'We killed 30 civilians in six weeks. I felt we were committing genocide'

[NNN0LHI]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=523992

The Marine's tale: 'We killed 30 civilians in six weeks. I felt we were committing genocide'

During 12 years in the US Marines, including three years putting new recruits through boot camp, Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey hardly questioned his role. But what he saw in Iraq changed that.

"In a month and a half my platoon and I killed more than 30 civilians," Mr Massey said. He saw bodies being desecrated and robbed, and wounded civilians being dumped by the roadside without medical treatment. After he told his commanding officer that he felt "we were committing genocide", he was called a "wimp".

Mr Massey, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and depression, left the Marines in November. Back home in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, he says the cause of the uprising in Iraq is that "we killed a lot of innocent people".

His 7th Marine Weapons Company, armed with machine guns and missiles, was one of the first into the country in March last year. "We would take over villages and control checkpoints," he said. "My men and I would fire warning shots at oncoming vehicles. But, if they didn't stop, we didn't have any qualms about loading them up."

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[Just Me]

1. Oh, my. Oh, please let this story hit our media.

The American people really need this information so that they can acquire a better understanding of WHY there is an insurgency and that the insurgency does NOT equate to "terrorists".

[lumpy]

2. Bump

x

[acmavm]

3. Dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x52485

[NNN0LHI]

6. This does not appear to be an editorial. Thanks anyway though n/t

[Judi Lynn]

4. I agree, this story MUST be heard:

From your article:

The Marines were told that Iraqis were filling ambulances with explosives, and that soldiers were dressed as civilians, but after pouring fire into vehicles and hearing no explosions, they started to doubt the truth of these claims.

"Iraqi military compounds had nothing in them, except for dismantled tanks, equipment that was barely functioning, and barracks that looked like ghost towns," Mr Massey said.

The incident that haunts him most took place early in April, near an Iraqi military compound five miles from Baghdad's airport. "There were approximately 10 demonstrators near a tank," he said. "We heard a shot in the distance and we started shooting at them. They all died except for one. We left the bodies there.

"We noticed that there were some RPGs about 200 metres away from them - they might have come from the military compound. The demonstrators had the ability to fire at us or at the tank, but they didn't. The survivor was hiding behind a column about 150 metres away from us. I pointed at him and waved my weapon to tell him to get away. Half of his foot had been cut off. He went away dragging his foot. We were all laughing and cheering.

They simply MUST slow down and take stock of what they are doing in Iraq. How hard can that be? This is evil.

[wroberts189]

5. jeebus.. eom

[Ferretherder]

7. And yet, all that could be heard, in response to this horrific news,...

...was the faint echo of cheering masses coming from the direction of the parade grounds in Nuremberg.

I want to awaken from this nightmare, so badly. But far from being able to escape this hellish vision of America foisted upon us by Bush* and co., I feel we have only begun down this terrible path.

God, or whatever, help us all.

[enough]

8. desecration of bodies

snip>

Mr Massey watched as badly injured Iraqis were repeatedly "tossed on the side of the road without calling medics". His reaction to the event that triggered the recent siege of Fallujah - the sight of the blackened, mutilated bodies of four American private security men - was that "we did the same thing to them".

Iraqis, he said, "would see us debase their dead all the time. We would be messing around with charred bodies, kicking them out of the vehicles and sticking cigarettes in their mouths. I also saw vehicles drive over them. It was our job to look into the pockets of dead Iraqis to gather intelligence. However, time and time again, I saw Marines steal gold chains, watches and wallets full of money."

snip>

[Disturbed]

9. War brutalizes.

The enemey becomes sub human and most soldiers become
immune to compassion. The Amerikan people have scare knowledge of what is done in their names. The myth that most of Amerika's troops are honorable goes on. The truth is that the longer an Occupation goes on, the more the Occupied are brutalized and the more the Occupiers become more brutal.

[lostnfound]

15. Was thinking Abu Ghraib was like 'Lord of the Flies'

at least in terms of the subhuman violent behaviors that seem to have become the norm.

[NNN0LHI]

17. This is really important. It explains a lot of things

Thanks for pointing this out.

Don

[Cooley Hurd]

19. And the merc murders in Fallujah were in response to...

...what we were doing to average Iraqi citizens in places like Abu Ghraib (and don't think they Iraqis didn't know what was happening inside Abu Ghraib before the 60 Minutes II broke - they knew).

Who started it? Sadly, it was the coalition... :grr:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

10. Same as the first Gulf War.

Lots of Bedouins killed. Nomadic? Who's gonna know?!

[robertpaulsen]

11. Kick. Iraq is Vietnam!

[montana_hazeleyes]

12. More and more guys like him must come forward.

Then the people who refuse to see what's happening will have to.
Of course some will refuse to see and some won't care. Some will still revel in it.
But many people here(United States) really don't know, and believe the right wing propaganda. If enough guys who've been there tell these first-hand stories there will be no getting away from it.
But it has to be so many that individuals can't be attacked and discredited. I notice they mention Mr. Massey's post- traumatic stress and depression. Maybe that was a way to try to discredit him in a slight way,maybe not.

[4dsc]

13. I'm being labeled as Anti-American

for posting this stuff at http://forums.desmoinesregister.com/cgi-bin/WebX?[e-mail]4gxP.14@.ee6b55d .

Rightie is getting desperate as they see their little war for empire going south!!

[fujiyama]

14. This just gets worse and worse

Everytime I read about what this nation is doing there, I feel sick. I get chills down my body.

This is just so terrible -- We NEED to leave...immediately.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

16. two things here that need to be thought about...

a) this is just one guys story. Can it be confirmed in the details?

b) these are the Marines. Are we not seeing the operation of a military subculture ..independent of who is president?

[chelaque liberal]

18. Response to b)...military subculture ....independent of who is president

Military subculture (and war) IS ugly. Previous posts have identified it well, ie: Lord of the Flies.

That is the strongest reason to avoid that situation unless absolutely necessary. Military action must be a last resort.

THIS war did not have to happen. GEORGE BUSHtook this country to war because of the agenda of the Project for the New American Century. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. They did not have WMD. They were NO THREAT. GEORGE BUSH, not any other president, made this EVIL happen. THIS is GEORGE BUSH's fault!

[indepat]

20. Does anyone really believe that those of the highest echelons really

give a diddledy-f**k how many innocent civilians are killed, maimed, left homeless, jobless, and starving? We can at least take comfort that Rumsfeld cares should George Will's assessment of Rummy's deep decency be valid.

[TahitiNut]

21. This rings 100% true. This is what it's like.

Yup. Huah. :puke: