MSNBC Panel discusses Wikileaks.org's "Collateral Murder" Video - Part 1

I watched the full video here.
I cannot fathom how 2 journalists with camera bags and the small group of people with them, were identified as threats with "hostile intent". The two people I could see with rifles, had them shouldered and pointing down, not in an overtly threatening-to-shoot position. I never saw a RPG, I believe it was a longish camera lens for 3 reasons: a) though it's a grainy video, the object has light and dark stripes much typical sport or telephoto lenses. b) it's too short to be an RPG tube. And c) If it was an RPG tube, it wasn't loaded and so again, not immediately threatening.

I concur that these may very well be war crimes and the enactors should tried on those grounds.

I also find it quite sad that our troops, such as those doing the shooting that day are temporarily brainwashed into this blase'-yet-gung-ho-kill-em-all-rack-up-a-good-score attitude. I also find it not surprising that as these soldiers come home, there seems to be a trend of large numbers of PTSD diagnoses, suicides, etc. I'm starting to think that a fraction of PTSD, is actually morality setting in, or guilty consciences.

I'm not blaming the troops per say, they are expected to follow orders, etc. But I do believe they are responsible for their own actions and inability to express moral objections over inappropriate actions. Most have been subject to a public school system that supports the pack mentality. which works great for animals. This does not so work so well for humans given to hindsight and reflection. Thus, the high numbers suicides and PTSD claims.

General McChrystal's folly

This is my response to this op-ed piece on CNN by Frances Fragos Townsend on CNN ( whose article begins with an Editors' Note ("Frances Fragos Townsend, a CNN contributor on national security issues, was President George W. Bush's chief anti-terrorism and homeland security adviser. She is a partner in the law firm of Baker Botts LLP, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a consultant for Raytheon, a component manufacturer for drones used by the U.S. military in Afghanistan" - nothing suspicious about HER background,huh?):

It's admirable to watch the general take responsibility for his and his staff's comments. But shouldering responsibility means just that. Like it's admirable to volunteer for the Red Cross, but if ya don't show up, filling out the volunteer sign up sheet doesn't really mean anything. Insubordination is well defined across the branches of service in Article 88 of the UMCJ, and it has definitely been committed here to some degree. Did he think that Rolling Stone was not going to print that? Surely he had enough sense to get the gist of what reporter Mike Hastings was going to write before publishing it? Oh yeah-the General's pitiful PR guy already got fired. blah blah blah...

Ms. Townsend, wrote "...Every day he is surrounded by an enemy plotting to kill Americans in Afghanistan ..." Well, ma'am, I can solve this - **Get out of Afghanistan**. Period. We do not need it, nor do they want our COIN (COunterINsurgency stategy - euphemism for nation-building or American conquest - if you will)!!!
Let them be. They just want us out of their lands.
Ask their permission to hunt for Osama Bin Laden/Taliban/Al-Quaeda if you must, but do we really need 340,000 people to do that? Can't a wiseguy from Jersey get this done? Where is Tony Soprano when you need him? Or maybe a ninja assassin or three?

Come home Troops and defend the US! This nation-building COIN crud is an expensive and foolish measure altogether.
-havoth (disgusted at how this took our eye off the Gulf Disaster)