Interesting piece on the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2 yesterday.
Skip to 1 hour 35 mins to listen.
All about the My Lai Massacre.
This was a massacre of 500 men, women and children in Vietnam in 1968.
The only solider convicted was Lt Calley who was convicted on 22 counts of murder for the 1968.
He served three years under house arrest.
"The White House almost never interferes"
Listen to the Radio 2 programme and it appears that the sentence was so light because President Nixon interfered in the case because it helped his political campaign.
US soldier massacre of civilians.
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andy at handiwork
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Re: US soldier massacre of civilians.
He was inexplicably regarded as a hero by many at the time. I can think of some on here for whom he would undoubtedly be a poster-boy.
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Mike Evans
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Re: US soldier massacre of civilians.
"The White House almost never interferes"
That was in 1968, and the U.S. media would destroy Obama, If he did something like that today.
"He was inexplicably regarded as a hero by many at the time. I can think of some on here for whom he would undoubtedly be a poster-boy.:
Yes, the U S military covered up the massacre. U.S. admirals and generals don't have the power they had back in 1968. Congress and the President would prosecute those reasonable for a massacre.
That was in 1968, and the U.S. media would destroy Obama, If he did something like that today.
"He was inexplicably regarded as a hero by many at the time. I can think of some on here for whom he would undoubtedly be a poster-boy.:
Yes, the U S military covered up the massacre. U.S. admirals and generals don't have the power they had back in 1968. Congress and the President would prosecute those reasonable for a massacre.
Re: US soldier massacre of civilians.
Happens in all walks of life - this guy cracked had access to guns and went walkabout. Sad thing is the yanks took him home - they should have left him with the afghans to let them deal with it. If they did Im pretty sure he wouldnt be still around after doing something like that. Hopefully the yanks will pop him but I dont think they will.
Re: US soldier massacre of civilians.
On the news this morning that the soldier accused of the killings has been flown out to Kuwait.
I wonder how long it will be before he is back in the USA?
Also in the paper yesterday that another British Subject was being extradited to the US to face charges of cyber-crime.
I think it's obvious now. The plan is whatever crime you commit, no matter wherever in the world you commit it, you have to go to the USA for trial.
It obvious really, the USA is the only country in the world that we can trust to deliver impartial justice.
I wonder how long it will be before he is back in the USA?
Also in the paper yesterday that another British Subject was being extradited to the US to face charges of cyber-crime.
I think it's obvious now. The plan is whatever crime you commit, no matter wherever in the world you commit it, you have to go to the USA for trial.
It obvious really, the USA is the only country in the world that we can trust to deliver impartial justice.
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David Johnson
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Mike
"Yes, the U S military covered up the massacre. U.S. admirals and generals don't have the power they had back in 1968. Congress and the President would prosecute those reasonable for a massacre."
Really? What about the Haditha massacre in 2005 where 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians, men, women and children were shot at close range, multiple times by US marines. The only solder convicted in the Haditha case walked free last month with a "general discharge under honourable conditions"
Really? What about the Haditha massacre in 2005 where 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians, men, women and children were shot at close range, multiple times by US marines. The only solder convicted in the Haditha case walked free last month with a "general discharge under honourable conditions"
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Mike Evans
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Re: Mike
David Johnson,
We live in a free society with the rule of law. And the soldiers who did the murders fell threw the cracks. The U. S. prosectuors couldn't get the Iraqis, who saw the massacre to come and testify in the U.S., so the 7 marines got away with the murders.
Every military has trash in it, some more so than others. So incidents like the Haditha massacre will always happen in war. U. S. military doesn't sanction actions like this. If it did massacres would happen everyday in Afghanistan.
We live in a free society with the rule of law. And the soldiers who did the murders fell threw the cracks. The U. S. prosectuors couldn't get the Iraqis, who saw the massacre to come and testify in the U.S., so the 7 marines got away with the murders.
Every military has trash in it, some more so than others. So incidents like the Haditha massacre will always happen in war. U. S. military doesn't sanction actions like this. If it did massacres would happen everyday in Afghanistan.
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David Johnson
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Re: Mike
"U. S. military doesn't sanction actions like this. If it did massacres would happen everyday in Afghanistan."
Depends what you mean by massacre. Quote from US General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of Nato troops in Afghanistan "We have shot an amazing number of people, but to my knowledge, none has ever proven to be a threat".
In Pakistan, drone attacks have killed 2,300 including hundreds of civilians and 175 children. Is a massacre any less of a massacre in that it comes from a drone, as opposed to a volley of bullets at close quarters?
Depends what you mean by massacre. Quote from US General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of Nato troops in Afghanistan "We have shot an amazing number of people, but to my knowledge, none has ever proven to be a threat".
In Pakistan, drone attacks have killed 2,300 including hundreds of civilians and 175 children. Is a massacre any less of a massacre in that it comes from a drone, as opposed to a volley of bullets at close quarters?
Re: US soldier massacre of civilians.
"The U. S. prosecutors couldn't get the Iraqis, who saw the massacre to come and testify in the U.S".
That's a good excuse.
Who can blame them for not wanting to go to the US?
If the US really wanted their marines tried surely the witnesses could have appeared on a video link from Iraq?
Anyway, I thought the US just "rendered" to American Custody anyone they wanted to appear in a US court.
Rendition, another word for "kidnap".
"We live in a free society with the rule of law".
Who is this "we".
Tell that to the 300 (?) detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, some who have been there for over ten years without trial and without any sign of there ever being a trial.
That's a good excuse.
Who can blame them for not wanting to go to the US?
If the US really wanted their marines tried surely the witnesses could have appeared on a video link from Iraq?
Anyway, I thought the US just "rendered" to American Custody anyone they wanted to appear in a US court.
Rendition, another word for "kidnap".
"We live in a free society with the rule of law".
Who is this "we".
Tell that to the 300 (?) detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, some who have been there for over ten years without trial and without any sign of there ever being a trial.
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Mike Evans
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Re: US soldier massacre of civilians.
I should stop responding to your responses. Yes, we "kidnap" criminals who have warrants issued for them from U.S. courts. But Guantanamo Bay is military base on foreign soil outside of the jurisdiction of the U.S. court system. Thats why the Bush chose Gitmo in the first place. Many detainees we released have returned to battlefield against us.