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Marine cleared
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The Marine who was videotaped shooting the Iraqi who was lying on the ground allegedly playing dead a few months ago has been cleared and will not be charged.

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
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Re: Marine cleared [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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That's surprising.
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Re: Marine cleared [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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Have you seen any more recent, and more descriptive, articles on what happened?

Based on what I read about it I would have been surprised if he had been found guilty of anything.
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Re: Marine cleared [Tridiot] [ In reply to ]
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Did you see the video?

He just shot the guy out of nowhere. There was no movement at all, no threat. He just killed him.
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Re: Marine cleared [Tridiot] [ In reply to ]
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"Based on what I read about it I would have been surprised if he had been found guilty of anything."

Yeah, I wasn't really very surprised that he was cleared. The tactic used by lots of these guys was to feign death and then blow themselves up or shoot when soldiers got close, plus ROE generally give a pretty wide berth in allowing any person the inherent right to self defense if they feel threatened. Not a shocker at all.

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
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Re: Marine cleared [adamb] [ In reply to ]
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The soldier's friend had just been killed the day before by a bobby trapped body.

The guy was faking being dead. He moved his hand that was behind his head. The soldier fired. I don't blame him a bit.

Next time, don't fight without a uniform, in a civilian area, from inside a mosque, and things will work out better for everyone.
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Re: Marine cleared [adamb] [ In reply to ]
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I'm pretty sure the video showed at least some movement. And given some of the tactics (as slowguy and ajfranke mention) that the "insurgents" have used I don't think his actions were that horrific.

Could he have maybe shot him in the shoulder of the arm that he moved? Yes. Would that have assured that the "insurgent" in question still wouldn't have detonated a bomb/IED? No.

I have never heard if the "insurgent" had any explosives on him or not, but that is almost inmaterial as it is pure hindsight. Given the circumstances and the tactics of the enemy in that environment, that is why he was cleared of charges.


PS: There were other people in the room, had there been explosives on the "insurgent" the actions in question would have saved at least another life, if not more.
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Re: Marine cleared [adamb] [ In reply to ]
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When I was in the suck we would say "kill them and let God sort them out" It's not the USMC war but the old gray heads in Washington.It's all about money and power. That pvt ain't got either. He wants to get home alive.


Dirt
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Re: Marine cleared [adamb] [ In reply to ]
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Did you see the video?

He just shot the guy out of nowhere. There was no movement at all, no threat. He just killed him.


nice monday morning armchair quarterbacking there.... you haven't got a clue what the true situation was, what was going through that kid's mind, what had previously happened or not happened to him, or clearly see what the "victim" did or didn't do.

But You see a 1 minute clip and can clearly extrapolate and glean the real truth. that is a truly amazing gift you have

Here's a little Rules of engagement quiz for you.....

Situation: you are a M557 command post carrier track commander (big armored tracked vehicle and you are standing up in the hatch with your hands on the .50 cal machinegun, you have a 9mm sidearm strapped to you in a shoulder holster and a M16 laying across the hatch)

as your driver manuvers the track down a side street you ride by two teenage boys, one is carrying what looks like a grenade the other has an AK-47 slung in front of him. they initally wave and smile but then the one with the grenade makes like he going to pull the pin and the other's hand mores towards the buttstock of his AK.

You now have 2 seconds to decide who is going to live or die, how many of your buddies die, and whether your wife gets a folded flag and your kids get to grow up never knowing who dad really was. what do you do?

You might just want to get up out of that armchair and give thr trooper the benefit of the doubt.

regards,

Jim - currently hanging my hat at Camp Vance on Bagram Airfield in lovely Afghanistan.



p.s. the right answer to the quiz is squeeze the butterfly trigger of the .50 cal. because a) you were faced with a potential deadly threat and the .50 cal was the closest weapon with which to defend you crew and yourself. because M16 would have probably taken too long to grab, and you would have been dead 3 times before you would get 9mm out in time.
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Re: Marine cleared [rgr195] [ In reply to ]
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Jim, that sounds like the right answer to me. One teenager with an AK-47 can ruin your whole day.

Come home safely.
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