“A Moral Bonfire To Discredit The Cause”

The Opinion Journal looks at the lurid allegations made about the conduct of US Marines at Haditha, Iraq, the behavior of the media and the antics of politicians, especially the false allegations of the Unindicted ABSCAM co-conspirator, John Murtha. They judge those behaviors harshly.

At Haditha, did the Marines act reasonably and appropriately based on their training? They were in a hostile combat situation where deadly force was authorized against suspected triggermen for the IED, and were ordered to assault a suspected insurgent hideout. In retrospect, the men in the car had no weapons or explosives; in retrospect, the people in the house were not insurgents. No one knew at the time.

Innocents were killed at Haditha, as they inevitably are in all wars–though that does not excuse or justify wrongdoing. Yet neither was Haditha the atrocity or "massacre" that many assumed–though errors in judgment may well have been committed. And while some violent crimes have been visited on civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, overall the highly disciplined U.S. military has conducted itself in an exemplary fashion. When there have been aberrations, the services have typically held themselves accountable.

The same cannot be said of the political and media classes. Many, including Members of Congress, were looking for another moral bonfire to discredit the cause in Iraq, and they found a pretext in Haditha. The critics rushed to judgment; facts and evidence were discarded to fit the antiwar template.

Most despicably, they created and stoked a political atmosphere that exposes American soldiers in the line of duty, risking and often losing their lives, to criminal liability for the chaos of war. This is the deepest shame of Haditha, and the one for which apologies ought to be made.

The editorial has an excellent roundup of the facts that are known - rather than the speculation that has stoked much of the coverage of this whole affair. It is well worth reading just for the clarifications. At this point almost all of the people who stoked the bonfire have themselves been discredited. And yes, they really should at least apologize.

Other Links to this Post

1. Jack Murtha, call your office | BitsBlog — Friday, 19 October , 2007 @ 7:57 pm