(UPDATE) Marines Testify About Afghanistan Battle

Associated Press via chron.com (Houston Chronicle) ^ | January 9, 2008 | Estes Thompson

[notahippie2]

this is really for everyone. I’m Travers. I am not at liberty to discuss the details of the case but I can comment on the media reports of my character. I am not anti-war freak. Lets not forget that I am also a former Marine with an excellent, combat decorated background. Which was not reported. I whole heartedly believe in the War on Terror, but if we are going to call it that, then lets actually fight terrorists. They live, as the 9/11 report shows, in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Yemen. Where are our FOB’s in those countries? I would like to see the results of the evidence findings as well. Afghan people of Nangarhar Province are a most interesting people and I hold them in high regard. I’ve actually met them and shared tea, spoken with them for hours. I do know a little bit about what I say. Most importantly, I am not a vindictive person with ulterior motives.

[freema]

Travers has joined us ping.

Welcome to FR, Travers.

(But I've got to head to bed. Sleep tight, everyone : )

[Girlene]

Thanks for that explanation on the protests.

As I have posted before, the Marines took over when they didn’t like the way the Army investigation was heading.

Can you blame them? Maj. Gen. Kearney removed the whole unit of 120 Marines from Afghanistan, which by the way was the first deployment of the Marine Spec. Ops. That was highly unusual and sent a bad message to the Taliban. Create enough civilian casualties with a VBIED and small arms fire, and you can get US troops removed from Afghanistan.

According to this report here from April 16, the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission who put out "the report", claimed 6 people killed at the blast site and 6 killed on the road. They also claimed an additional 35 wounded. By May 8, when Col. Nicholson made his statement, the deaths were up to 19, with 50 wounded. I'm assuming those killed at the blast site included the suicide bomber(s).

Col. Nicholson said they paid for all 19/50. Wonder where they dragged those extra bodies or death certificates from.

[Girlene]

Welcome to Free Republic, notahippie2. I'm a little skeptical that you are Travers, since others have posted on this forum posing as someone they are not. But, I'll assume for this discussion that you are legitimate.

I have not indicated you are an anti-war freak or have ulterior motives. But, as you indicated, this was for all. I agree there are terrorists in the other countries that you mentioned, but the fight started in Afghanistan. The Taliban and Al Queida do not have the stronghold they had prior to our invasion, but if we were not there, would likely regroup. So whether it's keeping the terrorists at bay, or weeding out those who infiltrate back in, it is still a front in the War on Terror.

I thank you for your service. I think the frustration, name-calling, what-have-you that you have noted here, is an attempt to stand up for our military when they come under attack. Many on this forum are quite pro-military, even when their honor is in question. It's a matter of having their back, because our servicemen and women have ours when they deploy.

Afghan people of Nangarhar Province are a most interesting people and I hold them in high regard. I’ve actually met them and shared tea, spoken with them for hours.

I am sure they are. I have a photo of a beautiful Afghani girl in my living room. A soldier that I had adopted a few years back sent me her photo holding some stuffed animals I had sent. She was a child who had suffered severe burns, and his unit was treating her until they could get her transported to a hospital. Most here do not believe all, or even most, Afghanis are terrorists. But they love, honor and respect their military folks.

Peace out, notahippie2. :-)

[Grimmy]

“Killing innocent civilians is not a good way to win an insurgency...”

Yep. And we all know for sure they were “innocent civilians” because the enemy said so.

Weakness beyond feeble. Stupidity beyond idiot.

My hatred for nasty ****ing heathen scum grows by the day.

[Lancey Howard]

Were you offered a deal by the prosecutors for your testimony?

[4woodenboats]

I very much disbelieve that is Travers, Lancey. It sounds way too much like the brainwashed hippies that inhabit liberal arts colleges like Evergreen in Olympia, WA, and spouts the same ignorant argument on the WOT, pretty much word for word.

[Lancey Howard]

I got the same feeling when I read his/her/its post. Which is why I didn’t spend a lot of time with a reply - - just the one quick question, offered in the spirit of a skeptical benefit of the doubt.

FRegards,
LH

[Lancey Howard]

BTW, I find it very difficult to believe that the real travers would register here to begin with, but if he did.... “notahippie2” ??
Right.

[4woodenboats]

Exactly. That was quick thinking on the one question, btw.

[Grimmy]

Some day, hopefully soon, the idjits that wet themselves every time the enemy organizes such a mass casualty event will be made to recognize that it’s their loud caterwauling and moaning and groaning that constantly motivates such events.

Hopefully, that realization will be made to be properly painful and degrading.

The enemy has learned well. Killing their own civilians is the single greatest tool in their inventory.

[4woodenboats]

You'd think that after finding all those kids stuffed under rocket launching sites in Lebanon and UN posts getting hit right after Hezzies used them as cover to fire from, SOMEONE, even a shell shocked reporter that's been watching this deadly game of using human shields would have the courage to say - "uh, hey gang, every time you eat your own after the muzzies use human shields when they ambush you, you give 10 more the incentive to use this heinous tactic, and I'm running out of places to hide".

We're supposed to be a nation that does not negotiate, barter, or give in to terrorists, yet this is exactly what we're doing.

Doesn't anyone (with stars on their uniforms) remember the 1st Gulf War, when SoDamn room temperature Hussein put that horrified little British lad on his lap to demonstrate to the world what his 1st line of deference would be?

Or all those thrill seeking hippies that flocked to Iraq as human shields, their adled brains convinced that the position was merely a ceremonial one - until the Revolutionary Guard put them in front of their barracks and other high priority targets, leaving them all by themselves, wondering why the townsfolk weren't locking hands together alongside and singing folk songs....geez, I would've liked to have seen the dawning of a collective WTF? spread amongst them....

The only way to overcome this tactic is to make sure that if a civilian sees a muzzie fighter anywhere near him, he treats him like a 170 pound rat, and runs away to go find an exterminator and make sure he's not around when the rat hunter drops a bomb on it.

President Bush once said that anyone helping or harboring a terrorist would be treated as one. He needs to reiterate that in a way that makes this clear to civilians they will die if they associate with and shield terrorists, either by a bomb dropping through their roof, or being anywhere near an attack against Coalition forces. Any neighborhood that allows an IED to be buried in their streets should be bulldozed.

And paying solatia is little different than the cash that muzzie moms used to get from Saddam for raising human bombs. These people need to find a different sense of worth to fill their hearts besides death. If being a muzzie ain't getting it for them, maybe it's time to get baptized.

[Dick Vomer]

But, I’m not impressed by wannabes like you who think that the great Marine Corps is incapable of error - they let you in, didn’t they?

sorry pal, You get "let in" the Army.

You have to "earn" your way into the Marines.

simple mistake, carry on.

[Marine_Uncle]

""And I'm sure we had to kill some guys who were shooting at us.""
Why are people at this site lining up against these Marines who had to battle their way out of a fire fight.

[Grimmy]

This worm will turn. Those that voluntarily drop to their knees and wrap their man-pleasers around the enemy propaganda spigot are serving, knowingly and willingly, as force multipliers for the enemy propaganda efforts against our homefront.

They serve to benefit the enemy and are, therefore, just another among the enemy’s ranks. Time is coming when they will be treated as such.

No slack for the betrayers. No mercy. No forgiveness. No forgetting.