Family says Marines planted gun on Iraqi

[PaulaFarrell]

HAMANDIYA, Iraq – Before people talked about how Hashim Ibrahim Awad was killed, his friends shared tales about how the Americans wanted him to be an informant.

U.S. Marines had approached him several times, Mr. Awad's friends say he told them, asking him to help them find who was planting explosives in this small village outside Baghdad. Every time, Mr. Awad, in his 50s with a lame leg and bad eyesight, refused. His family considered the job shameful.

In an interview Friday with Knight Ridder, Mr. Awad's family members gave their version of what happened to him in the early morning hours of April 26. They said U.S. Marines dragged Mr. Awad from his home, killed him and then planted an AK-47 assault rifle and a shovel next to him to make him look like a terrorist.

The family members said American investigators have since harassed them, questioning their allegations in hours-long sessions that begin in the dead of night and last past dawn...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/060306dnint1airaq.33134c3.html

[pooja]

1. How many incidents does it take to ask the question

about training for the marines in Iraq. There are too many of these stories to think this is are isolated events carried on by some rogue marines.

[cantstandbush]

2. It will take the Iraqi people to organize, unify, and fight back.

But since they didn't do against Saddam it isn't likely they will do it against the new dictator, Bush.

[rasputin1952]

3. I would aspect the family to say something to that effect...all I want is

for the truth to come out.

This is a guerrilla war, and there is very little training in the military for such encounters. Sadly, these incidents are likely to increase as opposed to decrease. When an individual is perceived as an enemy, logic and training should take over, but in a guerrilla war, all of that gets put on the back burner.

This will have implications far down the road, as the spin from both sides increases...:(

[jollyreaper2112]

4. first hand account

Last xmas I was visiting at my godparents' house. One of the guests was the boyfriend of a family friend, fresh back from Iraq. He spent time talking military stuff with my dad, a Marine who did time in Vietnam. To repeat the comments made, no speculation about whether it was posturing or so on, just straight what he said:

1. He had tons of personal pictures of life over there, including the dead bodies. When two idiot insurgent sappers screwed up their IED and blew themselves up, he was with the rapid reaction force and got plenty of pictures of the pieces.

2. He mentioned that they deliberately carried AK's in their hummers as throwdown weapons. This is unofficial SOP. Because insurgents use civvies as camoflauge, soldiers are unwilling to give the benefit of the doubt. Shoot first, ask quesitons later. Nobody is going to be left holding the (body) bag -- anyone asks, the guy had the AK and it was a clean kill.

3. There's still kool-aid drinking rationalization for the war, unquestioning acceptance of the official explanations. Two reasons for this, I think: 1) psychologically it's easier to be in a situation if you think the cause is worthy and your leaders are trustworthy 2) it's not a situation or environment that encourages reflection and deep thinking. Saddam was a bad man, terrorists knocked down the towers, what's there to ask about? Let's do it, hoohah! The military is not a democracy. At the basic level, you obey the order and don't sit around asking questions. Debating an issue in a combat situation will get you killed. So the idea of accepting what the sgt and lt says goes up the line. You don't question the sgt, you don't question the president.