Let me get this straight…
I’m so confused on what is considered "right" these days.
The Middle East is in an uproar regarding the shooting of a wounded insurgent who had previously taken an attacking position from a mosque.
Meanwhile, the insurgents are beheading innocent Westerners who are helping to rebuild their country. Or worse yet, a Brit who spent close to three decades dedicating her life to helping the Iragi people — and even marrying an Iraqi.
And has it been mentioned that the insurgents have employed the technique of booby trapping the dead and the wounded? Our soldiers face unbelievable risks and have to fight through situational perceptions that aren’t what they appear. We are fighting an enemy that has never played by the rules — and so what rules must we now play by?
In war, it seems okay to kill if you get that first good shot in. But thereafter, there’s this confusing time-sensitive rule that seems to confuse the issue. Once someone is wounded and appears to be defenseless, you cannot finish the job. But why? What’s the difference between two shots fired within seconds; the first wounding and the second killing vs. two shots fired minutes or days apart? To me it all seems the same.
Obviously, war is terrible and terrible things are happening, but let’s not punish a Marine for trying to navigate the confusing rules of engagement for a very confusing war situation.
As always, just my opinion, I could definitely be wrong…but this is how I feel about this.