Its not like we came here to shoot, kill, rape, pillage. We're here to help

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.fayettevillenc.com/article_ap?id=86336

An explosion on patrol: Marines under fire leave no man behind

<snip>"When you see things like that you ask yourself, why do they hate me so much?" said 2nd Lt. Brian Wilson, a 24-year-old platoon commander from Columbia, S.C. "If everybody in Ramadi was nice to us, we'd be nice to everybody. It's not like we're these warmongers that just want to come shoot, kill, rape, pillage not even. We just want to come here and help, do what we're asked to do, and go home to our families just like they do."

In their command center in Hurricane Point, Marines tracked insurgent activity by the minute, pinning colored tacks on a satellite map on the wall that marked suspected roadside bomb sites and suspected enemy snipers. Sometimes there was so much activity, they joked they were running out of tacks.

They knew the streets only by the names they'd given them: Ice Cream. Racetrack. Sunset. Broadway. Some roads were seeded with so many bombs they tried to avoid them.

They planned raids, patrols, ambushes. They wanted the insurgents to come out. They wanted to pick a fight.

[wtmusic]

1. It's not like they were invited there in the first place nt

[shadowknows69]

2. Let us help you

or we'll kill you. FREEDOM'S ON THE MARCH YEE HAW!!!

[PuraVidaDreamin]

7. Give us your hearts and minds or we'll splatter them across the walls!

That's my new saying

[TWiley]

3. Oddly ..................

Before these news stories broke, I was speaking with a Vietnam vet about the insurgency in Iraq. He said "They should do what we did in Vietnam" If we recieved sniper fire, we killed everything in sight. Water buffalo, dogs, women, children, old men, everybody. He claimed these actions actually deterred sniper activity ...... by raising the stakes to a level not worth taking.

I do not agree with his philosophy, but he was a Lt Calley supporter (Me Li massacre)

If true, then it seems possible that some marine units may actually subscribe to this practice.

[sweetheart]

4. Total war

You have 1 tool, the gun. All solutions must involve the tool.

[TWiley]

6. Now that is right to the point

And brilliantly correct. They are only taught to kill and destroy. They use the only training they recieve.

Great point

[I Have A Dream]

8. I would not want his karma. n/t

[Kerrytravelers]

5. It is a crime that tour military was sent there to being with.

My Vietnam veteran father says that every single day.

[acmavm]

9. Is that 24-year old that damn stupid? How can he feel that he's entitled

to any respect, courtesy, or understanding when he's got his young as firmly planted in someone else's yard, house, mosque, country?

I am finally sick of hearing the shit line :they're young, they're in a bad situation, they're not their by their choice, yak yak yak". Well 2nd Lt. Brian Wilson, a 24-year-old platoon commander from Columbia, S.C. apparently is too fucking stupid to understand he's blaming the WRONG PEOPLE. The 'people' who are to blame are safely in this country, never having served themselves, but determined to conquer and occupy another sovereign nation.

I no longer feel I have to give anyone this frigging arrogant and stupid and support.

[KoKo]

10. I worry they are told or believe that killing children means one less

"terrorist" who will be raised to fight for Islam. Given the propaganda and hate going on here in America towards anyone who doesn't believe that "War is Good" and "Killing will spread Peace" one wonders if the hatred that we Democrats have felt for years doesn't go to anyone who doesn't believe that "Bush's Freedom" is worth killing every last thing on Earth to achieve.

Who knows what these troops are told. One look at Rumsfeld and those he's hand picked to command who appear in the media makes me wonder what
ends they would go to just to "clean up Iraq" and make it look good to get another Repug elected and to avenge the reputations of the Neo-Cons and the Media who lied us into invading a country that did nothing to us.