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Pentagon Puts Lawyers on Battlefield
NPR ^ | December 15, 2004 | Kristian Foden-Vencil

Posted on 12/15/2004 12:29:01 PM PST by Weimdog

Morning Edition, December 15, 2004 ·

Commanders on the ground in Iraq are forced to weigh the risks of civilian casualties against the need to complete their objective. If they make the wrong decision, they could end-up violating the Geneva Conventions or in front of a military tribunal. To prevent this, the Pentagon has started putting lawyers on the battlefield. Kristian Foden-Vencil of Oregon Public Broadcasting reports.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: army; dod; genevaconvention; iraq; jag; lawyers; marines; pentagon
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To: Weimdog

Political Officers


21 posted on 12/15/2004 12:52:39 PM PST by First_Salute (May God save our democratic-republican government, from a government by judiciary.)
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To: Weimdog

The marines are about to get more cannon fodder.Embeds and lawyers.


22 posted on 12/15/2004 12:57:32 PM PST by jocko12
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
It's not as if the Pentagon is putting ACLU lawyers on the battlefield. These would be JAG Corps officers, fully aware of such things as the chain of command and the need for flexibility of the armed forces.

If they screw things up, they'll get busted. These lawyers are on the side of the armed forces because they are part of the armed forces. If occasionally they advise against something, it's going to be good advice.

23 posted on 12/15/2004 12:57:47 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: Weimdog

Laywers are the problem. They are the reason we missed Mullah Omar in the first days of the battle. If this is continuing, than they are no better than the Klinton administration for fighting PC wars and getting Americans killed.


24 posted on 12/15/2004 1:01:01 PM PST by KC_Conspirator (I am poster #48)
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To: Weimdog

Interesting question, and hopefully one that remains a "what-if".

There must be some JAG types floating around FR to opine on that...


25 posted on 12/15/2004 1:05:49 PM PST by Gefreiter (When seconds count, the police are minutes away.)
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To: Weimdog
I wonder what kind of reprocussions face one of these lawyers who makes the wrong call

At least one major wrong call was already made early during the Afghanistan War. A Predator armed with a Hellfire missile had Mullah Omar and his party directly in it's sights and needed only authorization to fire. A Pentagon lawyer nixed the shot. Omar and his entire structure completely escaped to fight another day. No doubt we have already lost a lot of troops just due to that one crazy decision. The lawyer is probably "retired" on a nice pension and now has a cushy job working for the ACLU between gigs on his sailboat.

On the other hand, this would be a fine idea as long as these battlefield lawyers are ACLU lawyers. Give them something "useful" to do besides bother the rest of us and peck our Constitution to death. The only caveat should be they get dressed in red Santa suits so nobody "accidentally" shoots them. Let them accompany the guys on the front lines. We'll see what sort of legal advice they give and how many get to come home.

26 posted on 12/15/2004 1:07:53 PM PST by Gritty ("After being losers for thirty years, are we just too timid and polite to be winners?"-Gary Aldrich)
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To: Weimdog

Just damn.......


27 posted on 12/15/2004 1:08:48 PM PST by KoRn
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To: Weimdog

What happens if your assigned lawyer is a crazed Muslim-hater....or worse, what if he's a Muslim?


28 posted on 12/15/2004 1:11:33 PM PST by stuartcr
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To: Dog Gone

As a refresher you might want to read #24. Wonder how many troops died because of that "Good call". Lawyers should only be used for one thing on the battle field, target practice.


29 posted on 12/15/2004 1:12:08 PM PST by JustAnAmerican (Being Independent means never having to say you're Partisan)
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To: Weimdog

Zampolits (Political officers) for the US military = lawyers on the battlefield.


30 posted on 12/15/2004 1:13:13 PM PST by Centurion2000 (Truth, Justice and the Texan Way)
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To: WolveMarine

fyi


31 posted on 12/15/2004 1:15:12 PM PST by OwenKellogg
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To: Blood of Tyrants

For targe practice, mine detection, or luring out insurgents? Any one of them is fine with me.




Nope, just to second guess the troops and Marines actions that much faster, IMHO.


32 posted on 12/15/2004 1:24:01 PM PST by SFC Chromey (Did 13 months in Iraq and of COURSE I voted for BUSH!)
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To: Weimdog

Follow Shakespeare's advice - "First, kill all the lawyers.' Please note that this is a literary quote, not hate speech.


33 posted on 12/15/2004 1:27:09 PM PST by ArmyTeach (Non nobis, Domine, sed nomine tuo da gratia.)
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To: Weimdog

Their Watching too many of those JAG episodes.


34 posted on 12/15/2004 1:27:57 PM PST by FlatLandBeer
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To: ArmyTeach
Follow Shakespeare's advice - "First, kill all the lawyers.' Please note that this is a literary quote, not hate speech.

The meaning behind this quote is one of the most misunderstood in literary history.

The character espousing this view is a would-be tyrant who knows that the best way to force his will on a society is by destroying the rule of law.

35 posted on 12/15/2004 1:29:46 PM PST by Modernman (Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. --Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Weimdog

This is nothing new. Been happening since at least Desert Storm, probably much earlier.


36 posted on 12/15/2004 1:31:35 PM PST by Gamecock (The GRPL: Boldly celebrating one year of defending the Reformed Faith on FR!)
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To: Dog Gone

OK, that makes sense...

The MSM is forcing a PC war on us............


37 posted on 12/15/2004 1:33:10 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)
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To: TomGuy
Something has to be done about this madness.

If I were an officer and one of the lawyers got my troops killed he would get .45 ACP to the cranium.

If these guys are an impediment to the troops I see fragging occurring at record levels.
38 posted on 12/15/2004 1:44:35 PM PST by demecleze
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To: Americanwolf

They were called Zampolits. I like what Sean Connery did to the one in Hunt for Red October.


39 posted on 12/15/2004 1:45:03 PM PST by massgopguy (massgopguy)
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To: massgopguy

Thanks.. I forgot what they were called... I agree I do like What Sean Connery did to the one in The Hunt For Red October too... I see it happening to if they interfere out in the field... (ok maybe not but you know the thought would be going through some minds.)


40 posted on 12/15/2004 1:47:14 PM PST by Americanwolf (Democratic Underground... Digital Crack for the the loony left.....Hey troll! Put the pipe down!)
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