How do you feel about Col West's response regarding the issue of the Marine's who purportedly pissed on the dead Taliban?
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Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), a former Army lieutenant colonel, sends THE WEEKLY STANDARD an email commenting on the Marines' video, and has given us permission to publish it.
“I have sat back and assessed the incident with the video of our Marines urinating on Taliban corpses. I do not recall any self-righteous indignation when our Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon had their bodies dragged through Mogadishu. Neither do I recall media outrage and condemnation of our Blackwater security contractors being killed, their bodies burned, and hung from a bridge in Fallujah.
“All these over-emotional pundits and armchair quarterbacks need to chill. Does anyone remember the two Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division who were beheaded and gutted in Iraq?
“The Marines were wrong. Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize to God, Country, and Corps videotaped and conclude by singing the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter.
“As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.”
Top Opinion
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Disko Pickle 2012/01/19 06:02:09I believe his response was correct.
+9I agree with Col. West 100%. American soldiers should behave more like terrorists. It's exactly what the victims of 9/11 would want.
I am not advocating that we drag anyone through our streets... I merely advocate fighting any war that we deign to fight on the enemies terms....
I have not forgotten that war is hell....I spent two and a half years in Vietnam...most of that in the field and on the Cambodian border.... I know war.
Be Nice!!
“As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.”
eehh what did you expect with that intro! LOL...
WE can not fight the enemy on their terms, most terms of theirs are why we are war. I understand why they did what they did. Those soldiers should be pulled from war right now, before the monster in them grows. You were in vietnam and I know you know what I am saying. I thank you very, very much for your service. IT was that war when I learned to stop as many as I can.
Maybe some day we can swap stories. Mine is not of a soldier tho.
It would be interested to hear your side of it!! And Yes, I do know what you are talking about....
http://www.endtimestoday.com/...
I do not have to embrace those who wish to destroy my country, or stand back and watch it happen....
Its not going to happen that way...
I agree with Smitten Kitten to a very big degree... We should be better than this... We shouldn't stoop to their level...
I'm not saying the Marines involved were right and I'm not giving them excuses for their actions, but, they are human beings and prone to reaction like anyone else...
I can also relate to the other side of the coin and Col West's sentiments... He pretty much said that the Marines involved should be punished to a certain degree, but not "horse-whipped" as some people might like to see... No, not those words, but pretty much the intent...
In Vietnam the enemy, the VC and NVA were well known to desecrate the bodies of our dead....so some of our guys started collecting ears... By in large and on the whole...we didn't do much. We booby trapped some of their dead, but they did the same to us... War is hell....
Yes, everyone expects us all to "be better than anyone else"..... Why is that? In a war where our enemies viciously kill and maim our troops, slice the throats and behead American reporters and do the same to troops....we are supposed to keep the "stiff upper lip" and "do the right thing".
What that amounts to is "FAILURE" to win the war psychologically as well as physically..... We didn't pussyfoot with the Japanese after they set the standard real low...we went after them with a vengeance....they learned. The same with the Germans.
If we engaged the current enemy on the same terms that they engage us, this crap would end real fast.... Why? Because we can up the ante and we have the logistical...
In Vietnam the enemy, the VC and NVA were well known to desecrate the bodies of our dead....so some of our guys started collecting ears... By in large and on the whole...we didn't do much. We booby trapped some of their dead, but they did the same to us... War is hell....
Yes, everyone expects us all to "be better than anyone else"..... Why is that? In a war where our enemies viciously kill and maim our troops, slice the throats and behead American reporters and do the same to troops....we are supposed to keep the "stiff upper lip" and "do the right thing".
What that amounts to is "FAILURE" to win the war psychologically as well as physically..... We didn't pussyfoot with the Japanese after they set the standard real low...we went after them with a vengeance....they learned. The same with the Germans.
If we engaged the current enemy on the same terms that they engage us, this crap would end real fast.... Why? Because we can up the ante and we have the logistical ability to rain absolute freaking terror on them....which, if our "yo-ying, kia-kai" leaders ever dared to do...they would back off fast. But, oh nooooo, we have to be better, we have to play by all the nice rules, and we have to be better than they are.
What is it about WAR....that people do not understand? Its not a chess match or a checkers tournament!!
No, the notion of pissing on their dead doesn't give me jollies....to me its a waste of time, and since the video hasn't been validated....for all anyone knows it could be 4 Iranian douchebags dressed in BDU's....who speak good English pretending to pee on someone...maybe dead Iraqis...
What I do believe in...is if you are going to fight a war, you go in, kill the enemy, subdue the country, disarm it, and then you tell the population....you do it our way, or....else!
Before you feel sympathy for Afghans....maybe you should read about the bad stuff the Afghans did to the Roman's, the British, and everyone else..... They should actually think that getting pissed on is a bonus.... We're talking about people who kill their own sisters because they had the bad fortune to get raped.
We do, as Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Sailors...believe that we are representatives of our country...and generally we hold ourselves to a higher standard than others hold us to. It is a pride issue for us. And it is pounded into us to respect the Geneva Conventions...even if our enemy is not a signatory.
We have always prided ourselves as having not sunk to the level of our enemies....though the desire for extravagant vengeance might be at the forefront.
In every war we have fought, our enemies, in general...with the exception of the Japanese, were not afraid to surrender to us....because they knew that we did not mistreat prisoners. The Japanese had been so indoctrinated that they were convinced that we ate babies...and would rape and kill everything in our way....and that we were "subhuman"....and that from a race of people that committed the Rape of Nanking and many other crimes in war...but I digress...
I was not happy to see the video show up, but then I am still waiting for it to be validated as being factual. I'm not a conspiracy buff, but the simple fact is nowadays....with today's computer technology....its amazing what can be manufactured or photoshopped...and posted to the web....
Abu Ghraib....no excuse whatsoever....they were fool...
We do, as Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Sailors...believe that we are representatives of our country...and generally we hold ourselves to a higher standard than others hold us to. It is a pride issue for us. And it is pounded into us to respect the Geneva Conventions...even if our enemy is not a signatory.
We have always prided ourselves as having not sunk to the level of our enemies....though the desire for extravagant vengeance might be at the forefront.
In every war we have fought, our enemies, in general...with the exception of the Japanese, were not afraid to surrender to us....because they knew that we did not mistreat prisoners. The Japanese had been so indoctrinated that they were convinced that we ate babies...and would rape and kill everything in our way....and that we were "subhuman"....and that from a race of people that committed the Rape of Nanking and many other crimes in war...but I digress...
I was not happy to see the video show up, but then I am still waiting for it to be validated as being factual. I'm not a conspiracy buff, but the simple fact is nowadays....with today's computer technology....its amazing what can be manufactured or photoshopped...and posted to the web....
Abu Ghraib....no excuse whatsoever....they were fools for doing what they did, and doubly the fool for photographing it....disgusting.
I am not happy with our lost ideals.... I am deeply saddened by it. My generation was truly screwed up in many ways...but many of us, no most of us were true Americans in one way or another. We served, we protested, and we argued....but we were Americans. I too would like to see us regain the stature that we once held.... Don't misunderstand me, mine is not the "desire" to lower myself to my enemies standards, it is instead a willingness to demonstrate that I am willing to play the game by your rules....which they really do not want.... And the objective in that is to encourage them to understand....if you cross a line, I will meet you there, and one-up you.... But that does not mean it is the preferred venue.
Sorry for ......rambling....