I guess it's official

[frisco-kid]

with what the young Marine did. Too bad it had to take place in a mosque, for PR reasons, but....oh well. Anybody that believes that these assholes wouldn't hesitate to kill a whole Christian church full of people is too stupid to live. These guys have been running operations out of these mosques since day one; they've been using them as hiding places knowing that we couldn't bomb them. So, why shouldn't this Marine believe that it's just as much a dangerous, hostile place as anywhere else that he's had to enter in the last week? Like Brice says, could be one, or more, of several legitimate reasons why the Marine smoked this guy. Did he make a sudden move? Did the Marine see something in the guy's eyes or face? Could he see both of his hands? Pretty tense walking into a room full of guy's that were trying to kill you a short time ago, wounded or not.

During my time with the 101st ['66/'67] it was pretty much SOP to put a couple of rounds into a "dead" guy if you couldn't see both of his hands. If he was playing dead......shame on him. If he was obviously wounded and looked like he might make it, we would often patch him up a little bit and turn him over as a prisoner.....if we wanted to take the time. Many, many times it was "xin loi." Never heard about any repercussions from it. But, all of us have to live with the decisions we make. Personally, I never lost any sleep over it.

[Robert Ryan]

Here we go again the media trying this Marine with the media, allready human rights groups are saying it was murder. I really don't know how they can say that since they weren't even there when it happened. The film doesn't actually show him killing the bad guy. But the media has already rushed to judgement.

[Packo]

I'm getting a little sick of all this "Geneva Convention" bull shit. Let's get something straight right now....the GC does NOT cover terrorist or people NOT in uniform or proper uniform. In WWII when they caught those Nazi's in US MP gear during the Battle of the Bulge, there was no courts martial, no prison, they were lined up and executed. When POW's escaped and were found in civilian clothing, many were executed. These terrorists are fighting for no particular country, wearing no uniforms, and NOT PLAYING BY THE RULES OF WAR. Killing them is fair game.

Packman

[SEATJERKER]

...served,...

...time, and time again, from now on,...

...

[Boats]

What's to say he went in and thought they were all dead and suddenly someone made a quick movement - he may have thought the guy was playing possum and he could've had a weapon or bomb under him that he could've tossed out.

In the heat of the moment its difficult to say what would happen.
Especially after being wounded earlier - it may have been too soon to send him back into the action?

Close combat and constant sniping will do wonders for your nerves and your reflex's. Your mind goes a little blank and your survival mode is working. Sugar is shooting through your whole body and your brain doesn't think rationally. I'm sure this soldier under normal circumstances would not have been able to do what he's been accused of.

[PHO127]

NO QUARTER ASKED, NO QUARTER GIVEN, EXCEPT AT THE INDIVIDUAL COMBATANTS OPTION.

Shoot the fu ing photographer, then prosecut all news media that carried the story for giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

You don't see the tape of the British CARE worker being shot all over the news do you??

KILL THEM ALL AND LET GOD SORT THEM OUT.

[DMZ-LT]

Quit beating around the bush and tell us how you really feel !

[Robert Ryan]

Wasn't there, so I can't pass judgement. Read another post about a Marine who wrote a letter, telling what had led up to the shooting, man if what he wrote is true, and I was that marine, there would be another dead insurgent.