Makes sense to me. Carrots/sticks. Haditha was not at the point of carrots from all the reporting coming out of that area at the time. How many Marines were killed in August, 2005 before Kilo company came in? I don’t think the investigative report on the 20 something deaths within two days in that month was ever released (primarily from Lima company out of Ohio).
It was not a friendly area at the time.
But you have Peter "Cottontail" Chiarelli (aka Carrotboy) on the scene around then amazed that our troops were killing the enemy. And even more amazed no one on our side saw anything wrong with that.
Investigation? Surely you jest, Girlene : )
You are quite right- there are quite a few families that can testify that the area was not friendly. Arlington is a beautiful tour spot, but it damn sure ain’t an easy one to some of us.