There are always two sides to a story, including the one that began in Haditha last November. According to one of the military participants, there was no intentional massacre.
Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, 26, told his attorney that several civilians were killed Nov. 19 when his squad went after insurgents who were firing at them from inside a house. The Marine said there was no vengeful massacre, but he described a house-to-house hunt that went tragically awry in the middle of a chaotic battlefield.
I am not in a position to judge. Could an intentional massacre have occurred? Certainly. It’s within the capability of the animal inside all of us. Only those who have been tested in close quarters combat know what they are truly capable of doing in such a situation. I hope these Marines are not guilty of what is being insinuated. If they are, they should pay.
What if they are cleared of the charges? I have a feeling that won’t be good enough of the pseudointellectuals who pass themselves off as pundits. I won’t hold my breath waiting for the statements of contrition and and apologies from those who rushed to judge.
It took us 30 years to decide Saddam Hussein needed to be punished. The same sort of people who question whether he was actually an evil dictator who was bad for Middle East stability will never admit to being wrong about Hadita, even if the investigation concludes otherwise.
Greyhawk at Mudville has some related thoughts.