Murtha - Marines killed Iraqis ‘in cold blood’

"WASHINGTON - A Pentagon probe into the death of Iraqi civilians last November in the Iraqi city of Haditha will show that U.S. Marines "killed innocent civilians in cold blood," a U.S. lawmaker said Wednesday. From the beginning, Iraqis in the town of Haditha said U.S. Marines deliberately killed 15 unarmed Iraqi civilians, including seven women and three children. Full story here Here's how Time broke the story back in March: One Morning in Haditha U.S. Marines killed 15 Iraqi civilians in their homes last November. Was it self-defense, an accident or cold-blooded revenge? A TIME exclusive I wrote about this here: Children of Abraham - Death in the Desert A few things need to be said about this disgusting disgraceful barbaric episode: This crime was committed by a group of men completely and totally out of control - they literally went berserk. It proves yet again as though proof were needed that American troops are exactly same as anyone else and given the right circumstances they'll behave as barbarically as everyone else. I am not even slightly surprised by this. I wasn't even slightly surprised at the time and I'm unsurprised now. Disgusted outraged infuriated yes I'm all those things what I amn't is even slightly surprised. This filth is done by soldiers in all wars. It is particularly common in colonial wars and it is particularly common in civil wars. The war being waged by America in Iraq is both. The only difference between this particular act of barbarity and all the other acts of barbarity is that this group of men instead of sub-contracting the murder and mayhem to a mercenary firm or to one of their local hired killers decided spontaneously to do the job themselves. That's the only difference. NO not quite the only difference: As to this from Rep. Murtha: "There was no firefight. There was no IED (improvised explosive device) that killed those innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them. And they killed innocent civilians in cold blood. That is what the report is going to tell." [Emphasis mine - markfromireland] Murtha and everyone else who peddles this line are at best being somewhat naive. This was not an "overreaction" this was the inevitable result of bad training, being on the losing side, and of having been indoctrinated for years that the people who live in the country in which you are fighting, man, woman, and child, are subhumans without honour, dignity, or rights. It is the inevtable result of being taught for years that you are the "good guy" and that you are entitled to behave as you will because you're the "good guy." The other difference between this and the other numerous warcrimes being committed in Iraq on all sides is that this pack of murderers got caught. There is one last thing to be said - the blood of the people murdered in Haditha is on those mens hands. But they have American blood on their hands too. Their wantonly savage behaviour has served only to deepen the hatred and the contempt in which the people in whose country American soldiers routinely commit crimes regard all American soldiers. By serving as recruiting sergeants for those fighting against them those men have directly contributed to the deaths of the Amercian and allied armed forces personnel killed in Iraq since the massacre at Haditha. markfromireland