U.S. policy was to shoot Korean refugees

[tocqueville]

By CHARLES J. HANLEY and MARTHA MENDOZA, Associated Press Writers
Mon May 29, 2:44 PM ET

More than a half-century after hostilities ended in Korea, a document from the war's chaotic early days has come to light — a letter from the U.S. ambassador to Seoul, informing the State Department that American soldiers would shoot refugees approaching their lines.
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Estimates vary on the number of dead at No Gun Ri. American soldiers' estimates ranged from under 100 to "hundreds" dead; Korean survivors say about 400, mostly women and children, were killed at the village 100 miles southeast of Seoul, the South Korean capital. Hundreds more refugees were killed in later, similar episodes, survivors say.
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The Pentagon concluded that the No Gun Ri shootings, which lasted three days, were "an unfortunate tragedy" — "not a deliberate killing." It suggested panicky soldiers, acting without orders, opened fire because they feared that an approaching line of families, baggage and farm animals concealed enemy troops.

But Muccio's letter indicates the actions of the 7th Cavalry were consistent with policy, adopted because of concern that North Koreans would infiltrate via refugee columns. And in subsequent months, U.S. commanders repeatedly ordered refugees shot, documents show.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060529/ap_on_re_as/no_gun_ri_letter_lh1_3

[acmavm]

1. No Gun Ri. That's the atrocity that I was trying to remember the other day

when commenting on a certain 'we really shouldn't condemn these poor guys thrown into a horrible situation, blah blah blah'. The poster started a thread on Hidatha.

Some Americans in wartime are no more noble and compassionate than any other nationality, even ones we call barbaric and uncivilized (at least according to our standards). Obviously they can be amongst the most brutal.