New Iraq Ambassador to U.S. Drops Bombshell

[XOKCowboy]

John at Americablog is hot today. Here's his latest bombshell. The new Iraqi ambassador went on CNN and accused US Marines of shooting his cousin last year in Haditha but BEFORE the incident that's just come to light. Read more here. It's right up top.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/

[eleny]

1. Blitzer interviewed him this afternoon

[Cha]

2. Good! I'm surprised

anyone on cabal news gives him any air time!

[Biernuts]

3. If the Marines really did this

Then the corps should be abolished. The Navy no longer needs an infantry.

Those who are innocent, and can read, may be eligible for upgrading to the Army.

[babylonsister]

4. No, the people responsible, from top to bottom, should be

punished. There's a gross of bad eggs perhaps, doesn't mean the whole corps is rotten.

[barbtries]

5. i agree

start with gw and cheney, rumsfeld, rice, etc.

[existentialist]

9. I agree, as someone stated back during the Watergate days,

"The fish stinks from the head."

[Canuckistanian]

26. correction - "The fish rots from the head down"

Lets get our decomposing pescatorial metaphors right!

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. Eat the apple

Fuck the corps...;-)

[Cocoa]

it's not the branch of service

it's the war.

[gordianot]

17. Correct, and in this war we are the invader not the liberator.

[rfranklin]

7. I don't think you can blame the troops...

They are trained to attack and kill. You put them into war, that is what they do. They are under the most stressful conditions imaginable--never knowing exactly who is trying to kill them. Many times innocent people get killed. It is what happens in war. You cannot expect to start a war and not have such incidents happen. And it is rare that there are prosecutions such as we saw over MyLai during the Vietnam era.

[Trajan]

10. I disagree .... generally ....

The Marine Corp is a hybrid force which can, at the right moments, fulfill a role which no other force can ...

Having said that: ALL US Military forces MUST MUST MUST MUST be utilized in the MOST moral and appropriate manner ..... AT ALL TIMES ....

Even as a Pacifistic Liberal: I recognize the pragmatic need for a DEFENSIVE army ... by all means ...

But even (some) conservatives have recognized that something is WRONG with how this administration uses the nation's military resources ..... Many Generals and middle officers have objected, and been marginalized or 'retired' out of the service ....

Having an Army is smart, for not having an army is a ridiculous notion: ... But THEY MUST BE MORAL ..... Both tactically and strategically ...

[liberaltrucker]

12. I disagree, but welcome to DU anyway

:hi:

The Corps has been a vital part of our defense since the
Revolution. The Marines take care of their own, and they
take of their criminals upon conviction. UCMJ is quite
different from civilian law.

[movonne]

14. It looks like they really did it..I don't think there is doubt about it,

they have eye witnesses and pictures...one the children was still alive and described it as to what happen...

[Daphne08]

16. That's a bit drastic, don't you think?

[libhill]

23. The Corps should not be abolished

but, the Officers, NCO's, and grunts who ordered / allowed / perpetrated this incident should be fucking cashiered and imprisoned for the rest of their fucking lives.

[Junkdrawer]

6. He's been asking for justice for a year....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1316819&mesg_id=1316819

[alfredo]

8. this is a very serious

breakdown of discipline. It may not be because of the immediate chain of command, it could be because the Marines and soldiers are caught in a never ending cycle of violence. Many are probably not fighting for Iraqi democracy or any other high minded ideals, they're just fighting to stay alive.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

11. I think he took Blitzer by surprise

The man's a diplomat, and his polish and smoothness (and smarts) showed as he led Blitzer along and got him to ask the right question, but I suspect Wolfie never expected the answers the Iraqi ambassadors gave him.

That guy was slick. Really slick.

Our kids over there - Marines, Army, whatever - are out of their minds with fatigue and fear. The war on terror was never meant to be a ground war, and there are going to be more and more of these murderous episodes coming to light, I suspect. There's no control, and no oversight. They're tired, they're not trained for this kind of crap - "looking for insurgents" - and they need to be brought home before they do more harm to anyone, themselves included.

[spindrifter]

13. PTSD,PTSD, PTSD

This is what is going on with too many of the soldiers over there. Don't think it is just our people. The Iraqis are living in an environment that has caused four years of hypervigilence and unspeakable atrocities happening before their eyes. Think of the children. Think what it means to them to see friends or relatives blown up in unspeakable ways. It's PTSD, baby.

[Mnemosyne]

15. And nothing less in most cases

I would believe.

I deal with someone with moderate to severe PTSD daily. I would be terrified to see how she would respond to a situation as in Iraq.

It's a perfect assessment you have given spindrifter.

How terribly sad and frightening.

[spindrifter]

19. Yes, I have worked with several types of

PTSD sufferers. Some are people who were V.N. veterans. Others were victims of spouse or child abuse. I am aware that some of the soldiers returning now are not getting appropriate treatment, and their families are terrified. And this is only the early days.

[Mnemosyne]

27. I include the Iraqi people as completely living with PTSD.

Who is ever going to help them?

And this gov just keeps cutting the veterans.

I remain sick to my stomach over it all.

[babylonsister]

20. You opened my eyes, spindrifter.

Please forgive me, but I never considered Iraqis and PTSD, though they've been through so much. I'm ashamed it never occurred to me, so thanks.
Jeeze, how could anyone think this is going to have a positive outcome? :(

[alcibiades_mystery]

22. Every time an insurgent blows himself up, killing dozens of innocent peopl

I want them given the same treatment on these boards. To wit: kid gloves. Must be PTSD, poor babies. Couldn't be that maybe a few of these guys are just plain old kill-crazy douchebags, right? No, only the terrorists are kill-crazy douchebags. When Our Troops do it, we have a million and one diagnoses for the gentle little troops, the real victims of Haditha, Our Marines.

Puh-fucking-leez.

[earthside]

18. BBC Report

Here is the BBC report on this story from last year.

Iraq Envoy Accuses US of Murder - BBC - July 2, 2005

I put a list of war crimes committed by U.S. troops on my web site earlier today: Earthside.com

The greatest blame goes on the one 'man' who lied to the American people and the world to start this unprovoked war.

HE ... needs to be in the docket and tried for his crimes.

[Terre]

25. And an AP report on MSNBC

August 21, 2005
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6448213/did/9032599

IIRC MSNBC also did an interview back then with one of the relatives.

It never ceases to amaze me how these reports are swept under the rug, hoping they'll go away, only to re-surface again as though it's new news.

Let's hope it sticks this time.

[LibertyorDeath]

24. God Bless America !

:sarcasm:
:sarcasm:
:sarcasm:
:sarcasm:
:sarcasm:
:sarcasm:

[Disturbed]

28. "I don't think you can blame the troops." Bullshit!

Those troops forced the victims to kneel then executed them in a methodical fashion. Those troops murdered people. Their commanders also share responsibilty.

[LibertyorDeath]

29. Anyone connected to it in any way should be arrested

and tried for War Crimes irrespective of rank or position.

[libhill]

30. I agree, but watch

they'll find a scapegoat, ala Pvt. English or Lt. Calley, and place all the blame on him / her - Heads should have rolled over Abu Ghraib, but all they did was toss the public some low level perps....