Savages release video of soldiers mutilation
This was inevitable, you knew it was coming. The terrorist savages in Iraq have released a video of Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Tucker, members of the 101st Airborne division abducted, tortured and killed by al Qaeda in Iraq.
I watched the video, I looked at the photos. In my mind, I had to. As a supporter of this war it is important to see what we are facing. It is also critical that we understand why it is so important to maintain our resolve to defeat this enemy.
This Sunday night at 8pm est, we will be welcoming back to Pundit Review Radio one of our great military strategists, Ralph Peters. His new book, which I have just finished, is titled Never Quit The Fight. I can’t think of a more fitting guest this weekend.
Here is some blogger reaction to the video, from people we like and respect,
We need to show that this butchery does not frighten us but steels our resolve to put a permanent end to such evil. The US has to prove that it will not retreat in the face of savagery, but will beat it with professionalism and unstoppable resolve. If we do not, we will make the same mistake that Bill Clinton did in Somalia and Ronald Reagan did in Beirut.
We mourn the loss of Kristian and Thomas. We also feel rage at the soulless bastards who not only committed these acts but videotaped it as a point of pride. And we know that they can never beat us, because if they could, they wouldn’t have to rely on these tactics to get us to quit. We don’t run from cowards.
If you donâ??t want to watch a video of a decapitated body, you shouldnâ??t. But whether you watch it or not, you should be aware that this is what the terrorists are doing to our soldiers.
WARNING: THIS VIDEO IS DISGUSTING, BE PREPARED.
July 11th, 2006 at 9:14 am
Kevin,
First off, nobody is going to argue with you that the murder of the American soldiers is not a heinous act. With that said, you consistently downplay or outright ignore the reasons why these attacks occur. The US alone brought death and destruction to the Iraqi people through a series of manipulations and lies. US soldiers raped and murdered an Iraqi girl, which is said to be the motivation behind the revenge killings against these American troops.
The U.S., through the lies of a criminal administration and a corrupted Congress, started a war against a sovereign country that posed no threat. Are you so brainwashed by pro-America propaganda that you cannot possibly understand how the occupation of Iraq would cause a revolt against its occupiers (whose leading military men can retire to the solidified Green Zone unlike the poor Iraqis stuck in a life of hell)? Can America, and especially a Republican-led America, ever do wrong in your eyes?
July 11th, 2006 at 9:43 am
John,
You accusing me of being brainwashed is priceless. Thanks for the laugh.
Kevin
July 11th, 2006 at 11:19 am
Is this the “John” or the other John who occasionally chimes in? If this was written by the “John”, then I can put the above statement in some context.
July 11th, 2006 at 11:29 am
Look at his statement. Sounds like conspiracy John to me.
Kevin
PS: for the record, I have criticized Bush for not having enough troops on the ground post invasion, for fighting with half-measures, for not killing Al-sadr when we should have, for failing to publicly and forcefully defend the mission. That doesn’t mean I think Iraq wasn’t the right move at the right time (it was). It just means I support the mission, despite some obvious, serous missteps from the administration. Despite these mistakes, we have accomplished a great deal in Iraq thanks to the incredible men and women of our military, and the efforts of the Iraqi’s themselves.
July 11th, 2006 at 11:35 am
As always, Kevin, it is not my intent to be critical, and I am well aware that certain friction is caused by our polar opposite opinions and beliefs.
To me, the title of your post reveals just how wrapped up you are in the pro-America propaganda to which I refer. It would never occur to you that the American soldiers who raped and killed this Iraqi girl are also “terrorist savages”, and that this act could have been the driving motivation for the equally savage act against the two US soldiers. To even consider these acts in a morally equivalent manner is abhorrent to you, and anybody who dares do so must be anti-American. This thought process is embedded and ingrained, and it has been so since you picked up your first textbook in grade school and attended your first 4th of July parade. Because of this incessant pro-America propaganda, it is impossible for you to even conceive that America could have started this war for sinister reasons. Furthermore, it is utterly inconceivable to you that the administration could have staged an attack against its own citizens in order to create the fear-based environment necessary to engender general support for pre-emptive war against a poor, defenseless country thousands of miles away. It is similarly inconceivable to you that the recent rash of foiled and flimsy terrorist plots could be cheap government propaganda meant to play at the fears of a citizenry before elections.
I know you will dismiss what I have said as the rantings of a lunatic, but I felt you at least needed to hear it.
July 11th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
John,
Listen to the Someone You Should Know from Sunday, I did call the US troops who did that savages, and I said they have made the mission in Iraq more difficult and that they should be executed if convicted. Is that clear enough?
The difference is, when our troops do that, it is the exception to the rule. It is the rule for the savages on the other side. Don’t even try to compare the two.
Kevin
July 11th, 2006 at 5:14 pm
Kevin, quite frankly, it is unbelievable to me that you still uncritically accept every rationale given by the administration for this war. Moreover, Kevin, this “War on Terror” has so manipulated you that you are willing to excuse torture, willing to excuse incarceration without due process, willing to excuse any and all surveillance measures against US citizens, etc. These are NOT America’s founding principles.
At this point, I sense that you would support any and all wars undertaken by this administration as long as the “War on Terror” is invoked. Gregg is so fully invested emotionally, financially and reputationally in conservatism that he has no choice but to support and defend this administration (not realizing or seemingly caring that this administration doesn’t at all follow the traditional and respectable tenets of conservatism). Are you really any different, Kevin?
July 11th, 2006 at 7:30 pm
John,
Taking advice on rational behavior and uncritical thinking from a guy who believes the war on terror is a ‘myth’ and that the government was behind 9-11 is simply too much.
Kevin
July 12th, 2006 at 7:37 am
Kevin, I stand 100% behind everything I’ve posted about 9/11 and the “War on Terror”. I have very real and sane reasons to believe as I do. I understand that it is beyond comprehension to you that your government and its co-conspirators could murder its own citizens. This is very naive.
July 12th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
John,
For the record, I agree with you when you said:
“I know you will dismiss what I have said as the rantings of a lunatic, but I felt you at least needed to hear it.”
Yes John, you are a lunatic and a kook and engaging you in any type of rational discussion is pontless. You are a crazy conspiracy kook. that is not meant to be an ad hom attack. It is the truth plain and simple. I feel sorry for you. And I suggest that if you really believe that your government is as sinister, destructive, and evil as you claim, that you relocate yourself to another country. Why not move to France for example. You would have a great deal in common with the average anti-Semitic, American hating, Hollocuast denying, socialist Frenchman. Bon Voyage John.
Gregg
July 12th, 2006 at 3:26 pm
Hey there now, let’s watch out for the over the top generalized France bashing there. Those types of statements are usually made by people with little knowledge of the French nation, its general opinions, recent history and French politics. There are probably more people in the US that fit that description that in France. Gregg, you seem way too intelligent for that sort of general comment.
Sorry for intruding. Just a soft spot with me because I feel that the French nation and its recent history is distorted and confused.
But other than that, please, carry on. This is great reading.
July 12th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
If the World Cup taught us anything, it’s too be a little careful how you insult the French. (Optimist, I am assuming that you are not the son of a terrorist whore)
July 12th, 2006 at 5:51 pm
Optimist,
I’ve been to France and met some nice people. No doubt, nice people everywhere. I stand by my comments though about endemic anti-semitism (on the rise in most of Europe but mostly in France and Germany). I also stand by my remarks about them being Anti-American given their involvement in Oil for Food with Iraq and their general intransigence and opposition to the US garnering a resolution to use force against Iraq when we needed them to butress our position. We saved their bacon many times and they consistently insult us and work against our best interests. I do take back the part about equating the average French person with somebody who denies the holocust. That was way over the top. It is John who I believe is a Holocust denier. At any rate, I prefer Italy.
Gregg
July 12th, 2006 at 7:31 pm
I would like to think that the anti-semitism in France is not yet endemic, and I believe it is just a very loud minority. I have many French friends and study their politics pretty closely, and don’t see it as that bad yet. Yet. It does worry me greatly that it is hanging out in the shadows and could be a problem, and ambivalence to the problem that could grow is a common trait by French society. IT worries me.
And I would say that the current government is anti-Bush. Definitely. And there has been a strong undercurrent of jealousy/parochialism in their politics towards the American government since DeGaul stepped in. I do disagree with the statement that most French people hate Americans. The government, you have an argument. The people, absolutely not.
Now as for the save the bacon statement, I would love to have a long conversation with your about the military realities of World War II and what the French did and what they have done to honor us since. Was the US a major force is saving France? Absolutely. We should be proud of that like no other thing the US has done. But so were the French, the British, the Soviets, the Poles, etc. Thousands of Allied airmen were saved from Nazi hands by brave French civilians and Marquis (sp?) French forces fought side by side US forces in Africa, Italy (Monte Cassino and Gustav Line especially), D-Day, the push to the Rhine, etc.
And the French have meticulously kept many American cemetaries in France. They remember the men who fought there in many ways (reunions, statues and memorials are still meticulously kept, etc.) The average Frenchman I have met is much more aware of the US role in World War II than the average American, sadly enough.
If you are thinking World War I, that is an even deeper conversation about bacon saving. I will leave that alone since I am probably the only one reading this site who is still interested in the divisional tactics of French commanders during Verdun.
DO I think they owe the US anything anymore after 60 years. In the same way that I feel US citizens should be thankful to Russia for the millions who died in the war vs Nazi’s as well.
But I will agree with you that the current French government is extremely short sited in terms of their policies. They are antagonistic to US interests and I think are trying to be a real world power again as well as keep their enormous Muslim polulation quiet (that ain’t really working out too well.) This is a bad road they are taking, and I think they will regret it. But the they I am speaking of is the French government. I am a firm believer that the French people are and will always be allies of the US.
Sorry for the diatribe here. I am pretty passionate about the subject. France and the US have been allies since the founding of our nation, and we need each other in the long run. Western civilized countries have to be united and militarily strong, and the whacky current French government policies are temporary. The bond between the US and France is not. So I try to point out the importance of fixing the relationship on all levels wherever I can.
Thanks for the soapbox.
Terry
July 12th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
The evil islamic people make me sicker and sicker. I was in Yusefiah Iraq at the same spot that the 2 were kidnapped. My company hit many IEDS in that area. Let me say the terrorists there are cowards. For the most part they will not fight face to face. They wont even show there face they hide behind a veil. Seeing what they done to my brothers just makes my resolve that much more determined. We are in a full scale war not with terrotists but with the Muslim world. Make no mistake about it. No one in yusefiah would turn in their terrorist brothers not for fear of retribution but because they are terrorists themselfs. These people are monsters that deserve no better than for a worse than Sadam Hussein to rule over them. We gave them freedom alright the freedom to murder each other. I say we step out of the way and let them fight there civil war til the last man. I am bitter at these people for many reasons. WE trained up the Iraqi National Guard and when we were attacked in Yusefiah they would run because they are cowards. I was shot at by the same people we trained up. We found out through intel that they were using their cellphones to call to there brother when we would leave base and then they would be ready with an IED or car bomb. I am behind my President and my country so dont misunderstand me. But I am against this Islamofacist worlde movement that 98% of the muslim world support. It is written in there Koran that it is there duty to jihad and if they cant do that then to support the jihad finacially. They are committed to there religion. They have murdered to of my comrades in such an evil fasion that it makes me want to go back to Yusefiah. Let me say to the families that I feel so much pain and sorrow. may God Almighty comfort you sincerely Forrest
July 13th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
Terry and Forest,
Excellent posts!
Gregg