yea, once you leave your bomb planted by the road, or stand watch while it is getting planted I guess you might be unarmed
Personally I would not be quick to judge just because the words "women" and "children" are included.
There is no gender or age difference when it comes to dealing with terrorists. They come in all flavors.
It appears that they may have succeeded. Unfortunately.
Now, as then, their subversion masquerades as public service.
"military investigations" are Not over, yet the LA SLIMES is printing this as fact.
I'm not worried about our Marines core values. What I worry about is your hamstringing them by telling them to play by the rules of "war" when your confining them to a peacekeeping mission.
Let them loose to clean out the rat holes, remove the reporters, do what has to be done.
#1 Our men and women serve bravely.
#2 Corps would not condone such an event.
Conclusion: Collateral Damage. When you are fighting a war the asking questions first part just doesn't cut it.
Recent serious allegations concerning actions of Marines in combat have caused me concern. They should cause you to be concerned as well. To ensure we continue to live up to General Lejeune’s description of a Marine as someone who demonstrates “all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue,” I would like to review the importance of our core values.
As Marines, you are taught from your earliest days in the Corps about our core values of honor, courage and commitment. These values are part of and belong to all Marines, regardless of MOS, grade, or gender. They guide us in all that we do; whether in combat, in garrison, or on leave or liberty.
To a Marine, honor is more than just honesty; it means having uncompromising personal integrity and being accountable for all actions. To most Marines, the most difficult part of courage is not the raw physical courage that we have seen so often on today’s battlefield. It is rather the moral courage to do the “right thing” in the face of danger or pressure from other Marines. Finally, commitment is that focus on caring for one another and upholding the great ideals of our Corps and Country.
The nature of this war with its ruthless enemies, and its complex and dangerous battlefield will continue to challenge us in the commitment to our core values. We must be strong and help one another to measure up. The war will also test our commitment to our belief in the rule of law.
We have all been educated in the Law of Armed Conflict. We continue to reinforce that training, even when deployed to combat zones. We do not employ force just for the sake of employing force. We use lethal force only when justified, proportional and, most importantly, lawful. We follow the laws and regulations, Geneva Convention and Rules of Engagement. This is the American way of war. We must regulate force and violence, we only damage property that must be damaged, and we protect the non-combatants we find on the battlefield.
When engaged in combat, particularly in the kind of counterinsurgency operations we’re involved in now, we have to be doubly on guard. Many of our Marines have been involved in life or death combat or have witnessed the loss of their fellow Marines, and the effects of these events can be numbing. There is the risk of becoming indifferent to the loss of a human life, as well as bringing dishonor upon ourselves. Leaders of all grades need to reinforce continually that Marines care for one another and do what is right.
The large majority of Marines today perform magnificently on and off the battlefield. I am very proud of the bravery, dedication, honor, courage and commitment you clearly display every day. And America is proud as well. Americans, indeed most people around the world, recognize that Marines are men and women of the highest caliber – physically, mentally, and morally.
Each one of you contributes in your own unique way to our important mission; I am proud of your dedication and accomplishments. Even after 38 years, I still stand with pride every time I hear the Marines Hymn. The words of that Hymn mean something special to me. Especially, “Keep our Honor Clean”. I know that means something to all of you as well. As Marines we have an obligation to past Marines, fellow Marines, future Marines and ourselves to do our very best to live up to these words.
As your Commandant, I charge all Marines to carry on our proud legacy by demonstrating our values in everything you do – on duty and off; in combat or in garrison. Semper Fidelis.
These Marines have already been tarred & feathered!
Cut them some slack for God sake, I can easily understand a quick trigger finger, during a firefight.. As for me, I say duck, and shoot the first thing that moves..
I looked at Google News and the Boston Globe can't wait for the report and is out interviewing the villagers and admitting that they can't verify the stories.
This is going to be painful. The media is so happy about this story. They are going to drive support for the war down to 0 and support for Bush down another 10 points.
Good grief, why didn't we just level this hellhole and put in some puppet government so we wouldn't have to waste the lives of our soldiers? I'm tired of fighting p. C. wars.
Civilian casualties are a hideous but unavoidable part of warfare, and have been as long as tribes and nations have fought each other. IMHO this is nothing more than another blatant attempt by the leftist appeasers and apologists for Islamic terrorism to discredit and embarrass our military forces and turn more people against our involvement in Iraq. How can we expect our young men and women to join the military when they are put at risk of criminal prosecution if they make a mistake under the life and death pressure of a confused firefight with terrorists disguised as ordinary noncombatants in the midst of a crowded and hostile city environment?
Whose probe?
The terrorists hide behind civilians and civilians hide the terrorists. Some civilians are bound to be caught in the crossfire. How can our forces tell whether the Iraqi in a nightgown is a civilian or a terrorists?
No way. Shoot first and let Allah sort it out.
According to the Stone-age press, innocent until proven guilty only applies to the clintons!
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters