Agree we need to make things black and white…but in my opinion, we are having this discussion because we are moving individual combat decisions into the world of LA-LA land. I agree with the question: IT boils down to whether he did or did not positively ID the subject, and positively ascertain said subject's intent, before firing? I strongly disagree with your opinion of “Period, dot.” The overriding political maneuver here is causing the “gray” area. Each time one of these issues goes to court martial we have Karzai screaming because we provide him with a political lever disguised as a call for the rule of law, despite the fact he is an extremely corrupt and ineffective leader. Why are we reinforcing that behavior at the expense of own soldiers?

Explain to me how the court martial of SFC Taylor helps the war both tactically and strategically? My opinion is that tactically it attacks the basic element of trust between soldiers and their leaders by putting political strategy ahead of the idea that self-defense is a right and a duty. Strategically, it buys the enemy more than it gives us. Afghanistan civilian casualties due to enemy activity have gone up every year since 2007; is that because we are not killing the enemy because we are overly afraid civilians may get killed? One definition of strategy is that it not only has to give us an advantage but also has to work against the enemy.
Question: Why is SFC Taylor being investigated for shooting a woman that exited a vehicle full of dead and wounded? Did someone behind a crew served weapon also think that vehicle was a threat to the unit and the wounded immediately after an ambush?