The Double Standard

An investigation is ongoing regarding the deaths of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha. Some, such as Representative John Murtha, have already condemned the Marines involved in this incident as cold-blooded murderers. This despite the fact that the investigation is ongoing and, given the potential volatility of the situation, the military doubtless wants to make sure it is conducted thoroughly and properly.

Is it possible that these Marines, distraught over the death of a colleague in the explosion of a roadside bomb, snapped and killed these people? Certainly. However, it is by no means certain that is what happened, the statements of John Murtha to the contrary notwithstanding. And lost in this debate is the double standard our military is subject to in the court of public opinion, as the words of Marine Captain Andrew Del Gaudio amply illustrate:

Del Gaudio said he made a tough call after a roadside bomb killed four of his men in April. While securing the scene, he was shot at by a machine gun in a follow-up attack. When he aimed his weapon to return fire, he saw that the gunmen had a line of children standing in front of them and two men filming with video cameras. He held fire until the children moved out of the way but was shot in his hand, which was only inches from his face.

"Restraint almost cost me my life," he said.

What it comes down to is that, with our troops, any atrocities that occur are aberrations. With our enemy, such actions are standard operating procedure. We're expected to be perfect in every way. Any slip, anything at all, is seized upon as prima facie evidence that our troops are nothing more than rapacious dogs and that we simply cannot continue in Iraq. All the while the actions of the terrorists are excused or glossed over. After all, it's not their fault that they are forced to commit these acts. It's all the fault of the US, Bushitler and, well you know the rest.

Hat tip to Sisu.