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Shameful reactions to Haditha 'atrocity' (Whines Incessantly About Free Republic!)
Gulf News ^ | 5/29/06 | Linda S. Heard (grab your tissues)

Posted on 05/29/2006 4:46:05 PM PDT by Coop

...

In the meantime, my column had been posted on a well-known right-wing American website, where it attracted 119 comments. Oddly, none of them displayed any hint of disquiet over the behaviour of the Marines under investigation. Rather, their outrage was reserved for John Murtha and yours truly.

One poster's reaction was to "nuke the Middle East" adding "thank you very much Dishonourable Rep. Jack Murtha". He was later to write "if you can't stand behind our troops, stand in front of them".

A few of his co-posters rushed to the website of Murtha's Republican challenger Diana Irey to donate campaign funds.

The fact that this murdering troop has the support of even those 119 posters is worrisome. Surely, nobody should defend the indefensible based on some false notion of patriotism.

Military personnel should act as ambassadors for their country and behave according to international rules of law and the Geneva Conventions that were drawn up as a result of atrocities committed during the Second World War. There should be a difference between real soldiers and ruthless thugs with public opinion the final arbiter.

If the public, as represented by the 119 posters on the Free Republic website, condones such behaviour or seeks to excuse it, then not only is its members giving their country's soldiers a license to kill arbitrarily, they are altering the fundamental psyche of their nation.

To quote a well-known rationalist intellectual Felix Adler "Love of country is like love of women - he loves her best who seeks to bestow on her the highest good."

The "Freepers" - as members of the Free Republic website have come to be known - may also like to contemplate the words of theologian Howard Thurman who said "During times of war, hatred becomes quite respectable, even though it has to masquerade often under the guise of patriotism."

In short, people who glorify soldiers who purposefully assassinate women and small children are as misguided as those who glorify the blowing up of crowded buses, trains and marketplaces.

Does the donning of a uniform render its wearer impervious to justice? The Nuremberg trials indicate not...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Free Republic; News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 12th; clintonistas; district; freerepublic; haditha; irey; murtha; murthawatch; pennsylvania; traitor; treason
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To: AlaninSA

I wrote her and asked why she didn't interview Zarkawi about the geneva convention.


401 posted on 05/30/2006 6:44:30 PM PDT by wildcatf4f3 (Islam Schmislam blahblahblah, enough already!)
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To: clintonh8r

Invoking hate in the service of security has a long history. Homer mentions it in the Iliad, recounting how the Trojans sought its aid to fight off the invading Greeks.


402 posted on 05/30/2006 6:50:18 PM PDT by Donald Meaker (Brother, can you Paradigm?)
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To: Donald Meaker

We Christians are taught to love our enemies, but it's damned hard sometimes!


403 posted on 05/30/2006 6:52:46 PM PDT by clintonh8r (Conservatives embrace American exceptionalism; liberals despise it.)
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To: clintonh8r

Perhaps so, but the Trojans lost, so hatred doesn't have much to recommend it in the Iliad either.


404 posted on 05/30/2006 6:55:11 PM PDT by Donald Meaker (Brother, can you Paradigm?)
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To: Donald Meaker

Some say the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. I think it's an advantage to be indifferent toward one's enemies.


405 posted on 05/30/2006 7:09:40 PM PDT by clintonh8r (Conservatives embrace American exceptionalism; liberals despise it.)
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To: clintonh8r; Donald Meaker

What I meant to say is that in combat it's probably easier to kill the enemy if emotion is not involved.


406 posted on 05/30/2006 7:26:22 PM PDT by clintonh8r (Conservatives embrace American exceptionalism; liberals despise it.)
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To: Hardastarboard; Coop
Alright, I'm starting to get p!$$ed. How do you jump from us defending the men who are most likely being railroaded, to saying we glorify assassins? John Kerry admits to having been witness to, and having committed war crimes. He was a few thousand votes in Ohio from being President. What do you have to say about his actions?

Great comment!

407 posted on 05/30/2006 7:39:40 PM PDT by GOPJ (Debate on a mandatory death penalty for pedophiles has started. Which side are you on?)
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To: Coop
A. We no longer believe ANYTHING coming from journalists.

B. I will be donating to Ms. Irey's campaign as well.

C. Murtha and the writer of this article have interest only in getting more soldiers killed, apparently, since every time they open their mouths, it's to say something that puts them in dire danger. Can't believe a word they say either.

And most of all, these men are innocent UNTIL PROVEN guilty.

We await the exposure of yet another bogus IE: fake, story fed to the world by the media. They actually think it doesn't matter, because once it out there, the lie is remembered not the retraction. Guess what? American is wise to your game.
408 posted on 05/30/2006 7:48:27 PM PDT by gidget7 (PC is the huge rock, behind which lies hide!)
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To: gidget7

A Reporter's shock at the Haditha allegations:

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/30/damon.iraq.btsc/


409 posted on 05/30/2006 7:49:12 PM PDT by World_Events
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To: NordP

'...John Murtha, a highly decorated ex-Marine, who is distressed at the unprovoked attack...'
------
Someone may have already pointed it out but Benedict Arnold was also 'a highly decorated' officer.
And as to Ms. Heard, a quick look at some of past articles confirmed what we could easily guess: Anti-U.S. - Anti-Israel - Anti-Tony Blair - Pro UN - Pro-Arab, etc, etc.
As to her hurt feelings about rude comments, perhaps she should contact Michelle Malkin and learn about liberal emails and conduct!


410 posted on 05/30/2006 8:23:33 PM PDT by Orantx ('Government is force...and like fire,.. a dangerous servant and fearsome master' George Washington)
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To: Coop
I really must add my comment upon on this story authored by Linda S. Heard=Specialist Writer_middle east affairs.
This story is a bonifide contradiction with in it's self.
As a Vet. the son of a Vet. Nephew of Vets. and grandson of Vets. I can MORE than except and even applaude what these Marines are accused of doing. They have in my mind shown the WAY! Nation Building...Bull Shit! We have to create an atmosphere of "fear" so intense that the general population will refuse to hid the real problem. These normal Arabs cater only to the STRONGEST, and will accomidate only the STONGEST! These Marines show just exactly how to do it! Hid, help, conceal our enemies will cause harm. We are not doing enough to create cooperation using STRENGTH!

Swede1
411 posted on 05/30/2006 8:25:34 PM PDT by Swede1
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To: Orantx

Excellent suggestion of yours...Ms. "Heard" needing an earful from Ms. Malkin ;-)


412 posted on 05/30/2006 8:33:38 PM PDT by NordP (Dig a moat the length of Mexican border, take the dirt & raise New Orleans' levees--add alligators.)
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To: Coop

"Why do you presume a) that an American Marine shot this innocent victim? and b) that an American Marine deliberately shot her? "

I presume an American shot her because the clean up crew understood it to be the situation.
It also corraborates the testimony of a young girl who survived the massacre - she said it was American soldiers who came into her home.
I actually haven't seen anyone claim that anyone else was responsible.

I presume the shots were deliberate because a Marine is a trained marksmen and a shot to the forehead would seem to be a very deliberate shot.

Presumption of innocence doesn't only apply to the Marines.
It also applies to the witnesses to the shootings.

Many people are presuming these people to be liars.


413 posted on 05/30/2006 8:40:42 PM PDT by Scotswife
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To: Coop
MS Heard has found our troops guilty on all charges, without benefit of a trial. And not only dares to condemn those of us who have found our troops innocent on all charges, without benefit of a trial, but condemns even those Freepers who asked that they be considered innocent until a impartial jury determines their guilt or innocence.

The Myopic MS Heard, sees only her side of the situation.
414 posted on 05/30/2006 8:42:40 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (Dear US Senators, Reps. and Mr. President: Why are y'all abetting the destruction of our culture?)
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To: Coop
The fact that this murdering troop has the support of even those 119 posters is worrisome. Surely, nobody should defend the indefensible based on some false notion of patriotism.

Here's hoping she writes about this one too, so I'll be apart of it.

What angers us so much is that the left, and Ms. Heard, is outraged at Marines who may have killed innocent people. It's that they are deciding that these Marines are GUILTY and AREN'T WILLING TO WAIT UNTIL THE INVESTIGATION IS OVER.

It's like they're drooling, just WAITING for something to go wrong in Iraq, so they can smear our troops. She doesn't even know that these troops are guilty, and she's using it as an excuse to root against America.

415 posted on 05/30/2006 9:53:18 PM PDT by pcottraux (It's pronounced "P. Coe-troe.")
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To: Coop
Military personnel should act as ambassadors for their country

So should journalists. Wise up, screed hag Heard.

416 posted on 05/30/2006 10:20:22 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (Got freedom? Thank a veteran)
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To: Coop
But without the European spelling!

LOL! Yep.

417 posted on 05/30/2006 11:00:04 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: Coop

Hey Linda: STICK YOUR HEAD UP A DEAD BEAR'S BUM!!!!


418 posted on 05/30/2006 11:48:14 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher (The Great Ronald Reagan & John Paul II - Heaven's Dream Team!)
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To: Hardastarboard

Did you miss this part of Heard's article?

"Since, a US government official has described the Marines involved as suffering "a total breakdown in morality and leadership". Three commanders have already been suspended, while three perpetrators may face trial for murder.

Nine others are likely to be tried for dereliction of duty and filing a false report. Moreover, photographs taken by US Military Intelligence have emerged showing the terrible barbarity of this premeditated revenge attack."

Here's something from another report:

"Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), a retired Marine colonel, said there was clearly an attempt to cover up the incident by those involved. But he said he did not think the Marine command was slow in investigating.

"There is no question that the Marines involved, those doing the shooting, they were busy in lying about it and covering it up - there is no question about it," Kline said. "But I am confident, as soon as the command learned there might be some truth to this, they started to pursue it vigorously. I don't have any reason now to think there was any foot dragging.""

www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/ la-fg-marines27may27,0,7543928.story?coll=la-home-headlines

You guys wanna go after Kline too?

These actions, which seemed to be substantiated, are a black eye to America. It is a shame and a mistake for the Administration is leaving this to the Democrats and press to condemn; even while an investigation is proceeding there should be a statement from the Administration.


419 posted on 05/31/2006 3:20:07 AM PDT by TokyoTom (A free-for-all for an unowned resource ....)
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To: Coop

Bump


420 posted on 05/31/2006 3:24:04 AM PDT by Mark17
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