Jed Babbin on Haditha

Consider this a must-read (ST reader Baklava noted this article earlier in the comments section to another thread). Babbin, former deputy undersecretary of defense in the GHWB administration, writes:

The accelerating media feeding frenzy over the alleged killings of twenty-four Iraqi civilians in Haditha by US Marines last November is about to overwhelm American politics. Propelled by their most irresponsible war critics, the left will try use Haditha as it used My Lai thirty years ago: as a political tool to take apart America’s support for the war and to shatter the legitimacy of our cause and the morale of our troops.

We don’t know what happened in Haditha, an insurgent stronghold in Anbar Province. Unverified press accounts allege that members of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, First Marines, were hit by an improvised explosive device and one of them was killed. Others, according to these reports, went on an hours-long killing spree to revenge their comrade’s death, leaving about twenty-four men, women and children dead. Navy and Marine Corps investigators are at work, and other reports indicate that at least three Marine officers, including the battalion and company commanders, have been relieved of duty. It’s also reported that more than one enlisted man has been detained pending charges about to be brought.

No matter how quickly military investigators work, and no matter how firmly any crimes are punished, the anti-war left won’t be satisfied unless Haditha becomes the lever that pushes President Bush to admit the war was wrong and set a time to withdraw from Iraq. My Lai – the March 16, 1968 massacre of about 500 Vietnamese by US soldiers – was first covered up and then exploded in headlines, courts-martial and congressional hearings. (Maureen Dowd, one of the New York Times’s hyperliberal columnists, has already labeled Haditha a “My Lai acid flashback.”) Screamed about by protesters, shown endlessly on television news, My Lai and the court-martial of one of the perpetrators, Lt. William Calley, provided the final political nail in the coffin of American involvement in Vietnam. We withdrew from Vietnam in 1975, abandoning our allies and hanging our heads in shame. This is the political result the left wants from Haditha, and we cannot allow it to happen for one very big reason. The Vietnam War ended in Vietnam, leaving America incapable of taking action in defense of itself or its allies for decades. The end of the war against the terrorist nations won’t occur in Iraq, and we must be prepared – psychologically and politically – to continue the fight. When we lost Vietnam the enemy didn’t follow us home. Radical Islamists will. If they win, we will literally lose America.

[…]

Just as the few disgraced the many at Abu Ghraib, the very few who may have committed murder in Haditha will place a burden on the shoulders of every soldier, sailor, airman, marine and coast guardsman fighting terrorism. Each of us has a duty to not add to that burden, and to help relieve it as well. If those few Marines killed innocents in Haditha, their conduct is an aberration, not the norm. It is up to each one of us to ensure that the events of Haditha do not tarnish the brave and selfless service of the many who came before, or any who come after. Except for the aberrant few, the Marines are always faithful to America. In times such as this, we cannot fail to be faithful to them.

Read the whole thing.

17 Responses to "Jed Babbin on Haditha"

Severian says:

June 1, 2006 at 7:24 pm

One thing to remember is that Haditha is a hotbed of insurgent activity, there are reports from the Marines and other soldiers that operate there of the terrorists using children as watchers and civilians as shields. We should view any and all allegations coming out of this and other places with a very very large grain of salt. If the Marines in question did act in a way not authorized or correct, that will come out of the investigation, and the guilty will be punished. But always remember the potential for the terrorists to commit their own attrocities and blame them on us, as well as their well known penchant for removing weapons and bodies of fighters so that it looks like only civilians were killed.

The insurgents know they are losing in every aspect of the conflict except one, the information war being waged in the western media. Captured documents have shown that they are well aware of how to manipulate the media and our pants wetting politicians, and that they are aware that this is the last option left to them to try and gain victory.

Expect this to start a rash of false reports of US attrocities, fed to all too willing members of the media who are anti-American and/or anti-Iraq war, in a concerted effort to do what was done in Vietnam, turn a military defeat into a victory due to the weakness of the American people and politicians (particularly Democrats). They know this tactic works, and they have no compunction about killing civilians and blaming it on us, hiding and attacking from within houses full of civilians, using kids as decoys and agents, and any and all forms of disgusting, morally and ethically corrupt actions.

For the US, attrocities are rare aberrations, for the terrorists, it’s standard operating procedure.
benning says:

June 1, 2006 at 8:00 pm

I’m not worried about all this. If there was wrong-doing, the guilty will be punished. If there was no wrong-doing, the MSM and leftists will act as though there was.

Either way, Americans had better ‘cowboy up’ soon. We are gonna need some moxie!
CavalierX says:

June 1, 2006 at 8:24 pm

In the absence of evidence to the contrary, does this incident not seem like a tactic right out of al-Qaeda’s playbook? Set off a bomb, take shots at the disoriented Marines from several nearby windows, and make sure as many civilians get caught in the crossfire as possible (or shoot them yourself, with American weapons — if, in fact, they were shot with American weapons) while making your escape. Then make a few false statements to panting reporters eager for tales of American atrocities, painting the Marines as marauding killers exacting revenge on innocents. Yet another media manipulation mission accomplished.
Sister Toldjah says:

June 1, 2006 at 8:27 pm

Cav, weren’t there allegations in the last year or so from the US military that ‘insurgents’ and Al Qaeda types were shooting innocent Iraqis after firefights between ‘insurgents’/AQ and the US and then turning around and blaming it on the US?
Severian says:

June 1, 2006 at 9:13 pm

Yes, Cav, that sounds exactly like a page out of their playbook, and they’ve done it before. Ever notice that no matter where and when we bomb, it’s always a “wedding.” Geez, there aren’t that many weddings in Las Vegas for Pete’s sake.

I recall allegations like that ST. Al Qaeda are masters of disinformation, particularly since they have allies in the news media that are gullible at best, and complicent and eager to cast the US in a bad light at worst. They know that the only place they are succeeding is in the media, and now that everything else is going to hell in a handbasket for them they will pound on this with media savy attacks with a vengence. And our and the world’s media will eagerly await each and every story, ready to do their part to support the terrorists at the expense of the troops.

I’m more disgusted and upset with the media than the terrorists, you expect your enemy to fight back, and you expect such viciousness from the Islamo-fascists, but to get this kind of BS from people who are allegedly Americans (our media) is revolting.
Big Bang Hunter says:

June 1, 2006 at 9:41 pm

– I’m not surprised at the timing of this. Remember the reports of a few days ago that the three top aides to Al Zarqari got captured. They need a “pushback” in the wings at all times. If he gets caught a lot of these “tactics” would end. I don’t think the 2nd tier guys are that smart.

– Bang
Severian says:

June 2, 2006 at 7:55 am

Well well, despite Murtha’s bloviations, there are significant issues with Haditha that make it anything but a clear cut case. Note:

LINK

and

LINK

Haditha Reporter was Jailed by US, and Haditha Doctor Hates US.

Note that the bodies they keep photographing are almost never, if ever, photographed right after the event at the scene, they’re usually days later, and usually in a morgue, which gives them plenty of time to manipulate the wounds, and without a rapid autopsy by a well trained US forensic medical examiner, there’s no way of proving what happened one way or another.

This is just the start, now that Al Qaeda has seen how successful this strategy is, expect a run of attrocity stories, all after the fact, all reported by people with credibility that’s dubious at best but that will never be questioned by the MSM. This is the start of a massive, coordinated infowar disinformation campaign, and our MSM has signed up as willing participants and supporters.
Severian says:

June 2, 2006 at 8:14 am

There’s also this:

LINK

Kimber said he first learned about the shootings in February when he heard that a Time magazine reporter was asking questions about civilian deaths.

Kimber said he heard nothing about a civilian massacre during city council meetings and talks with local leaders.

“It would have been huge, there would have been no question it would have filtered down to us,” he said. “We reported no significant atmospheric change as a result of that day.”

and:

LINK

Crossan: We used to go out on patrols and have the little kids count the patrols and all that stuff and we couldn’t really do anything except grab them and throw them inside their housesâ€¦
KING 5 TV interviewer: Why would you do that? Because you were afraid that the kids were scouting for the insurgents or you thought they were in danger?

Crossan: There are little kids that scout for â€˜em. â€˜Cuz later that day we, along the main road there, we cut behind a few buildings and the next patrol that went out got hit. And that little kid that was just there and there was people all around. But the day that I got hit they were planning a major attack and it got spoiled, so, and there was like 20 some people, insurgents, that were gonna attack the cop that day.

Then we got hit by an IED and the cops sent out a squad of Marines, and the insurgents just started attacking then, just right off the bat and we just foiled it. We were just driving back from the cop. I remember taking a left and then a right, and then remember waking up from the ground for a split second. And then waking up in the helicopter and then finally knew what happened in the hospital.

Things that make you go hmmmmm…
Sister Toldjah says:

June 2, 2006 at 8:38 am

Sev, the more I think about this, the more it seems like there is an element to this story we’re not getting and it’s not because of some alleged coverup on the part of the Marines. The links you provide just add more mystery to all this and make me dislike Rep. Murtha all the more for his jumping the gun (no pun intended) before we get any final reports.
Sister Toldjah says:

June 2, 2006 at 8:44 am

PS: I read somewhere last night (I forget the link) that there was barely a stir in Haditha amongst the Iraqis living there after this allegedly took place, which backs up Crossan’s account. A few higher up Hadithans gave the military some grief about it, then money was paid, and that was that.

A lot different from Abu Ghraib, where we saw Iraqis protesting in the streets over the treatment of detainees there.
Ryan says:

June 2, 2006 at 10:44 am

The killing of women and children. That sounds like the norm of another group.. oh yeah,terrorists.

The MSM doesn’t get this worked up when terrorists kill innocents on purpose.
Severian says:

June 2, 2006 at 11:09 am

I’ve been expecting a big “media” push by the terrorists in Iraq. It’s the only arena where they have had success, and they know, particularly by monitoring the constant bleating of our Democratic “patriots” (gag), that playing the Vietnam card is the only hope they have of winning. Unfortunately it’s a pretty solid chance for them, given the nature of our media and Democrats.

I think we’re seeing the push now, the start of it. I fully expect that there will now be a flurry of such reports, most if not all false but hard to verify as such, and again most if not all of which will be picked up by the MSM and Democrats and broadcast as “facts.”
Severian says:

June 2, 2006 at 11:14 am

And it’s already starting, I just cut and pasted this from Drudge, it’s their headlines:

3rd Allegation of Iraq Civilian Deaths…

A) 7 Marines, Navy corpsman to Face Charges in Iraqi’s Death From April…

B) CLAIMS OF NEW U.S. ‘IRAQ MASSACRE’ TAPE FROM MARCH…

C) Officers Likely to Be Charged in Haditha Killings fom Novemeber…

Bodies to Be Exhumed…
Big Bang Hunter says:

June 2, 2006 at 11:44 am

– The Left is not going to let up on this for one simple reason. History has shown that in a war setting, especially if its successfully concluded, but even if its ongoing, the incumbent party tends to stay in power. There’s two principle reasons for this. The first is people are simply afraid to change horses in midstream because it might mess things up in some way they can’t be sure of, and second because any sort of success by the existing administration, puts it in the “why change” category among voters.

– The Liberals know this, so the game plan is to attack the entire WOT operation from top to bottom. So it has nothing to do with Patriotism in their minds. They see it as strickly politics. They justify that by denying a war even exists for starters, and then go from there. No war, no Insurgents, No enemy, then you can subvert at will, and avoid the dichotomy of aide and support to the enemy. They desperately want, and think they need, the WOT off the table by the time 2008 rolls around.

– I’m sure they’re really frustrated with the Iranian situation, because that sets the stage to keep the whole WOT thing going visably in the press, which is the last thing they want. Watch for the Left to do everything they can to “minimize” Iran as a threat, and blame and continue to demonize Isreal for being the protagonist in all problems concerning the middle east.

– So far the whole thing has back-fired on them badly, gaining them the widespread rep of being soft on terror, and not to be trusted in a war setting. Murtha, and all the others are trying to turn this into another Vietnam, because it worked once, and they think it will work again. You’re not likely to see two weeks in a row go by without “something”, even if they have to make things up, or spread wild rumors ahead of the facts, the principle being the truth doesn’t matter, just the perceptions.

– So we have the unfortunate situation of having a fairly smallish, but vociferous minority, that will attempt to push the US efforts and diplomacy through the press and the so-called anti-war effort, when really it’s a political scheme to regain power.

– One grace saving item that works against the hard left, is this intercinal war thats starting within the Democratic party between the Deaniac’s and the Clintonista’s. Hopefully that will limit their effectiveness, which could put all Americans in even greater danger, with the Jihadists taking advantage of every aspect of the PR war, since their “movement” has been shredded in every other regard.

– Bang
G-Monster says:

June 2, 2006 at 12:33 pm

Who do you think would win in an armwrestling contest? Howard Dean or Hillary Clinton? I think it would be too close to call.
Mwalimu Daudi says:

June 2, 2006 at 2:11 pm

Who do you think would win in an armwrestling contest? Howard Dean or Hillary Clinton?

Hillary would hire a public servant (at taxpayer expense) to wrestle for her since no Good Democrat gets his/her hands dirty doing any kind of manual labor. Dr. Dean would be disqualified – you can’t arm wrestle in a straitjacket.

The winner: Hilly the Hun (by proxy)
Baklava says:

June 2, 2006 at 3:39 pm

Thanks for the post ST!

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