Comments on: WILL THIS BE THE IRAQ WAR’S “MY LAI?” http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/ Politics served up with a smile... And a stilletto. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 01:37:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Michael L. Cook http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/comment-page-1/#comment-160679 Michael L. Cook Sun, 19 Mar 2006 23:04:52 +0000 http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/#comment-160679 An obvious possibility is that the one suspected terrorist in the house in a Waco-style blaze of glory shoots all the others in the head and then kills himself. An obvious possibility is that the one suspected terrorist in the house in a Waco-style blaze of glory shoots all the others in the head and then kills himself.

]]> By: Rick Moran http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/comment-page-1/#comment-159363 Rick Moran Thu, 16 Mar 2006 15:42:20 +0000 http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/#comment-159363 Andrew: I appreciate your expert analysis. I've seen this sort of thing from The Star and al Jazeera before - which is why I was cautious about accepting the report at face value. Andrew:

I appreciate your expert analysis. I’ve seen this sort of thing from The Star and al Jazeera before - which is why I was cautious about accepting the report at face value.

]]> By: Andrew http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/comment-page-1/#comment-159360 Andrew Thu, 16 Mar 2006 15:36:03 +0000 http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/#comment-159360 As someone who has been to Iraq and works in the intelligence community, I can honestly say it's impossible to make a definitive judgment on a case like this based on a couple of press reports. Typically, there are so many factors and facts that reporters publishing an initial story don't have access to that they are often wrong. Unfortunately, it's the original story that usually has the most staying power - the story that is most often incorrect or missing key facts. That said, here is my analysis based on the information you've presented here. First off, there is no way that Americans executed these people. The original story says that autopsies showed that each had been shot in the head. That is obviously false based on the picture - the children there have no gunshot wounds in the head, and you don't need an autopsy to determine that. I find it very unlikely autopsies were even performed given the number of people killed daily there. There is no need for autopsies when people have obviously been shot or executed, or the circumstances’ surrounding their death is known. Second, it's entirely possible that the roof of the building did collapse as a result of American actions. The roofs for many buildings, especially in the slum areas of Iraq, are often flimsy sheet metal or are under engineered. A hovering helicopter and/or armored troops fast-roping onto the roof certainly could have caused it to collapse. Obviously ordnance and fire on the house could have caused this as well. To me this looks like a case where the family was hiding a suspected insurgent, either voluntarily or against their will. When troops came to raid the place, the insurgent probably started shooting. With our inherent right of self-defense, we probably shot back not knowing about the children in the building. Tragedies like this are all too common in this kind of warfare. Insurgents who use the local populace for support inevitably bring death to that populace, despite our best efforts to avoid killing civilians. The blame for the children's deaths lay at the hands of the insurgent, who, knowing he was a target, surrounded himself with innocents. Alternatively, the head of the family invited the insurgent into his family's midst - in that case, he is to blame. It's certainly possible the US forces made mistakes or did something they shouldn't have done. Despite our best intentions our military is not perfect and this kind of war punishes mistakes in very brutal and tragic ways. As someone who has been to Iraq and works in the intelligence community, I can honestly say it’s impossible to make a definitive judgment on a case like this based on a couple of press reports. Typically, there are so many factors and facts that reporters publishing an initial story don’t have access to that they are often wrong. Unfortunately, it’s the original story that usually has the most staying power - the story that is most often incorrect or missing key facts.

That said, here is my analysis based on the information you’ve presented here. First off, there is no way that Americans executed these people. The original story says that autopsies showed that each had been shot in the head. That is obviously false based on the picture - the children there have no gunshot wounds in the head, and you don’t need an autopsy to determine that. I find it very unlikely autopsies were even performed given the number of people killed daily there. There is no need for autopsies when people have obviously been shot or executed, or the circumstances’ surrounding their death is known.

Second, it’s entirely possible that the roof of the building did collapse as a result of American actions. The roofs for many buildings, especially in the slum areas of Iraq, are often flimsy sheet metal or are under engineered. A hovering helicopter and/or armored troops fast-roping onto the roof certainly could have caused it to collapse. Obviously ordnance and fire on the house could have caused this as well.

To me this looks like a case where the family was hiding a suspected insurgent, either voluntarily or against their will. When troops came to raid the place, the insurgent probably started shooting. With our inherent right of self-defense, we probably shot back not knowing about the children in the building. Tragedies like this are all too common in this kind of warfare. Insurgents who use the local populace for support inevitably bring death to that populace, despite our best efforts to avoid killing civilians. The blame for the children’s deaths lay at the hands of the insurgent, who, knowing he was a target, surrounded himself with innocents. Alternatively, the head of the family invited the insurgent into his family’s midst - in that case, he is to blame.

It’s certainly possible the US forces made mistakes or did something they shouldn’t have done. Despite our best intentions our military is not perfect and this kind of war punishes mistakes in very brutal and tragic ways.

]]> By: Rick Moran http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/comment-page-1/#comment-159358 Rick Moran Thu, 16 Mar 2006 14:27:12 +0000 http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/#comment-159358 Richard: As usual, your contribution to the discussion is meaningless, vapid, unoriginal, and loony. Thanks for being so consistent... Richard:

As usual, your contribution to the discussion is meaningless, vapid, unoriginal, and loony.

Thanks for being so consistent…

]]> By: Richard Bottoms http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/comment-page-1/#comment-159357 Richard Bottoms Thu, 16 Mar 2006 14:25:32 +0000 http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2006/03/15/will-this-be-the-iraq-wars-my-lai/#comment-159357 Another family liberated. Mission Accomplished. Another family liberated.

Mission Accomplished.

]]>