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From: Dave Hollenbeck [mailto:chp7747@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 4:29 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Haditha
January 27, 2012
Haditha Was Exploited
Increasing Danger to the U.S., U.S. Troops, and to Noncombatants
Bruce Kesler
http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/19035-Haditha-Was-Exploited-To
-Increase-Danger-To-The-US,-US-Troops,-And-To-Noncombatants.html
The killings at Haditha in November 2005 were blown up by opponents of the
US in Iraq into an indictment of the US and its troops. This onslaught
sapped the will of many Americans. The following rules of engagement and
the
drawn out prosecution of the Marines involved have undermined the morale
and
endangered the lives of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Take the premise that at Haditha both the Marines and those who were
killed
in houses 1 and 2 were correct in their own view. The long term losers are
both US troops and noncombatants.
Both Marines and US troops generally are at increased risk due to perhaps
understandable rules of engagement that in practice are often excessive
and
dangerous. Noncombatants are at increased risk of oppression, or more
impersonal death from US technology, in countries where thuggish foes seek
domination and can serve as refuges for further attacks on the West.
Haditha was a decidedly treacherous town overrun with Al Qaeda led foes
who
blew up Marines in the convoy and fired on the survivors from the nearby
houses. What else could the Marines do but attack and eliminate the threat
from the houses? Walking in, exposing themself to harm, would have been
suicidal. Those inside lived in fear of the insurgents, who had already
executed the local police force, and were aware that an IED was to be
exploded. What else could they do but huddle inside? Warning the Marines
beforehand would have exposed themselves to extermination. Walking
outside,
hands up, after the attack on the Marines, may have been a good move, but
they knew gunmen were nearby and they didn't want to be in the middle of a
shootout.
It all starts with the US undermanning its armed forces and, in any event,
sending too few troops to clear and hold or to stay living among the
people
to create security. This is the root and unpardonable error in the US
conduct of Iraq and Afghanistan. The US eliminated immediate strategic
threats. But, due to inadequate forces the US has spent hundreds of
billions
of dollars and thousands of our finest young's lives to be mired in at
best
tenuous nation-building and more likely unstable and hostile countries.
Out of this, the will among Americans to armed interventions abroad has
waned. Our state and nonstate foes have been emboldened by US weakening of
resolve and by US divisions between those who would turn away from, deny
or
be feckless about real dangers and those who realize and argue for
continued
and determined US focus upon and confrontation with avowed and deadly
enemies.
Frank Wuterich.
Major Jeffrey Dinsmore, the intelligence officer for the Marines at
Haditha,
has worked diligently to support the defense of the Marines persecuted.
Today he wrote "Final Words From A Haditha Marine". He is critical of
Frank
Wuterich for taking the plea deal that ended the court martial.
For six years, the officers and men of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines firmly
believed that no unlawful action took place on November 19th. We believed
this based on the available intelligence before, during, and after
November
19th, based on the enemy's stated objective of a propaganda victory that
would erode our combat effectiveness, and based on our detailed knowledge
of
the context of November 19th's day-long, high-intensity combat. We
accepted
challenges to our integrity, accusations of a unit cover-up, and
institutional condemnation by our Corps. Men like LtCol Chessani and 1stLt
Grayson refused numerous plea offers from the government, including
letters
of reprimand with no punishment whatsoever. With SSgt Wuterich's admission
of guilt, however, we must accept that a cover-up took place, even if
unwittingly. With his admission of guilt, we must accept that some
unlawful
action was committed by a member of SSgt Wuterich's squad.
Today the judge handed down the maximum possible sentence. While a portion
of that sentence was restricted by the terms of the plea agreement, it is
right and just that Frank Wuterich no longer be a Staff Non-commissioned
Officer in the Marine Corps. I wish Frank the best in his future
endeavors,
and empathize with his difficult personal decision to accept
responsibility
for the unlawful actions committed by one or more members of his squad.
But
any Marine who is guilty of negligence and dereliction with results on the
scale of November 19th, 2005 cannot lead Marines. Ever again.
Dinsmore's view is certainly in line with the hoped for stand for Marine
Corps honor that many hoped Wuterich would take to the bell. However, his
need to support and care for his three young daughters apparently weighed
in
heavily. This epitomizes the tension that our troops live under between
duty
and family, sacrifices too little appreciated by most Americans and looked
down upon by our internal enemies from the left.
Dinsmore continues with the central point of what the defense of the
Haditha
Marines has meant:
Unfortunately, the long Haditha case, and its result, have awarded the
enemy
one of their greatest campaign victories. The country's and Corps'
leadership that expressed outrage at the "Haditha Massacre" have been
vindicated. The "rush to judgment" has been proven correct. Al Qaeda in
Iraq
achieved their stated objective of eroding our will to fight. They
successfully used the American media to infiltrate American public
opinion,
create outrage that reached the halls of Congress, erode our leadership's
resolve, and change the way we fight. Al Qaeda effected more changes in
our
combat training and Rules of Engagement than if they had been on the staff
at Marine Corps Combat Development Command. Sadly, they may have also
produced young warfighters who hesitate at the point of decision, for fear
their leadership will immediately condemn their actions in the public
square.
Despite this result, I know that you who have supported these Marines will
continue to do so. As we continue to send young Marines to the battlefield
and expect increasingly superhuman powers of restraint and judgment, it is
more critical than ever that they have vigilant defenders here at home.
The weakened US position has all been made worse by the rush to the exits
prematurely and by, instead of rebuilding our forces, cutting them
drastically in order to fund reckless domestic spending.
Sure, it wasn't all Haditha. But it stands as a key and real demonstration
of what happens with too few troops and of the lethal recriminations
encouraged by the left against US forces as the result.
Democrats and Republicans squandered the so-called "peace dividend" from
the
demise of the Soviet Union, cut our forces dramatically, then went to war
in
Iraq largely keeping the numbers inadequate. Today, Democrats are doing
the
same self-disarmament. Although Republicans disagree and promise to do
better, it hasn't been a main focus. There's no doubt the economy would be
better off without the shackles placed upon it by Democrats, and that
Republicans must drive that home in this election year. But, at the same
time Republican leadership, for our future and that of countless millions
around the world, must increase the emphasis upon national defense, the
prime federal requirement.
If we are to have Marines worthy of us, we must have Americans worthy of
Marines.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Bruce Kesler served in USMC
Intelligence in Vietnam and was a researcher at the Foreign Policy
Research
Institute. He worked as a financial and business operations exec for
Fortune
100 and small companies, and for the past two decades as an independent
certified health and benefits consultant and broker. His columns have
appeared in many major newspapers and also online. He currently blogs at
Maggie's Farm.