatants. Then they started killing our side again.
War ain't purdy.
Your slant on this story is an unwelcome one.
Agreed. These 'insurgents' aren't wearing any formal uniform and are acting as terrorists within the boundary of a sovereign nation. The government of Iraq has authorized the United States military to deal with these terrorists in Fallujah and we have done just that. No regrets. No remorse.
EXACTLY
8:24am (UK)
Hassan Charity Waits for News on Fallujah Body
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3759565
By David Stringer, PA
The European and American Media Reacts: |
Freerepublic search for 'oil for food'.
"It's God's responsibility to forgive Bin Laden...It's our responsibility to arrange the meeting." -- United States Marines Corps
The first captured American prisoners at the hands of Iraqis.
How they would treat our guys
How they treat their own:
And let us not forget:
CIA operative killed in Afghan prison riot
Posted on 11/29/2001
WASHINGTON - Rioting prisoners killed CIA officer Johnny "Mike" Spann at Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, the agency said Wednesday. He was the first American killed in action inside the country since U.S. bombing began seven weeks earlier.
Officials recovered his body from a prison compound only after northern alliance rebels backed by U.S. airstrikes and special forces quelled an uprising by Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners.
Spann, 32, leaves a wife, two daughters and an infant son.
This was all I could salvage from your post that didn't cause my stomach to churn, and I had to take it out of context to find anything palatable.
If you and SittinYonder want to remain objective about the MSM, that's your right, but don't expect loyal Americans to sit passively and listen to your blue state bilge.
My slant on this, if you've read my posts, is this: The Marine did nothing wrong, therefore, the reporter did nothing wrong. I've yet to see anywhere that the reporter made any accusation at all. I've simply asked, repeatedly, for someone to show me some evidence that he did because I keep seeing posts where people are calling for him to be killed or beaten. Now, a couple of you have turned your (as yet unfounded) venom for this reporter on me rather than just answering my question. If I'm wrong, if the reporter did something wrong, I'll gladly admit that I'm wrong. I just want to see some evidence that supports the theory that the reporter is somehow at fault.
I guess somebody forgot to hand me the memo that Old Cracker is now the thought police.
Until I get that memo, I won't be asking your permission before I pose questions.
On the other hand, I want our enemies to treat our captured or wounded soldiers lawfully. And we can't hold them accountable for not being lawful if we don't follow the rules ourselves.
What I don't get out of this whole situation: don't our soldiers know better than to do questionable things like this in front of a camera?
Something I think about frequently in comparison to this situation with Iraq. Since 9-11 I've heard a lot of American Muslims express various degrees of sympathy with Muslim terrorists. My parents are German, and survived WWII. I saw that scene in "Band of Brothers" where an American soldier shoots a group of captured German soldiers. And all I can think is good riddance. Having full German blood in me, and knowing that my parents lived in German territory at the time, doesn't make me at all sympathetic to Nazi Germans. So I don't understand Muslim Americans being sympathetic to terrorists because they share blood, or heritage or religion. If you're American, you should agree with American values. Or else go back where all your beloved terrorists live.
You're arguing with a wooden post when it comes to sittinyonder....he/she is also sympathic to islamist. I ignore him/her.
I'm heartily sick of the MSM hammering, hammering away at our military with negative news. Anything to make us look bad! Taken out of context, splashed around the world will salacious headlines. This ain't the playground at recess, kids.
That was quite a rant. All I said was that your slant on this story is an unwelcome one. You have my permission to continue.
I think it has to do with the fact that Islam is a religion of enslavement. It is a demonic religion based on the hatred and lies of a 'disenfranchised' people. Have you ever wondered why the Arabs so despise the Jews? I don't think the wide majority of Arabs know the root cause, but they continue to pass it on to each successive generation.
Bears repeating, I have nothing but disdain for these socialist traitors.
I agree with you. Greg Palkot of Fox News has done a superlative job countering this MSM garbage. We need more reporters like him. I believe this young Marine deserves a medal. I suggest we do all we can here stateside to protect these young soldiers who are putting their lives on the line for us. We need to protect them from the MSM and their propagandists in the field. Let NBC et al know exactly what we think. I lived through Viet Nam, and it isn't going to happen again. The Silent Majority has become the very loud Vocal Majority. Besides, we have the Internet and talk radio to get our messages out, we are not at the mercy of Dan Rather, & Tom Brokaw anymore. Long live the alternate media, it's keeping us free.
Yes. Thank you for the sentiment.
Try putting yourself in the Marine's situation. He's seen a number of "dead bodies" and "wounded" either boobytrapped, or jump up and ambush those who come to check on them. Here's another one who looks like he's pretending to be dead, yet he's breathing.
Does he have time to see if a camera is rolling somewhere? Or does he act, knowing that if he doesn't, the terrorist (I refuse to call them "insurgents") might very well kill them all, reporter included?
Please consider--death by a bullet is far more merciful than having your head carved off--slowly--while you're still conscious. The guy probably got better than he deserved.
And the reporter is an ingrate who's lucky to have his sorry life saved by someone as decent as this Marine.
BINGO!! That's all he needs to confess to and he WILL be vindicated.
I suggest the Free Republic establish a medal of honor to be given to members of our military who show great courage in the fight for freedom, particulary, those members of the military who are disparaged by the media such as the Marine who shot the injured terrorist in Iraq.
Seriously, I don't think this would be too expensive and it would certainly let the military know that there are many Americans who support them 100%.
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