Dealing with Haditha

[SWJED]

31 May Dallas Morning News commentary Ghosts of Haditha by Mark Davis.

...Anyone with a shred of human decency approaches this with the utmost gravity. Those of us who support the troops and the war they are fighting have a special responsibility not to sugarcoat, minimize or marginalize any wrongdoing by those troops.

But, conversely, those who are exercising their right to speak ill of the war and the Americans fighting it have a responsibility not to allow their anti-war venom to inflame their assessments of bad moments in the war's history.

That track record is forever blemished by the absurd overreaction to Abu Ghraib, a prison scandal that was bad enough if treated objectively. The wheels of justice turned, and prices are being paid for humiliating detainees outside the protocols of interrogation.

But the day Sen. Ted Kennedy equated American misdeeds at that prison with the unspeakable torture that had happened there under Saddam, the reputation of war criticism was deservedly damaged beyond easy repair.

And now we have Mr. Murtha, barely able to contain the spring in his step as he basks in the grisly particulars.

"This is the kind of war you have to win the hearts and minds of the people," he said this weekend. "And we're set back every time something like this happens."

He should know a thing or two about setbacks, having inflicted so many with his own derisive tongue...

[Bill Moore]

This is a sensitive subject, and I really didn't want to touch it, but feel a need to put this in perspective. We're all embarassed by what may have happened, and if criminal acts did happen, then the criminals will be prosecuted. That is what separates us from the terrorists. The terrorists would reward an act like this, while we're appalled by it. Does it reflect poorly on our proud Marine Corp? Only if you let it. It actually reflects poorly on only those who may have conducted these acts. Both the Army and Marines have high standards and principles, but throughout our history there have been many "individuals" who not measured up to them. That does not make this a systemic problem, but a human one, we don't have perfect human organizations.

While certain comments coming from Congress may not helpful, it would be a mistake to assume those comments are coming from the uninformed. Our Congressional leaders are privy to classified reports as the investigation continues, and there may be a method to the madness of slapping ourselves in public before the potentially bad news is released.

Again while we don't think certain comments from some of our leaders are helpful, though we could be wrong, we are equally wrong to presume nothing happened and to wish the problem away. Most of us are, or have been in the military, so let's focus on letting this issue evolve naturally as the investigation continues and not fan the flames.

I would appreciate it if anyone could shed some light on this event is playing out in the Arab Street, or even in Europe. I haven't seen much from the foreign press, and I wonder if the rest of the world accepts the fact that every Armed Force has bad individuals, and in war terrible things happen? The terrorists do worse to their own people everyday so there is a possibility, perhaps remote, that most of the folks are keeping this in perspective?

[Jedburgh]

I would appreciate it if anyone could shed some light on this event is playing out in the Arab Street, or even in Europe. I haven't seen much from the foreign press, and I wonder if the rest of the world accepts the fact that every Armed Force has bad individuals, and in war terrible things happen? The terrorists do worse to their own people everyday so there is a possibility, perhaps remote, that most of the folks are keeping this in perspective?

Current Poll on Al-Jazeera:

Will the US military investigation into the killings of Iraqi civilians in Haditha reveal the truth?

Yes: 33%

No: 57%

Unsure: 10%

Number polled: 5,203

Now that was on the English version of their site. On the Arabic site, this was the poll:

Will the Haditha scandal change American policy in Iraq?

Yes: 13.3%

No: 86.7%

Number polled: 16,605

Most Arab news outlets are reprinting over and over the condemnations of the incident and other statements of the Iraq PM, Al-Maliki, such as that his patience was wearing thin with excuses that US troops kill civilians "by mistake." Congressman Murtha's accusations of a massacre and cover-up have also been repeated, with emphasis.

I really haven't had the time to scan op-ed pieces for more detailed opinion...

[SWJED]

2 June Washington Times commentary - Haditha Haste by Michelle Malkin.

...I do not know the truth about Haditha. Neither do Mr. Murtha and the media outlets calling the alleged massacre a massacre before all the facts are in. It would be helpful if they could handle these grave charges without serving as al Jazeera satellite offices.

Sen. John Warner, Virginia Republican, who, like Mr. Murtha, served in the Marines, struck the right tone over the weekend -- refusing, unlike Mr. Murtha, to render a verdict against the Marines before trial and avoiding Bush Derangement Syndrome, but also taking the allegations very seriously.

I do know this. Children are dead. Other children have been orphaned. There are pictures of bullet holes and bloodied homes. There are evolving stories about what happened last Nov. 19 and serious allegations of a possible cover-up.

I also know Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, the Marine killed by a roadside IED (improvised explosive device) that day, followed a proud family tradition of military service. He had received a commendation for bravery on his first tour of duty in Iraq in 2004. One of his fellow Marines said Terrazas' body was split in two by the bomb explosion that rocked his Hummer while on patrol that morning.

And there's this: Haditha is crawling with terrorists. The Associated Press points out that "in just three days last August, six Marine snipers were killed in Haditha and 14 Marines died in nearby Parwana in the deadliest roadside bombing of the war." Most-wanted al Qaeda leader Abu Musab Zarqawi is said to have lived in Haditha. The Washington Post quoted a military lawyer noting Nov. 19 was the Marine 3rd Battalion's "hottest day" in Iraq.

"In addition to drone surveillance that day, AV-8 Harriers were dropping bombs, helicopters were evacuating wounded, and a large firefight occurred about one-third of a mile from the site of the civilian shootings, said several people familiar with the investigation," the paper reported. Audio of radio traffic reportedly contradicts Mr. Murtha's claim the Marines did not come under small-arms fire after the roadside explosion, a military source told The Post.

We know this, too: Naval Criminal Investigative Service officials have not turned their backs. Time magazine, which initially broke the story of survivors' accounts that prompted the military probe, reports Haditha residents -- yet to be visited by any of Iraq's own officials -- "were gratified by [the investigation's] thoroughness" and "were especially impressed by the NCIS investigators" conducting three separate enquiries.

Finally, this is incontrovertible: There are countless antiwar zealots on the American left rooting for failure. They believe the worst about the troops. They've blindly embraced frauds who have lied about their military service and lied about wartime atrocities. They've allied with socialist kooks and coddled murderous dictators. They look for any excuse to pull out, abandon military operations and reconstruction, and impeach the president...

[SWJED]

2 June Wall Street Journal commentary - Haditha by Daniel Henninger.

...Haditha is indeed the new Abu Ghraib. What this most importantly means is that any U.S. military action overseas now, no matter its level of justification, can be taken down by the significance assigned to events by the modern machinery of publicity. This explains why the U.S. commanders in Iraq announced yesterday that all soldiers in the next 30 days would take what the headlines are calling "ethics training." Of the some 150,000 U.S.-led troops there, Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the U.S. combat commander in Iraq, said "99.9% of them perform their jobs magnificently." Yes, and 99.9% of them, after all they've been through, will deeply resent the clear inference they lack "core values." Is that different than standard "Corps values"?

Stories of apparently malfeasant U.S. troop behavior are arriving daily now. A military truck whose brakes failed from overheating crashed and killed Afghan civilians. Press reports are now fly-specking whether the troops shot over or at the rock-throwing mob of more than 300 that surrounded them. Every one of these troops surely knows the story of Mogadishu. Been there, never again. But there will be investigations of their behavior.

Finally came the even more lurid pregnant-woman shooting. As transmitted around the world by the BBC: "A pregnant Iraqi woman in labor and her cousin were shot dead by U.S. forces as they rushed to a hospital along a closed road, police and relatives say." The BBC's next four sentences neatly sum up the common story line now in play around U.S. troops: The soldiers said the car failed to heed a stop warning in a prohibited area; the driver said he heard no warning; U.S. troops will be "trained in moral and ethical conduct" and this "comes in the wake" of the Haditha allegations...

And there begins the Iraq Syndrome.

Some elements of the newly ascendant Democratic left may welcome it, but no serious person in American politics should.

The Vietnam Syndrome, a loss of confidence in the efficacy of American military engagement, was mainly a failure of U.S. elites. But it's different this time. This presidency has been steadfast in war. No matter. In a piece this week on the White House's efforts to rally the nation to the idea of defeating terrorism abroad to thwart another attack on the U.S., the AP's Nedra Pickler wrote: "But that hasn't kept the violence and unrest out of the headlines every day." This time the despondency looks to be penetrating the general population. And the issue isn't just body counts; it's more than that.

The missions in Iraq and Afghanistan grew from the moral outrage of September 11. U.S. troops, the best this country has yet produced, went overseas to defend us against repeating that day. Now it isn't just that the war on terror has proven hard; the men and women fighting for us, the magnificent 99%, are being soiled in a repetitive, public way that is unbearable...

[SSG Rock]

Now it seems that stories of atrocities are coming out of the woodwork. Is there a systemic problem among our troops? Perhaps the frustration of being struck without being able to strike back? I am becoming increasingly concerned about the things I'm reading. I watched the program about Lima Company, a Marine Reserve Company with the dubious record of having had the highest number of KIA in OIF. I was alarmed that during interviews with some of the Marines, a number of them mentioned (admitted) that they grew very close to taking out their anger on Iraqi civilians. Thankfully, they did not, but it does seem to indicate to me that there are Americans over there, armed to the teeth, under alot of stress, who might give in to the temptation.

I also heard, that the preliminary report on the Hadithah incident is being circulated at the Pentagon now, and it is going to be bad, very bad. Batton down the hatches, this will be Abu Graihb x 10.

[SWJED]

I also heard, that the preliminary report on the Hadithah incident is being circulated at the Pentagon now, and it is going to be bad, very bad. Batton down the hatches, this will be Abu Graihb x 10.

... and maybe me more than you as a retired Marine and now in my day job as a consultant to the Corps. The RUMINT covers all spectrums - AG X 10 all the way to much less than AG.

This is a difficult issue - one that needs to play out through official channels.

I debated long and hard on how to handle this on the SWC.

To completely ignore the issue and post away on Small Wars related news, concepts, tactics, etal - would be akin to living in denial and not do justice to those of us who are striving to do our damnest to support our warfighters and, of course, the warfighters.

Speculation only compounds the problem. Commenting on press reports does not as the words are "out there"...

My desire here is to have a healthy discussion on how we continue our efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere; while this cloud looms overhead. We should strive to contribute in our own small way to our boots on the ground guys and gals in their efforts to deliver a functional government and society to all the countries involved. If that is too much to ask for – then what are we doing there?

Someone, somewhere has to be the proponent of moving on and past whatever highs and lows we have in this “Long War”. And yes, we are in this for the long haul...

Tough job, but we have some smart people here on the SWC - much smarter than me…

[Merv Benson]

What ever happened in Haditha came as a result of a continuing war crime by the enemy in Iraq. When the enemy refuses to wear identifying uniforms and camoflages himself as a civilian in violation of the Geneva Convention he puts all civilians at risk. I am sure that one of the issues in any trial that may result from the investigation of events in Haditha will be at what point should the Marines involved have recognized that they were dealing with civilians and not the enemy camoflaged as civilians.

This cases should give the world an opportunity to focus on this continuing war crime by the enemy and the results that flows from it.

It should also be noted that the enemy in Iraq deliberately targets non combatants, not as a result of reacting to attacks, but as deliberate policy. This is also a war crime and is much worse than what is alleged to have happened at Haditha.

We should also remember that whatever happened there will likely be ajudicated in the military justices system. Does the enemy have a military justice system beyond head chopping?

My point is that while some may try to make polical points at the expense of the Marines who were operating in Haditha, those points lack perspective and validity. To use these Marines as props for their anti war agenda is despicable.

[Strickland]

I have read and re-read the numerous postings on this thread, and can honestly say that I am shocked. I am shocked that the majority of comments either read: 1) we should wait and see what the official investigation produces, but the reality is there would be no investigation if not for Rep. Murtha, 2) the Marines are getting bad press from an overly liberal and unsympathetic press corps, or 3) that the press doesnt hold insurgents or terrorists to the same moral standard as US forces.

After 7 months, I am confident that the USMC has a general idea if any criminal act took place, by whom, and when.

Second, I hope that no one truly believes that US forces and insurgents are congruent entities, and thus their actions to be viewed in a similar fashion. Obviously, we hold ourselves to a higher standard. I would compare this with the situation in New Orleans post-Katrina. While I was not shocked that criminal or fringe elements of society looted stores or acted in criminal ways, I was confident that the police would not join them. Evidence that this happened was big news, and spirit crushing.

Next, Haditha has been the site of several large offensive operations over the past two years, thus for anyone to argue that these killings were the result of mentally exhausted troops who were continually restrained by overly restrictive ROE in the face of insurgent activity is counter-factual.

Perception + Truth = Reality; thus, the perception right now is that we are hiding something, and regardless of whether that is true or not, it is the prevailing perception, and thus - reality.

[Merv Benson]

but the reality is there would be no investigation if not for Rep. Murtha,

The investigation was well underway before Murtha used information he got in a briefing from the Marine Corps to wrongly accuse Marines of "killing in cold blood." He had nothing to do with prompting any of the investigations.

I don't understand why anyone would object to the principle of innocent until proven guilty. If these Marines are charged, they deserve an opportunity to make their case.

[SSG Rock]

I have read and re-read the numerous postings on this thread, and can honestly say that I am shocked. I am shocked that the majority of comments either read: 1) we should wait and see what the official investigation produces, but the reality is there would be no investigation if not for Rep. Murtha, 2) the Marines are getting bad press from an overly liberal and unsympathetic press corps, or 3) that the press doesnt hold insurgents or terrorists to the same moral standard as US forces.

After 7 months, I am confident that the USMC has a general idea if any criminal act took place, by whom, and when.

Second, I hope that no one truly believes that US forces and insurgents are congruent entities, and thus their actions to be viewed in a similar fashion. Obviously, we hold ourselves to a higher standard. I would compare this with the situation in New Orleans post-Katrina. While I was not shocked that criminal or fringe elements of society looted stores or acted in criminal ways, I was confident that the police would not join them. Evidence that this happened was big news, and spirit crushing.

Next, Haditha has been the site of several large offensive operations over the past two years, thus for anyone to argue that these killings were the result of mentally exhausted troops who were continually restrained by overly restrictive ROE in the face of insurgent activity is counter-factual.

Perception + Truth = Reality; thus, the perception right now is that we are hiding something, and regardless of whether that is true or not, it is the prevailing perception, and thus - reality.

Murtha's reaction to the Hadithah incident is self serving and disgraceful! Murtha's grandstanding on a Sunday Talk Show was political and opportunistic. The investigation was spurred by Time Magazine, not Murtha. Murtha commented on a TV interview that the investigation (already underway) would reveal that Marines overreacted and killed civilians in "cold blood" he then went on to use the incident as yet another reason we should withdraw from Iraq.

I agree, whole heartedly that US Forces and the terrorists/insurgents are not congruent entities. And that we hold ourselves to a higher standard, unlike our enemy. I say that part of holding ourselves to a higher standard is waiting for the formal, official results of the investigation before we convict these Marines, before we admit that an atrocity occurred. Admittedly, it is looking grim but still, we must wait for the results, because Murtha could be wrong. If the investigation reveals that the Marines murdered non-combatants, then we prosecute them accordingly, that higher standard again.

Perception and truth equal reality? I disagree, truth and facts equal reality, perception is malleable, Murtha knows this and he is trying to take advantage of it to mold the public perception for political reasons, and I find it repugnant. Murtha is well enough connected that he could have expressed his concerns behind closed doors to high level Marine leaders and held his comments until after the investigation, but then he wouldn't be able to strike while the iron is hot, facts be damned. Bottem line, we need to know what happend.