Is it really so unbelievable that the U.S. Military would target Innocents

[Sandpiper]

On the heels of Giuliana Sgrena suggesting that she was deliberately targeted by U.S. troops, our media has been in full outrage mode.


Scott McClellan poo-pooed the idea.

Lou Dobbs was full of righteous fury at the suggestion.

Most of the talking heads seemed full of indignation at the idea.


But my question is, is it really so unbelievable that the "brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces" would target innocents?

Do none of these people remember My Lai?




You know, that time when "the brave men" of Charlie Company sadistically slaughtered 504 women, children, and elderly.

[redirish28]

1. they'll target whoever they wish for any reason n/t

[FreedomAngel82]

3. I think it was Malloy

who talked about this on Rhandi's show and saying how they couldn't control her. We all know how they control the media here so surely bad press out there wouldn't be good. :\

[redirish28]

5. we are human beings the last time I checked. So...

we in this country "supposedly" have the right to freedom of speech. Now I do not know how they do things in Italy, but speaking your mind is not a death sentence. What the U.N. needs to do is charge this ass clown with illegal war crimes and lock him up for the rest of his life as an example to powder hungry republican fools who think they can do whatever they wish.

[ugarte]

2. Did they target her? No. Do they give a shit who they shoot?

No.

[pamela]

4. My Lai Anniversary coming up.

Next week, 3/16, will be the 37th anniversary of the My Lai massacre.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. It's unfair to compare My Lai to...

what's going on in the present conflict. Much has changed since then.

In Viet Nam, villages were "ours" or "theirs, and body counts were considered a measure of success.

But, what we're going through now, and this DID happen in Viet Nam, is a situation where the country is NOT pacified, and there are no "front lines." The whole country is essentially a free-fire zone, even though they won't dare call it that.

All of the combat units are on edge, and have permission to fire if they feel threatened. They do feel threatened, and there are far too many stories of civilans blown away simply because they didn't understand instructions in English.

One of the worst things I saw was a clip when Koppel interviewed Chris Hedges about Iraq. The clip showed a Marine squad just hanging out when one of them heard a noise in an alley nearby. He made it over to the alley and lobbed a grenade in there. Next thing you hear is a scream-- the kind of scream someone will make when a grenade goes off between his legs. The Marine just calmly walked back to the squad, without ever looking into the alley to see who he just killed.

This is the way it is now-- not quite the killing fields, but killing is acceptable, perhaps the norm. Shoot first, ask questions later.

Perhaps we should bring back body counts. The numbers would be staggering.

[EC]

7. I could have even been Rummy's

hired soldiers doing all the misdeeds, including shooting at Italian Reporter....

[LynnTheDem]

8. WAY too many libs also have the fatal flaw of black-white think.

NOT ALL SOLDIERS are angels.

NOT ALL SOLDIERS are devils.

There have ALWAYS been criminal elements in the military; thieves, drunks, pushers, wife-beaters, rapists, murderers. Because just as with ANY LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE some are nasty MFers, most are your average garden-variety persons, and a special few are the most wonderful saints born.

The criminal elements mostly remain criminal elements when sent to a warzone. They commit crimes here...they commit crimes there. Some are worse in a warzone, as they're not as likely to get caught for their crimes.

And some of the garden-variety average persons become criminals; they may have become such here in time. For some, it's just as it is here; getting in with the wrong crowd. For some it's overwhelming and blind rage with a heavy dose of fear.

None of which excuses CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR by ANY soldier.

Soldiers who commit crimes, be it here at home or there in Iraq, SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. PERIOD.

But NOT ALL soldiers, not even most, are over there committing crimes.

They are NOT ALL ANGELS; hold responsible those who commit crimes.

They are NOT ALL DEVILS; hold responsible ONLY those who commit crimes.

Blaming ALL soldiers for individual soldiers' actions is just as ignorant and wrong as saying all of ANY group is this or that.

[w4rma]

9. They'll do whatever they are told to do and will do almost

anything to get back home alive. Our soldiers are being used improperly.

[Dunedain]

10. No it's not

I think Mi Lai is an anomaly in comparison to the actions taken against Giuliana Sgrena.

Mi Lai is more like my old neighbor who lived up the street.
He broke out of a hospital prison ward, came home and killed his family.
Mom, dad, sister and the dog.
He field dressed the dog, stuffed the dead sister inside and lit the whole thing on fire.

Giuliana Sgrena's situation is ironic happenstance.

[KG]

11. the US military has never scrupled to target innocent civilians

TV stations, water treatment plants, or just generally crowded urban areas, if you're a civilian near something the military wants to bomb, you're SOL. the military in iraq has also shown a tendency to shoot at anything that moves when they feel threatened.

[WillowTree]

12. And yet...

....DUers seem to take such delight in flaming those who are in the military themselves or those who have loved ones in the military who take offense at the things that are said around here.

Amazing.

[Swamp Rat]

13. And yet right wing nutjobs and psycho freepers come here to DU and POST

OUTRAGEOUS BULL SHIT about U.S. troops just to make us look bad. Then they go back to their nest of little Neo-Nazis and post the link: "SEE! Dem commy traytur LIEbruls iz tawkin' bad 'bout Murkin troops! Lets tayke away there cityzenship an hang em all!"

KILL KILL KILL! That's what you get from these unAmerican fascists. The treachery by other "Americans" against their own is Amazing!

AMAZING! :grr:

[baldguy]

14. Just a couple weeks ago, wasn't another American newsguy

saying the same thing? It's no secret that the US military targets journalists.