The Pentagon is close to ending its two separate inquiries into the killings and the cover-up in Haditha, initially attributed to a clash with militants.
When my father opened [the door] they shot him and then again. Then they threw a hand grenade into the bathroom... The Americans carried on shooting.
Safa Younis
Haditha survivor
According to initial US military reports, 15 civilians and eight insurgents died after a bomb killed a marine in Haditha, a militant stronghold in Anbar Province.
But the army now says it is investigating a total of 24 deaths.
Observers say the incident on 19 November could deal a more serious blow to US standing than the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/5032214.stm
Note: http://news.bbc.co.uk/g...
US To Publish Iraq Deaths Probe
Posted on Thursday, June 01 at 09:08 by jensonjContributed By
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Lieutenant William Calley who was found guilty of premeditated murder of 22 of the villagers of My Lai 4, in March 1968, commanded the soldiers, along with him, that killed over 500 villagers in which a number of the victims were raped before they were murdered.
Lieutenant William Calley was prosecuted by the American Military justice system. The jury sentenced Calley to life of hard labor even though they said they tried everything in their power to find some way to let him walk. It was held up as a symbol of how the American justice system prevails in the end and that justice was done.
But was it?
In the end he, Lieutenant William Calley, only served days in Fort Leavenworth, before being transferred back to Fort Benning, where he was placed under house arrest. His sentence was repeatedly reduced. Finally, his sentence was commuted to time served by President Nixon. He was paroled in November, 1974.
Was justice really served?
Did the victims really receive justice or just a handful of shekels?
What will the real justice be in the end here and now? Will American history repeat it’s self again.
Lest we forget the victims and the Governments who's ideals, beliefs and values that made them such! Or is the victims not as important as the soldiers that serve.
For let’s not forget that these same young men were not criminals with long records when they left home for the military and the war. They were the same young men that we would have allowed our daughters to date because they were fine decent young men. Would we leave anyone of our children with men that would commit such things as rape and murder? Would we trust anyone in our society that committed these same crimes in our own countries to walk away. Would they do the same thing if there was no chance in their mind of getting cought back home? Where was their sence of right and wrong or even faith?
Maybe, we should be asking different questions like how did their values, beliefs, ideals as well as their religious values change between here and there at the front. What does the military, the war and our expectations of them, the soldiers, have to do with these situations or does it not play a role?
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Perception is two thirds of what we perceive reality to be.
Difficult decisions are a privilege of rank.