The Truth About Haditha(Michelle Malkin)

Real Clear Politics ^ | May 31, 2006 | Michelle Malkin

[libstripper]

I suspect whatever killings occurred were perpetrated by terrorists wearing counterfeit US uniforms. This theory is supported by the fact, reported by the media in the run-up to the liberation of Iraq, that Saddam had accumulated a number of counterfeit US uniforms to be used by his people in a number of ways. Committing atrocities and then framing US troops for them in terrorist controlled areas would be a perfect way to use such uniforms. This would be particularly effective if the alleged witnesses were already terrorists themselves or terrorist sympathizers and the people who were killed were suspected supporters of the liberation and their families. Such tactics are certainly not beneath Saddam and the terrorists; indeed they are the very things they would love to do. They are also the very kind of things traitors like Murtha and the MSM would love to use to discredit the entire war effort. Before anyone even suspects those Marines of this group of killings, this hypothesis must be fully checked out and disproved.

[kellynla]

"So what? People die during war"

"So what?"
There is a HUGE difference between collateral damage and MURDER!

As much as the LSM would have you think, United States Marines are not Nazis .
And we do not go out and summarily murder people...not even the "bad guys!"

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[libstripper]

but as one who "walked point" for the Fifth Marines in 1969 & 1970 Nam, I find it more likely that these people were killed by crossfire and/or by the "bad guys" before they "bugged out" which is the terrorists' M.O.!

Right on!! Please see my post at No. 21.

[Coop]

If you haven't already, check out the AP article in Breaking. Murtha was caught in another lie. At least one of the commanders "relieved due to Haditha" was relieved for something completely separate (and extremely petty).

Jack Murtha, the EX-Marine, is a disgusting piece of trash.

[B-Chan]

It's very simple: we are the Good Guys in this war. And the Good Guys do not make war upon noncombatants -- unarmed civilians, refugees, prisoners, the injured, and the like. The Good Guys intentionally kill only the Bad Guys -- enemy combatants -- and no one else. If while fighting the Bad Guys a Good Guy kills a noncombatant by accident, no crime has been committed; such tragedies are an unavoidable part of war. But when the Good Guys intentionally kill noncombatants, or by inaction allow them to be killed, that's a crime: murder. And murderers are Bad Guys.

Therefore, as Good Guys, it is our duty to investigate charges of murder made against members of our armed forces, and, if they are found guilty, to hang them as an example to the others.

I hope this answers your difficult question.

[G.Mason]

Actually Damon is a female.

Arwa Damon ... " I know the Marines that were operating in western al Anbar, from Husayba all the way to Haditha. I went on countless operations in 2005 up and down the Euphrates River Valley. I was pinned on rooftops with them in Ubeydi for hours taking incoming fire, and I've seen them not fire a shot back because they did not have positive identification on a target.

I saw their horror when they thought that they finally had identified their target, fired a tank round that went through a wall and into a house filled with civilians. They then rushed to help the wounded -- remarkably no one was killed.

I was with them in Husayba as they went house to house in an area where insurgents would booby-trap doors, or lie in wait behind closed doors with an AK-47, basically on suicide missions, just waiting for the Marines to come through and open fire. There were civilians in the city as well, and the Marines were always keenly aware of that fact. How they didn't fire at shadows, not knowing what was waiting in each house, I don't know. But they didn't."

My take is a bit different than yours.

I'd say she is saying the Marines, she was embedded with, were stand up guys, doing a great job, under the most adverse conditions.

Just my take, I guess.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Michele Malkin; trying to keep her 'conservative' image alive. How cute. Move to the right Michele.

Though I disagree with her at times, she has done a lot of good things at shining the light on real issues such as highlighting the MS-13 illegal gang presence.

[CholeraJoe]

On March 10, 1945, General Curtis Lemay ordered the firebombing of Tokyo. Over 100,000 civilians perished in a single night. Can you imagine the hoopla if this had happened today?

[johnny7]

��5{���������eople were killed by crossfire and/or by the "bad guys"

I tend to believe there's a good chance that the ones capped at close range... were done in by their own countrymen. These pukes watch CNN and know what works to their advantage.

[JennysCool]

Check out the dude's "In Forum" posts ... Sheesh!

[kellynla]

ohhhhh, I read the piece and as I said before, right down th the last line Damon NEVER SAID anything remotely to "I don't believe the Marines murdered these people"
Now if you want to post a quote from the article,
post that...but you won't find it...anywhere!

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[SevenMinusOne]

JAGs Explain, please?

JAGs (mil lawyers) are so throughout the military COC anymore that at times one can do d*ck without them being integrally involved to some degree or another.

[jslade]

[papertyger]

I do not know what happened either, but these liberal freaks are gushing with evil delight at the prospect they can discredit our military.

I think the freaks may be in for a surprise this time.

We KNOW their only concern is discrediting the war effort, so what they use as a talking point is really immaterial.

They can flog "Abu Grahb" like issues till the cows come home, but it will only move the nation as far as we allow it to move us.

In case I'm not being clear enough...I'm perfectly willing to ignore Haditha.

[papertyger]

Michele Malkin; trying to keep her 'conservative' image alive. How cute. Move to the right Michele.

Her "conservative" image doesn't need any help, but who are you?

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"Sometimes war does not bring out the best in us.

Get used to it."

So, are you saying that you have gotten used to atrocities like the Rape of Nanking and the killings at My Lai 4?

Michael Frazier

[IrishRainy]

USnooze has a story about this. It mentions "a lawyer for a Marine officer with a slight connection to the case," in reference to Paul Hackett.

So is this the same Paul Hackett (Democrat Iraq veteran) who ran against Jean Schmidt in Ohio? He's also an attorney so it's possible. Be interesting to find out...

[dfwgator]

On March 10, 1945, General Curtis Lemay ordered the firebombing of Tokyo. Over 100,000 civilians perished in a single night. Can you imagine the hoopla if this had happened today?

There is a big difference between now and then, back then everybody was personally affected by the war, they had many loved ones serving on the front lines. In this war, most people are not affected, or more bluntly, choose not to be affected by what is going on if they do not have any loved ones in harm's way.

[Jim_Curtis]

I found this idiotic story from "Islam Online" that was posted shortly after the incident. I think at least part of this incident was staged.

----

US Soldiers Danced Around Dead Iraqi Civilians: Report
IslamOnline.net
Grinned US soldiers were dancing around bodies of Iraqi civilians killed during a US-led onslaught on the western city of Haditha, residents said on Monday, November29 . "I saw US soldiers laughing and dancing around the bodies of civilians killed in cold blood" a resident identified as Goma Al-Hadithi told the London-based Al-Quds Press news agency. Occupation troops have killed in cold blood children, women and elderly in their house-to-house pre-dawn raids, he charged...

---
If they are making up stories about "dancing Marines" it stands to reason that they propped up some bodies and perhaps added some strategically placed bullets to make it look like a massacre. Bodies in praying position with bullets in the back of their heads? If Marines did do that they wouldn't have left the bodies in a state that would have shown executions occurred. Certainly they would know that the media would soon be at the scene and pictures taken.

Another thing I didn't realize was that Iraqi soldiers were with the Marines when the roadside bomb went off. Were Iraqi soldiers involved in the Haditha mission?

[CholeraJoe]

In this war, most people are not affected, or more bluntly, choose not to be affected by what is going on if they do not have any loved ones in harm's way.

But in those areas that are affected, support is phenomenal. I used to live in a small town in Montana. When the local Aviation Battallion returned from Iraq, over 3000 people greeted them at the airport.