Are War, war crimes and atrocity inseperable

[KevinTheOmnivore]

US soldiers killing innocent civilians in Iraq is not news. Just as it was not news that US soldiers slaughtered countless innocent civilians in Vietnam. However, when some rare reportage of this non news from Iraq does seep through the cracks of the corporate media, albeit briefly, the American public seems shocked. Private and public statements of denial and dismissal immediately start to fill the air. We hear, "American soldiers would never do such a thing," or "Who would make such a ridiculous claim?"

I think it is a small group that makes such a broad claim. I think most people acknowledge the fact that innocent people die when we go to war. I think the question is whether or not you believe American soldiers target innocent people. I think you certainly do have cases of it, but do I think it is intended policy? No.

It amazes me that so many people in the US today somehow seriously believe that American soldiers would never kill civilians. Despite the fact that they are in a no-win guerrilla war in Iraq which, like any other guerrilla war, always generates more civilian casualties than combatant casualties on either side.

And why might this be? Could it be at all possible that the lines between civilian and soldier are often blurred in guerilla warfare? Could it be that this blur is the very intention of those we're fighting?

Saddam Hussein empitied his palaces and encouraged Iraqis to have sleepover parties in them prior to our invasion of the country. I'm always surprised by the seemingly obtuse perspective Anti-war Lefties have on this. Civilian life only becomes important when they are unfortunately dying at our hands. The fact that Hussein's regime encouraged and hoped for this gets little attention.

The slaughter was followed by an instant and predictable disinformation blitz by the US military. The second ranking US commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, told reporters "someone went in and made the scene look different from what it was."

I have absolutely NO way to know the veracity of this statement. And ya know what? Neither does the douche bag who wrote this article.

Is it such an unrealistic assumption, that perhaps our enemies in Iraq want us to be viewed as the imperialistic tyrant, thus bringing on international heat and distraction?


I'm sorry, I could only skim the remainder of the article. The gist I got ws that American soldiers are mentally ill, that everyone else is inately good and honest except for of course American soldiers, and Americans are stupid and in denial.

I think I've read this article 20+ times before.

Max, I do belive that some of this may be true. I'm guessing all of it might have a degree of truthiness to it. I think tired, frustrated, heat scorched, and often hated soldiers, perhaps questioning their role over there, are capable ofdoing horrible and regretable things. This doesn't however mean that this is a quiet U.S. policy in Iraq, or that we are intentionally commiting mass genocide in Iraq.