Hearts & Minds
'Haditha'
Marine father Bill Ferguson fights the constant battle of portraying
the truth about what happened in Haditha.
Ferguson offers this photo of his son
taken January, 2006 in Haditha -- AFTER the incident currently under
investigation. It shows a gathering of Iraqi children with his son, Corporal Tom C. Ferguson, who served
in the 3/1 Marines based in Haditha, Iraq from 9/05 through
4/06.
These do not look like children who are
'traumatized' or afraid of American soldiers... (see
high res. photo)
Congressman John Murtha stated the Marines unit fighting in Haditha
"killed innocent civilians in cold blood." Murtha went on to say his
statements were based on Pentagon sources.
Since then, Murtha has identified Gen. Michael Hagee as his source,
claiming Hagee gave him the information on which he based his charge
that Marines killed innocent civilians. [Phil
Inquirer, Aug. 3, 2006]
A claim Hagee says is false. [LINK]
The actual briefing occurred 7 days AFTER Murtha made his 'cold blood'
statements to the press.
Cpl. Ferguson came home with a
real Purple Heart for injuries suffered when a grenade exploded
behind him and flung him across the street. The grenade left shrapnel
in his hip and thigh.
Writes the father about the photo he sent
to VFTT / Boot Murtha:
My son, Cpl. Ferguson, TC; his team became the candy-and-goodies
team... site is Haditha area... scene, after distributing goodies to
the community, kids wanted to be in a picture... timeframe January
2006...
My son was lucky that a network of
friends constantly sent packages of hygiene and nutrition articles,
and candy. He'd get 6 to 8 1 1/2 cubic foot boxes every 2 -3 weeks or
so. First dibs to his fire team, then the platoon, then the squad,
then the company, and he always saved at least one box (generally
more) for the citizens (aka kids)... they were like pied-pipers on
package distribution days. See the fear in the kid's eyes? Neither do
I...
context: Within a couple of months after the 3/1 arrived in
Haditha, an insurgent rocket targeting the 3/1 and Iraqi compound
overshot the compound and exploded in the nearby residential area
killing children and elderly... soon after that incident, the
community activated their own street-intelligence to inform the
Marines of locations of ammo, weapons, and those with terrorist
ties... neighborhoods and districts became much more friendly,
helpful and safer...
 Michael
Moore
declares Jihad,
Murtha in-line
The defeat of Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) in the Connecticut
Primary this week signals blood in the water to peaceniks and left
wing anti-war enemy-appeaser Michael Moore smells it. Below is Moore's
Declaration of Jihad, posted on his website: [LINK]
Let the resounding defeat of Senator Joe Lieberman send a cold
shiver down the spine of every Democrat
who supported the invasion of Iraq and who continues to
support, in any way, this senseless, immoral, unwinnable war. Make no
mistake about it: We, the majority of Americans, want this war ended
-- and we will actively work to defeat each and every one of you who
does not support an immediate end to this war.
Nearly every Democrat set to run for president in 2008 is
responsible for this war. They voted for it or they supported it. That
single, stupid decision has cost us 2,592 American lives and tens of
thousands of Iraqi lives. Lieberman and Company made a colossal
mistake and we are going to make sure they pay for that mistake.
Payback time started last night.
Lieberman's defeat signals blood in the water, and Michael Moore
smells it.:
"...we will actively work to defeat each and every one of you who
does not support an immediate end to this war."
With their Code Pink darling John Murtha fronting as their facade of a
'strong military man,' the far left has taken over the Democrat Party.
Michael Moore, Howard Dean, Alec Baldwin, Barbara Streisand, Cindy
Sheehan, Nancy Pelosi and other 'San Francisco-style' peaceniks are
now dictating the Democrats' foreign policies – and Murtha's right in
step:
“I’m going to where Nancy [Pelosi] sends me,"
– Murtha quote, The Hill July 26, 2006 [LINK]
With
Congressman John Murtha taking orders from San Francisco Nancy Pelosi
and accepting awards from Code Pink – whose members harass our wounded
soldiers and their families and send money to America's enemy – it is
clear that Murtha has 'left' his PA District 12 constituents far
behind. It is clear he no longer represents their conservative, common
sense values.
Rush to judgment
Leaders, media quick
to offer opinions on military matters
by Ilario Pantano
[NOTE:
This article was published in the July 2006 edition of Army Times. The
writer was a Marine infantry platoon commander in Iraq in 2004. In
2005, he was cleared of charges that he murdered two Iraqis during his
deployment. He is the author of "Warlord: No Better Friend, No Worse
Enemy."]
 "Savages
whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all
ages, sexes and conditions."
Is this a description of martyrdom-bent jihadists who bomb Iraqi
mosques, killing scores of innocents? No.
Actually, it's a line from a 230-year-old document that we honor every
July 4th--the Declaration of Independence. It reminds us
that we have prevailed in brutal struggles with ruthless enemies
before, and we shall do so again.
This year, there are other Revolutionary War-era stories that should
be remembered. One is the tale of Rip Van Winkle waking from a 20-year
sleep and shouting his support for the king, only to find that the
American Revolution had taken place and we had won.
Hearing Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) talk about Iraq reminds me of Van
Winkle's 20-year sleep, but unlike the fable, there are real
consequences to Murtha's nap, as illustrated by his comments June 11
on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Murtha said that clearing Fallujah was a mistake: "We're recruiting
terrorists in Iraq. We're allowing them to train in Iraq. We're
allowing--when we do things like go into Fallujah--which they
considered a military victory. We put 300,000 people outside their
home."
And he said that there's "not one project been done in Anbar
province."
I had to call my platoon sergeant in disbelief just to make sure I
hadn't dreamed up our combat tour.
When our battalion went back for a second time, to a man we marveled
at the progress of the Iraqi security forces, which were virtually
nonexistent during our first tour.
Murtha's choice to ignore this progress would be sad if it weren't so
ridiculous: Even al-Qaida says we are doing a better job than our own
congressman gives us credit for.
But how could I be surprised after he referenced two of the biggest
strategic mistakes in the 20th century, Lebanon and Somalia, as his
benchmarks for success, saying, "At some point, you got to reassess it
like Reagan did in, in Beirut, like, like Clinton did in Somalia; you
just have to say, 'OK, it's time to change direction.'"
Those events signaled our weakness and lack of political will to an
enemy--an enemy that murdered 3,000 innocents in front of my eyes
precisely because of the lessons they learned by our spineless
responses to Beirut and Mogadishu.
Yet Murtha cited them as examples that he would emulate.
Our hasty retreat in both of those instances set the conditions for
our long war today, and the lesson still seemingly has not been
learned.
Two years ago, Murtha wrote that, with a little perseverance, we could
win this thing. Now, it seems the only thing he is interested in
winning is a promotion. That was the message he sent by prematurely
pronouncing judgment on Marines accused of killing dozens of Iraqi
civilians in Hadithah just days before he announced his desire to be
speaker of the House, should the Democrats win a majority in the fall.
Battlefield charges
There's a reason I'm particularly sensitive about accusations leveled
at those in the cauldron of combat.
I served during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, continued my education,
started a family and worked 10 successful years in the private sector
before returning to the Corps after Sept. 11.
Then, in 2004, while leading a platoon of Marines during fierce
fighting in Iraq's "Triangle of Death," I killed two men in combat,
only to be charged with premeditated murder for my actions.
Threats were made, and pictures simulating my decapitation were
circulated on the Internet. In the end, following a public five days
in court, I was exonerated, but only after enduring months of
headlines decrying my slaughter of "innocent" Iraqis.
Should I have been surprised that there wasn't nearly as much
attention paid to the fact that I was cleared?
Should I have been disappointed that the men I killed were
continuously mischaracterized as innocent civilians, even though they
tried to attack me after they were caught fleeing a weapons cache
containing cash, IDs and al-Qaida material in a car that had hidden
compartments for transporting bombs?
The media, prosecutors and politicians have a responsibility to choose
their labels carefully as they seek to provide understanding of a
complex conflict waged entirely by nonuniformed combatants.
Think about it: Every bomb planted, every rocket-propelled grenade
fired, every beheading conducted in Iraq in the last three years has
been carried out by a "civilian."
When the investigations into incidents at Hadithah, Hamdaniya and
elsewhere are complete, the military justice system will weigh the
evidence; if it leads to a guilty verdict in a fair legal proceeding,
punishment will be meted out.
Until then, labels such as "civilian" and even "student" are just as
loaded with innuendo as words such as "murder" and "cold blood"
because they imply faulty judgment on behalf of the soldier or Marine.
Even though these labels are often inaccurate or irrelevant (a
"student" can't pull a trigger or detonate a bomb?), the subtle
suggestion of culpability fuels dangerous rushes to judgment. And in
this fight, words are weapons.
I'm not suggesting that our forces can do no wrong. I am merely asking
that the same high standard of professionalism that we demand of our
troops be applied to those who scrutinize their conduct.
We'll never know if the two soldiers kidnapped at a checkpoint near
Yusufiyah and ultimately found dead waited to engage and gave their
lives by giving terrorists the benefit of the doubt.
Unfortunately, that same benefit is rarely afforded to our own men by
those who rush to judgment.
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