soldier cleared!!!

[amsterdam]

an army soldier has been cleared of killing an unarmed iraqi he said he shot to save a fellow soldier.Staff Sgt. Shane Werst,32,was acquitted thursday by a jury of four soldiers and two officers.he had faced a maximum of life in prison without parole for the charge.

thank god.

[sawleaf]

Good news! :)

[amsterdam]

great news!!

[amsterdam]

thats all we need,our soldiers afraid to pop a cap in a terrorists ass because of far left interest groups.(amnesty,aclu,etc,) attempting to press charges against them.

[nicholasstanko]

Well maybe if the government and mass media would stop fucking around and let us get some round the clock footage we could ALL see what life in iraq is like. but...of course not because they're killing everyone.

[amsterdam]

Well maybe if the government and mass media would stop fucking around and let us get some round the clock footage we could ALL see what life in iraq is like. but...of course not because they're killing everyone.

sure thing buddy. :D :confused:

[makor01]

youre not supposed to see it. this war is already to TV friendly....fuck putting this shit on tv.

[Button Basher]

What was the unarmed Iraqi doing to put the other soldiers life in danger?

[XTC]

What was the unarmed Iraqi doing to put the other soldiers life in danger?

Come On Basher you're smarter than this. It's a WAR! There have been reports that Enemy soldiers play dead only to launch a gernade or stab/shoot Enemy solider checks for vitals. I am with Amsterdam on this one. No US Soldier should of been in the public crosshairs for doing what he was told.

[Button Basher]

I don't know anything about it. It's US news.

I just assumed an unarmed Iraqi wouldn't be much of a threat. Was he throwing stones or what?

[makor01]

rules of engagement in this situation are pretty easy...youre in a hostile zone, where people have weapons and you are taking fire. as long as the enemy isnt surrendering with a white flag or screaming I GIVE UP I GIVE UP, and the soldier feels threatened, bam you can pull the trigger. Even if this guy is laying on the ground not saying a word...in an assault force you engage all enemys as you bound. However, once youve reached the LOA (limit of advance) you CANNOT go back and do whats called "double tapping". Double tapping is going back on the objective and killing whoever is left alive. Instead what you do is when you go back over the objective and take pow's and collect weapons/intelligence.

I was personally in a situation where i shot an afgan without a rifle in his hands as he ran towards our patrol...after searching his body we found 3 frag grenades strapped to his belt with a string attached to the pins. This "unarmed" afghan could of taken out our whole squad with those grenades. In situations like this you cant be too sure until afterwards. So what do you do? Ask the friendly Iraqi if he means you harm, or do you attempt to save your own life because you have a bad feeling? These are decisions that have to be made in a split second. If any of you have actually experienced combat youll know that shit happens so fast its insane, and the urban enviorment in iraq doesnt make matters better. There were times when i was in a fire fight, that i didnt remember anything that happened until ive had a few days to think about it. With all the IED's and sucicide bombers in that area, for all this soldier knew, that guy could of had a detonator on him, or was wrapped with c4 or some shit like that.

Shit is so fluid in combat that sometimes you dont know if youre coming or going. Nomatter what...in war....shit will happen. On both sides.

[Button Basher]

Thanks for the constructive post Makor. I stand corrected. :)