Are you going to imprison WWII vets? Tell the pilots of the Anola Gay that they should've been thrown in prison? As I'm sure you know, this is a time when civilians and fighters look identical, and fighters will initiate contact in the midst of civilians in an effort to protect themselves, and initiate this type of incident. The investigation? It wasn't conducted immediately. No police went out and taped off the area to preserve evidence. The entire crime scene was tainted beyond all recognition and there's no way to find these men guilty beyond ALL reasonable doubt. The investigation itself was a joint effort with the Iraqi Government. The same government that at the time was expecting payoffs from all security contracting companies, and which BW wouldn't do because it's illegal. Am I saying these guys were in the right? No...I wasn't there. I don't get to pass judgement on a split decision in a combat zone, and in my opinion, neither does anyone else. They were following the guidelines that the State Department set. RSO's create the policies in country, not the security company. As for the weapons charges? Are you kidding me? They were State Department issued! This case was politics, pure and simple. Lastly...AK shells were photographed at the scene by the US Army after they were called to respond.How are the charges BS?
They killed 17 and wounded many more civilians, including women. Were any armed? Doesn't appear so.
Were any armed people standing behind those women?How are the charges BS?
They killed 17 and wounded many more civilians, including women. Were any armed? Doesn't appear so.
...I don't get to pass judgement on a split decision in a combat zone, and in my opinion, neither does anyone else...
Are you going to imprison WWII vets? Tell the pilots of the Anola Gay that they should've been thrown in prison? As I'm sure you know, this is a time when civilians and fighters look identical, and fighters will initiate contact in the midst of civilians in an effort to protect themselves, and initiate this type of incident. The investigation? It wasn't conducted immediately. No police went out and taped off the area to preserve evidence. The entire crime scene was tainted beyond all recognition and there's no way to find these men guilty beyond ALL reasonable doubt. The investigation itself was a joint effort with the Iraqi Government. The same government that at the time was expecting payoffs from all security contracting companies, and which BW wouldn't do because it's illegal. Am I saying these guys were in the right? No...I wasn't there. I don't get to pass judgement on a split decision in a combat zone, and in my opinion, neither does anyone else. They were following the guidelines that the State Department set. RSO's create the policies in country, not the security company. As for the weapons charges? Are you kidding me? They were State Department issued! This case was politics, pure and simple. Lastly...AK shells were photographed at the scene by the US Army after they were called to respond.
How are the charges BS?
They killed 17 and wounded many more civilians, including women. Were any armed? Doesn't appear so.
There's no justification to spray fire on civilians. We're Americans and not AQI or Talibs but professional military.
This isn't the military who is in question, however, the argument still applies.
The military is made for killing people and breaking things- and sometimes that happens...
I don't know the hard statistics, but from reading, listening, etc.- it's amazing how from WWII to present how much less collateral damage there has been as we've progressed with military technology, yet now the backlash is immense.*whole post*
<snip> - In Afghanistan and Iraq, one civilian casualty can shut down a unit for weeks and get people brought up on serious charges.
A general observation and opinion: Any decision/action you take as a deployed soldier/contractor in a battle area is liable to be judged by civilian ethics and legal standards, or influenced by politics and predjudice, with little understanding or sympathy toward the lethal environment you've had to adapt to and in which you operate. It's much tougher to be a 21st century soldier/contractor under the intense level of scrutiny, social media, political correctness, and a judgemental and sometimes hysterical international media...and much easier to find yourself fired, discharged, your career killed or facing bullshit charges for split-second decisions taken in the heat of contact. It's only going to get worse.
One of the guidelines for writing the ROE for the US MIL is that it is only supposed to take into account what the SM has knowledge of at the moment he takes action.Those who have not been there will NEVER be able to understand or even begin to appreciate the momentary decision making process of the environment.
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-B&S