Anger Management in Iraq

The "war" in Iraq has been going on now for about three years. Because a good majority of 18 to 25 year olds are too intellectually independent and cynical to get sucked into the parade of bullshit propaganda peddled by the armed forces, the net result is that the different branches of military service are having a harder and harder time meeting their recruitment goals. As a result, many of our soldiers have had to suffer through multiple deployments in an area of the world where there is no clear demarcation to separate the good guys from the bad guys. Some battalions are on their third tour and have spent more time with their combat units than they have watching their kids grow up. The troops are exhausted, on edge, constantly on the look out for danger; both real and perceived. An innocent looking little boy walking down the street in Anytown, Iraq is looked at by a Humvee full of war, weary soldiers as another potential combatant, another gibbering Towel Head whose sole intention is to plant another roadside bomb or detonate themselves at a check point in the name of Allah the Great.

In this environment of hyper-vigilism, where friend and foe co-exist hand in hand, it's no small wonder that a small group of soldiers cracked and summarily executed a group of Iraqi civilians, raging over the fact that one of their own was a victim of another road side bomb. Anger and rage develop because there isn't an outlet. The day in and day out grind of being at war, in such an incredibly difficult, unconventional environment, creates the situation where such lapses of judgment take place. Where soldiers who are trained to be disciplined, self-incinerate when subjected to another killing, another death.

Yet, the death of a fellow soldier, a good friend, is not justified even in this maelstrom of circular violence. The rules of war and engagement have to be followed. We are seen as occupiers at this stage in the game, not liberators. Anything we do is intensely scrutinized by the Iraqis. The fact that our soldiers killed innocent civilians, which included a man in a wheelchair and women and children is not going to help the cause. Attempting to initially cover it up made things even worse, if that's possible. This lapse of ethical judgment is going to fuel the intensity of hatred directed at us resulting in more death and more carnage. It is going to prompt more and more Muslims to rally against the Infidels. Even moderate Muslims are going to heed the call for Jihad. We are seen the world over as a bunch of imperialistic bullies. When the world hears and sees this level of moral ineptitude from a country who prides themselves on defending democratic principals and everything these principals entail, we reflect back our own hypocrisy. A hypocrisy that the world understands, but which we so often deny.

Iraq is a tough place to be right now, especially if your an American. It's harsh. People die every day. It's an environment that easily can turn disciplined soldiers into animals, as we have seen. Yet, because of who we are and what we stand for as a country, we have the responsibility to model for the world the kinds of ethical and moral standards that we expect from others. Every single Marine that is found to have taken part in this massacre should be put on trial for murder. What they did was wrong, heinously wrong. Maybe, if the world sees we follow our standards as much as we push them on others, they will see what it is we are really made of.