The Guardian published an article almost a year ago (Aug,22,05) that sheds light on the reality in the northen Iraqi town of Haditha.
“The executions are carried out at dawn on Haqlania bridge, the entrance to Haditha. A small crowd usually turns up to watch even though the killings are filmed and made available on DVD in the market the same afternoon.
One of last week’s victims was a young man in a black tracksuit. Like the others he was left on his belly by the blue iron railings at the bridge’s southern end. His severed head rested on his back, facing Baghdad. Children cheered when they heard that the next day’s spectacle would be a double bill: two decapitations. A man named Watban and his brother had been found guilty of spying.”
It would appear that the media has already tried and convicted the US Marines of premeditated murder of 24 ”innocent” civilians, in spite of evidence on the ground that would indicate that the environment in which they were operating, was not one that could be characterized as being even remotely friendly to coalition or Iraqi forces. Kids cheering the beheading of people, and DVD’s of it being openly sold in the markets?
“Alcohol and music deemed unIslamic were banned, women were told to wear headscarves and relations between the sexes were closely monitored. The mobile phone network was shut down but insurgents retained their walkie-talkies and satellite phones. Right-hand lanes are reserved for their vehicles.”
Sounds a lot like the life one could lead inside a city controlled by the Taliban, using fear and bloody murder to quell the people into being submissive to the Islamist tyrants. The media of course is having a feeding frenzy with this latest turn of events, and according to Lt. Col. Gordon Cucullu:
“When dealing with a generation of media that are unable to think of an American war without reflexively placing it into a Vietnam template, you just know that any opportunity to bend events into that mold will be irresistible. Such irrational but compulsive behavior is even more compelling when the newsmen are programmed to be anti-war, anti-US military, and anti-Bush.”
Though the tragic event that unfolded in Haditha might turn out to be true, the media has already portrayed it as a forgone conclusion. Choosing rather to trust in the words of a bunch of Islamist jihadis, over that of an institution that prides itself on its decency and honor (Semper Fidelis). I can think of nothing more cynical. KGS
UPDATE: Excellent article in the FrontPageMag that gives a good reason why to wait until an official investigation has been completed, before rendering you own verdict.
