[Steve_Seattle]

"The Haditha incident is REALLY troubling because the chain of command may have been trying to hide it."

No, it is really troubling because the news media will make 10,000 times a bigger issue of this one incident than they will make of the 5,000 attacks against civilians perpetrated by the insurgents. I take it as a "given" that in a war of this magnitude there will be a few incidents where our troops violate the rules of war. I also take it as a given that they will be punished if the incidents come to light. Just as was Abu Ghraib, this will be blown up entirely out of proportion. That's what's really troubling.

[100American]

Pale Horse takes this course on ANY thread involving this subject

[Axlrose]

Question is, can we have freedom without a free media ?

Also

Why does a free media seem to always "hang to the left ?"

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

I take it as a "given" that in a war of this magnitude there will be a few incidents where our troops violate the rules of war. I also take it as a given that they will be punished if the incidents come to light.

So do I--usually. But the word I've heard from some folks at Camp Pendleton is that this came to light when someone at Division HQ noticed that the after-action report and some logistics reports gave conflicting information, they asked for more information to explain the discrepancies, and things went to hell.

That's why this is worrying. If they end up giving a few enlisted grunts jail or worse and let officers who should have known better off with a slap on the wrist like the Army did with Gen. Karpinski, it will send the wrong message.

[Callahan]

Correct. Al Qaeda's entire purpose is to kill innocent civilians yet our useful idiots regard them as the morally equivalent, if not morally superior, to our military.

[gathersnomoss]

Say It Again...
"the news media will make 10,000 times a bigger issue of this one incident than they will make of the 5,000 attacks against civilians perpetrated by the insurgents"

And Again...
the news media will make 10,000 times a bigger issue of this one incident than they will make of the 5,000 attacks against civilians perpetrated by the insurgents"

Thank you Rush for the term...Drive By Media!

[strategofr]

""The Haditha incident is REALLY troubling because the chain of command may have been trying to hide it."

No, it is really troubling because the news media will make 10,000 times a bigger issue of this one incident than they will make of the 5,000 attacks against civilians perpetrated by the insurgents. I take it as a "given" that in a war of this magnitude there will be a few incidents where our troops violate the rules of war. I also take it as a given that they will be punished if the incidents come to light. Just as was Abu Ghraib, this will be blown up entirely out of proportion. That's what's really troubling."

Well put. Would you credit the possibility of one or two well placed agents provacateurs (i.e., covert Leftists inserted into the Marines or their vicinity) encouraging this incident (if it happened)?

[Recovering_Democrat]

You got that right.