Haditha Marine says would make same decision again

[razors edge]

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1547129820070315

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. Marine charged with murdering 18 unarmed civilians in Haditha, Iraq, said in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" he regretted the deaths but would make the same decisions today.

Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich admitted shooting five unarmed Iraqi men in the back in the interview and said his actions were justified because he believed the men had hostile intent toward the Marines.

"There is nothing that I can possibly say to make up or make well the deaths of those women and children, and I am absolutely sorry it happened that day," Wuterich said.

"What I did that day, the decision that I made, I would make those decisions again today. Those are decisions that I made in a combat situation and I believe I had to make those decisions."

[babylonsister]

1. No words other than I can't imagine being in his head. nt

[razors edge]

2. I left the Marines in 85

And I can't either.

[1620rock]

3. Trained killers..."made in the USA."

[razors edge]

4. The USA

has plenty of killers without training.

My training also included rule of law, training most killers here in the US obtain from their lawyers after bail denial.

[Solo_in_MD]

5. His claim is that he thought they posed a threat in the situation

Anyone who has been there knows that is a call that has to made right then with only the information at hand and your experience. He clearly believes in the fullness of time it was incorrect. It must really suck to be him.

[razors edge]

10. I agree.

I don't think he woke up that morning hoping for the chance to do this.

He may not be able to admit he did anything wrong, he is most likely scared shitless and won't admit that either.

[supragenius1965]

6. Typical Bushnik Coward

He's a typical coward repub...he doesn't mind killing women and children...in his own words.

[Disturbed]

7. He was in kill mode.

He said that he was sorry that it happened yet would do the same again. Does that make sense? Shooting unarmed civilians in the back still makes sense to him.

[Igel]

11. Yes, it makes sense.

I can think of many decisions in my 20s and 30s I made that I thought were correct at the time; given what I knew at the time, they were the best decisions possible, and I can't think why I'd have done something else. But given what I've learned and experienced since then, those decisions were truly sucky, and I really wish I would have done something different. But to do anything differently at the time would have been stupid, and there was no plausible way for me to have the knowledge to arrive at a better set of decisions.

Such decisions are a waste of time to feel much concern over, except to the extent they hurt others.

[Solo_in_MD]

13. You need to reread what he said...

He and his men honestly believed they were in danger. Clearly they misread the situation. The shooting of unarmed civilans does not make sense to him and he seems to be expressing remorse.

His statement about doing it again is based on going in to a building and shooting people he thinks are going to hurt him and his men, and in combat that would be still be the right thing to do.

[babylonsister]

8. Huh? You have some 'splainin' to do. nt

[razors edge]

9. Or maybe just

unable to accept the fact he killed without justification.

Some are remorseful, some defiant.

I have met people who have told me that no matter what they did, they were incapable of apologizing, it was something they had never done and will never be able to do.

None of them were political in any way.

[Solo_in_MD]

12. Talk to a combat vet, there are a number of them around here

It wasn't political, he may well not be a repuke. He went into a combat situation, perceived danger to him and his men and reacted accordingly. He also realizes it was a mistake and has sincere regrets, but is clear that given the circumstances (combat, perceived danger...) he would do it again. Its easy to arm chair quarterback this from the safety of your computer, but if you haven't been there, your opinions don't mean much. Talk to a combat vet, preferably a grunt, maybe they can explain it to you.

[ellisonz]

14. Bullshit.

I'm not seeing the combat situation here...I'm seeing pure and simple murder. Who does he think we are? Mongols? Nazis?

Per M/W.com

5 a: relative position or combination of circumstances at a certain moment

Somebody teach that boy some English...if he wasn't so young I'd be hollering for a firing squad.

Admittedly I don't know the full details...but he's still full of it.