It has been said that if one repeats a lie often enough, that it becomes the truth, at least to those who are prone to believing the lie. Take the editorialists at the Seattle Post Intelligencer, for instance:Again, parroting Murtha's seditious, as yet unproven drivel as gospel--I wonder if the folks at the Intelligencer should re-think their name.Monday, August 7, 2006
Iraq War: Aiming for the top
Does the United States hold itself to the highest standard, even in war? And who should be held responsible when those standards are not met?
Those larger questions will have to be answered by the military as it investigates alleged atrocities in the Iraqi city of Haditha.
The Associated Press says the initial inquiry supports allegations that U.S. Marines deliberately shot 24 Iraqi civilians. It has yet to be determined if courts-martial will follow. Although the criminal justice aspect is important, it does not solve systemic issues.
This incident came to light in May when a former Marine, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said he had learned from officials that innocent Iraqis had been killed in cold blood. "When I spoke up about Haditha, my intention was to draw attention to the horrendous pressure put on our troops in Iraq and to the cover-up of the incident," he told the AP.
It's easy to see how pressure could build for troops serving under unbelievable stress. But the military needs to take steps to make sure nothing like this happens again.
The issue of a cover-up is more troubling -- the very reason for the continuing criminal investigation.
That war is awful is a given, but the U.S. military can and should set world-class standards for human rights.
Goebbels would have been proud, eh Jack?
