So there is a big brouhaha over the fact that four US Marines "desecrated" the bodies of some enemies they had killed in Afghanistan. People are up in arms over this.
I just hope the people up in arms over the four Marines (who deserve punishment for what they did, if they did it) are just as up in arms over this incident, where the Taliban killed someone at prayer in a Mosque. Sure, the person, Mukarram Khan Atif, was a reporter for Voice of America and had been warned about his line of work by the Taliban. But, the man was at prayer, in a Mosque. Is nothing sacred? Has the concept of sanctuary been lost altogether? Is a Mosque the only place the Taliban can murder its victims?
I will assert that just because the Taliban is locked into an 8th Century view of right and wrong is not a reason for our service members to act the same way. On the other hand, do we really want to negotiate with people whose sense of proportion is so limited and warped? These guys think it is OK to throw acid on little girls who go to school. Maybe 8th Century is too generous.
Regards — Cliff
2 comments:
Throw acid on the living innocent - peeing on the dead?
I know which is worse.
Marines know better. They are trained to know better. Unfortunately, training breaks down if discipline is not maintained, Sometime before this incident, the chain-of-command of these Marines brokedown in such a way that that created the wrong conditions to exist, allowing this to happen.
In war, humans are asked to do inhumans things. The lines get fuzzy. The use of the bullet and the bayonet is a grotesque art. Folks need to climb into that headspace before getting worked up about what our soldiers and marines are up to.
"War" turns into desecration and torture, e.g. Abu Ghraib, when discipline is lost.
Now, a few Marines will be punished to send a message to those that are confused where the lines are.
I agree with Jack's assessment. I would add however that I am disgusted by the disproportionate outrage on the part of American society and its ever willing media mouthpieces. Where was the outrage when Randy Shugart's mutilated body was dragged through Mog on live TV and hung like a piece of meat. And how about the televised killings of other Americans. Those incidents and many more just as horrifying never made it to page one below the fold....if they were mentioned at all by the PC press. There was a time when such atrocities would have ignited a national outrage that would have demanded immediate response to "put it right."
And sometimes....sometimes.....in battle....people see things that no human should have to see....and see it done to friends, family, etc. Discipline is designed to maintain a level of focus and civility...but sometimes the horrors are so bad...folks just snap. WWII is littered with examples of "retribution" against an enemy that was beyond pathologically sadistic in its treatment of American military. War is hell.....
Doesn't "excuse" the action...but I think America needs to understand it which just might moderate the "outrage" that is IMHO misplaced. The Marines should be given punishment under Art.15 of the UCMJ and sent back into service. I can't think that anything they might have done could be worse than killing another human who by someone's definition is classified as an enemy. BTW.....how does one know he or she has killed a Taliban? Do they have Taliban ID cards? Dead men don't tell any tales.
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