In the disputed shooting of a wounded "insurgent" on 13 November, critics of the liberation of Fallujah accused a Marine of committing a war crime, despite the fact that terrorists have attacked Iraqi and US forces after playing dead a number of times. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports on another such incident today, providing even more context for the action on 13 November:

The US military says Marines in Fallujah have shot and killed an insurgent who engaged them as he was faking being dead, a week after footage of a marine killing an apparently unarmed and wounded Iraqi caused a stir in the region.

"Marines from the 1st Marine Division shot and killed an insurgent who while faking dead opened fire on the marines who were conducting a security and clearing patrol through the streets," a military statement said.

The Geneva Convention, which antiwar activists and pundits accused the US of violating in the earlier incident, requires that both sides not only be signatories to the pact but also that both sides represent a legitimate state military in order for it to apply. It also requires that both sides adhere to the treaty. The terrorists of Fallujah obviously fail on all three criteria. Failing the application of the GC, the UCMJ gives conditions for lawful combat, but given how the enemy operates in this theater, shooting anyone faking death seems like a wise and prudent choice.

If I have to choose between a Marine who protects himself and his unit against terrorists or a dead unit that nonetheless satisfies our critics' idea of how to conduct a military operation, I'll choose the former every single time. In that theater of battle, the only safe jihadi is a dead jihadi.

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» Sites Updates His Blog from Sue Bob's Diary
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Tracked on November 22, 2004 2:51 PM

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Tracked on November 22, 2004 3:37 PM

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Tracked on November 22, 2004 4:54 PM

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Tracked on November 22, 2004 8:03 PM

» Matthew's Reaction to Combat Situation Telling from The Kool Aid Report
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Tracked on November 22, 2004 8:33 PM

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Does anyone else find it fascinating that a media which aided the presidential prospects of a self-admitted war criminal can do a 180 degree turn when presented with an opportunity to stick it to the military? [Read More]

Tracked on November 23, 2004 6:36 AM