“I prefer to think that, when he gave the order to destroy it, the NCO was considering the impact of the video on the families of the victims and its potential for exploitation as jihadi propaganda. “
Think about what you are saying: 14 soldiers murdered and more injured at a military base, and an NCO’s first thought was to families and to exploitation?
The military’s first and foremost job is to defend civilians and to win battles, period.
I can perhaps see the families part, but only to a limited extent. But their primary directive is not toward a soldier’s family. It is toward ensuring those battles are won, and unity in an outfit is of prime importance over “sensitivity” even. Unity cannot be preserved if renegade officers who have the ability to control lives of soldiers are within the system. These must be found out and a video enforces that finding.
Also, if the family sensitivity was paramount, a soldier would never be ordered into battle for fear he would be injured or killed..
As for as the low-ranking NCO coming up to a conclusion to concern himself with jihadist exploitation, that, is certainly illogical.
No, politics at much higher levels was played out here. Once the GOP controls the House, how far up order came from will be revealed.
You are entitled to your opinion. It isn’t mine.