Haditha, Your thoughts Options

[Hartmann]

Just wondering what everyone thinks about this Haditha fiasco...

I agree those who are responsible should be punished but I also agree with a quote I heard today:

"Those trained to kill should not be entrusted to keep the peace"

[Hartmann]

5. it's easy for me to say that I would never do something like this sitting here in the capacity that I am...but put me on the streets, patrolling for a few months, exhausted, hot, sad, scared, parched/hungry, homesick, angry....and I'd like to "think" I would take the non-reactionary, moral high ground...but I can't truly say. it's easy to pass judgement from here.

6. what bothers me about this...especially if they are found guilty in a mil court, is that every grunt is going to be hesitant about reacting to a threat. and we had a saying...the moment of hesitation is the moment of death.

I think that's the point here... It's not "shoot first and ask questions later", it's "Shoot first or die" and by human nature no one wants to die.

The publicity that this is getting Iraq befuddles me. It's a huge deal for these people to be killed by Marines (not proven yet) but it's an everyday occurrence for Iraqis to be killed by roadside bombs and they don't blink an eye. They don't say anything condemning the killings (at least anything that makes it to the news). These people should be more than happy to give up these people who blow up cars in markets, but they aren't.