This is a very touchy subject and you did a tactful job dealing with it. I a struggling because I feel the Marines are getting the short end of the stick on the public perception. At the same time how can one step in, as you mention, and start tearing apart the children? Children that regardless of the Marines alleged incident, suffered unknown amounts terror from various hands (non-US).
I am going to do my best to tred lightly while commenting.
It seems a little odd to me that children would make a comment, directly followed up by the statements "she was only X old." That is something that journalists do. It was just so perfectly mentioned it makes me wonder if there was any editorial additions to their statements, or if they were coached.
Then remembering that the sister was shot 7 times. Ok, granted something like that would be hard to forget. But usually the counting of shots is something we are trained in the military in order to assess the probability of how much firepower remains in the enemies possession for various weapons. And not to be too graphic, but if there are flash-bangs going off and shots all over I think it would be hard for someone to count exact numbers… and if you receive 7 shots to the head it is not something you can go up and count holes afterwards, there would be nothing left. Unless she was shot with a .22 and last time I checked I don’t know of the military using that caliber.
One big question that I have not heard answered is if the father or brother had guns in the house. I don’t think people want to… well people in the US find it hard to believe that anyone would put their family and especially children in danger. Just because they are around their family does not mean that the males (and possibly females) did not at anytime brandish weapons. Or were not in fact insurgents or working with them.
Your concern over the medical treatment not being mentioned is a good one. I am sure it will be repeated at some point but the Discovery channel did a great documentary regarding Balad AFB. It is the main military hospital where all the major trauma goes to be treated, then transported from the country. They showed service members as well as Iraqis and insurgents receiving the same exact care as coalition forces. It was very well done and I suggest you keep an eye out for it. I believe it aired about a year, maybe 6 months ago.
What is very curious to me is that the Marines went about killing everyone, even going under the bed to find hiding children, yet they leave 2 kids alive? What did they run out of ammunition? These children contend that they (the Marines) murdered: men and women, old and young, in the open and hiding. Why were these two children left alive? It doesn’t add up.
And all should remember it is VERY likely that these children grew up under Saddam hating America, and if they were that part of the population I am sure that “education” continued during the war.
June 12th 2006 1400hrs
http://military.discovery.com/tv...d=0&
channel=MIL
Thanks for the link, and the very thoughtful comment, md.
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