40yearfan

Military Readiness: Marines cleared


Two Marine unit commanders were recently cleared of wrongdoing following an extensive investigation and a highly unusual Court of Inquiry into their response to a roadside bombing ambush in Afghanistan last year. Nineteen Afghan civilians were killed in the aftermath of the bombing, when the Marines reported being under small-arms fire from both sides of the road and returned fire accordingly. Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland decided not to bring charges after three weeks of testimony. The Court of Inquiry concluded that the Marines “acted appropriately and in accordance with the rules of engagement and tactics, techniques and procedures in place at the time in response to a complex attack.”

Quite a difference the facts make, especially considering the rush to judgment by the media in the days immediately following the ambush. Media second-guessing and outright perfidy in this war is commonplace—the Haditha Marines’ trial in the court of public opinion being a classic example. What wasn’t expected was the public apology of Colonel John Nicholson, the Army Commander in the area in question, as well as the $2,000 payoffs to the families of “innocent civilians” who were killed (while apparently firing on the Marines, we might add).

We have to ask, is Colonel Nicholson now “deeply, deeply ashamed” about his actions during the event, and is he now being persecuted by his “terrible, terrible mistake” in so rashly accusing the Marines of wrongdoing? We hope not, but we also hope he’s man enough to apologize to all the Marines involved and get back to doing what we pay him to do: namely, attack our enemies and not our own troops.

Profiles of valor: USMC LCpl. Cardenas

U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Moses Cardenas of the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion was on a mission near Rawah, Iraq, when his platoon was assaulted by a suicide bomber, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy fire from machine guns. In the ensuing fight, Cardenas’ sergeant was hit, leaving the Lance Corporal with a choice: Rescue his wounded comrade or wait for reinforcements. “He was my sergeant; I had to do something,” Cardenas recalls, so he ran more than 50 meters through enemy fire to give aid to Sgt. Randy Roedema, and was shot in the neck en route. He continued on in spite of his injury, and managed to administer first aid. He then pulled Roedema back to the convoy’s position, intermittently returning fire along the way. When he made it back to the convoy, Cardenas continued fighting with his fellow Marines until the situation was under control and medics could tend to the wounded. Four days after Roedema’s life was saved, his wife gave birth to their first child. For his outstanding bravery, Cardenas was awarded the Silver Star.

FARC’s leader assumes room temperature

After decades of war, the Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) appear to be on the verge of defeat. A spokesman for the FARC has confirmed the death of Manuel Marulanda, the terrorist organization’s founder and leader. While FARC claims Marulanda died of a heart attack, Colombian military officials believe he might have expired as a result of their bombardments. If that is the case, then Marulanda is the third FARC secretariat member to be killed in one month by Colombian security forces and their allies.

The situation in Colombia is a remarkable turnaround from six years ago, when FARC occupied a vast territory and threatened to overwhelm Bogota, the nation’s capital. The terrorist organization was enjoying an annual budget of $600 million, which came from kidnapping, extortion and narcotic sales. (Talk about windfall profits.) In desperation, Colombians elected law-and-order politician Alvaro Uribe as their president, and who immediately began working with the United States to eliminate FARC by increasing Colombia’s military strength, cutting off FARC finances, and intercepting terrorist communications. Today FARC is a shell of its former self, having been driven back into Colombia’s remote jungles, where fighters are deserting faster than FARC can recruit them. The deaths of three prominent military leaders have only accelerated this trend, and the sense in Colombia is that FARC will not be able to reconstitute itself into a formidable fighting force.

If a lesson can be learned from FARC’s demise, it is that free nations can win the War on Terror one battle at a time; that it takes time and perseverance to win; and that terrorists must be confronted with overwhelming force, not words. It is a lesson our elected officials would do well to remember as the United States military finishes off what is left of al-Qa’ida in Iraq.

KloD

40, you forgot to give their full name.

The Patriot Post: The Conservative Journal of Record

I don't know if what you posted is truth or not, I do know that just as I don't read "liberal blogs", I don't waste time with conservative ones either. When their intent is to write from a one sided perspective, I give it zero validity. Just my opinion.

40yearfan

Look at the aritcles KloD. They are about the Haditha Marines being exonerated, a Marine winning the Silver Star, and FARC losing their founder and leader. You won't find these stories in MSM.