Posted on 11/17/2004 3:35:00 PM PST by annyokie
Defending our marine in Fallujah - Wednesday, November 17, 2004 9:30 AM
The media attacks on our marine in Fallujah are more ways to get our soldiers killed. This is a guest blog by a former marine and Navy Seal, Matthew Heidt, whose blog can be found here.
Security Rounds
We're gonna see more on this issue in the near future. Most folks who've served in combat are taking a much more objective view of how things are changing w/re to the Law of Land Warfare than those who have not.
The shots fired at the "unarmed" terrorist in that mosque in Fallujah are called "security rounds." Its a safety issue pure and simple. After assaulting through a target, put a security round in everybody's head. Sorry al-Reuters, there's no paddy wagon rolling around Fallujah picking up "prisoners" and offering them a hot cup a joe, falafel, and a blanket. There's no time to dick around in the target, you clear the space, dump the chumps, and moveon.org. Are Corpsman expected to treat wounded terrorists?
Negative. Hey libs, worried about the defense budget? Well, it would be waste, fraud, and abuse for a Corpsman to spend one man minute or a battle dressing on a terrorist, its much cheaper to just spend the $.02 on a 5.56mm FMJ.
By the way, terrorists who chop off civilian's heads are not prisoners, they are carcasses.
UPDATE: Let me be very clear about this issue. I have looked around the web, and many people get this concept, but there are some stragglers. Here is your situation Marine. You just took fire from unlawful combatants shooting from a religious building attempting to use the sanctuary status of their position as protection. But you're in Fallujah now, and the Marine Corps has decided that they're not playing that game this time. That was Najaf. So you set the mosque on fire and you hose down the terrorists with small arms, launch some AT-4s (Rockets), some 40MM grenades into the building and things quiet down. So you run over there, and find some tangos wounded and pretending to be dead. You are aware that suicide martyrdom is like really popular with these kind of idiots, and like taking some Marines with them would be really cool. So you can either risk your life and your fireteam's lives by having them cover you while you bend down and search a guy that you think is pretending to be dead for some reason.
Also, you don't know who or what is in the next room, and you're already speaking English to each other and its loud because your hearing is poor from shooting people for several days. So you know that there are many other rooms to enter, and that if anyone is still alive in those rooms, they know that Americans are in the mosque. Meanwhile (3 seconds later), you still have this terrorist that was just shooting at you from a mosque playing possum. What do you do?
You double tap his head, and you go to the next room, that's what.
What about the Geneva Conventions and all that Law of Land Warfare stuff? What about it. Without even addressing the issues at hand you first thought should be, "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6." Bear in mind that this is a perpetual mindset that in reinforced by experience on a minute by minute basis. Secondly, you are fighting an unlawful combatant in a Sanctuary which is a double No No on his part. Third, tactically you are in no position to take "prisoners" because there are more rooms to search and clear, and the behavior of said terrorist indicates that he is up to no good. No good in Fallujah is a very large place and the low end of no good and the high end of no good are fundamentally the same... Marines get hurt or die. So there is no compelling reason for you to do anything but double tap this idiot and get on with the mission.
If you are a veteran then everything I have just written is self evident, if you are not a veteran than at least try to put yourself in the situation. Remember, in Fallujah there is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow, there is only now. Right NOW. Have you ever lived in NOW for a week? It is not easy, and if you have never lived in NOW for longer than it takes to finish the big roller coaster at Six Flags, then shut your hole about putting Marines in jail for war crimes. Be advised, I am not talking to my readers, but if this post gets linked up, I want regular folks to get this message loud and clear.
http://froggyruminations.blogspot.com/
Comment by Lori Kahler
It is also important to note that there have been reports that just five minutes earlier and a block away from this incident, another wounded insurgent blew himself up. He took the life of a marine and severely wounded six other marines who were trying to give aid to this insurgent. Let us not forget that Senator Kerry received a purple heart for a very similar incident, although Kerry shot the boy in the back as he was fleeing. Not only was this marine correct in shooting the wounded insurgent, he was obligated to or risk the death or injury to whole unit.
Thanks brother! This is on its way to USAF vet buddies.
Shep on Fox just had a bit on this issue - The leader of Iraq is "concerned" but will wait for an investigation. Our side is saying - the guy will be delt with -
I say drag it out - time will pass - other stuff will happen (hoping our side knows not to let down guard - with these jerk media types around)- then the military can deal with the guy - in the right way - the way the people want it handled - not the media -
We shouldn't have to deal with this in the first place - need to keep jumping on the media about their actions - harp away until they get the message we expect them to support the country they call their own - And if they can't do that - they should find another nation in which to live - cause this nation doesn't need nor want their type -
just my thoughts -
Tap Bump Tap Bump Tap Bump Tap Bump Tap Bump Tap Bump
Another bump before I leave (can't have to many for this one!)
Double tap bump!
Amazing that FOX will cover every story EXCEPT
why 99 US Senators allow a traitor in their midst.
bump for later...
Doug or someone put up a thread yesterday - lot of people posted in support of this guy - I was happy (to put it mildly) to see this come up - remembering the rotten events of the 1960s that turned the nation against the troops.
They are trying it again now - but this time - people are wise to the tactics - it will not work again - I believe people said as much with the election - :)
just my thoughts -
I got a vet ping list too
PING
Ping to post #36.
Sorry about that.
I got 3 people in my ping list. I'm not reliable enough to have a bigger list.
It is sad to hear this guy beat around the bush, I wish he wouldnot hold back.....*scarasm of
Boy he didn't pull any punches.
I hear yeah....How things going?
forwarded to Vets
Great! Got a call from my son. He was in Guam for a couple days. Now he's back out on the sub, somewhere.
Went to NYC and saw my brother last weekend.
How's your life?
From post: "It may not bother you at all that your president's army has killed somewhere between 40,000 and 100,000 Iraqi civilians since March 2003 - "
Civilians? I would have to believe if it was even close to that number - we would have heard from just about 'everyone' across the Ocean - !
This idiot is putting out stuff way beyond belief - Perhaps he got the figure from one of the mass graves found by our side - and switched it to fit his ramblings -
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