...or another "Jenin Massacre"? We won't find out until the investigation is complete, but expect the press to do its best to make it the former, without waiting for the facts.

What was the biblical comment about sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind?

Man-eating big cats are rare, probably because the ones that liked the taste of human flesh didn't get to reproduce. Armed humans are the deadliest predator the world has ever seen or is likely to.

I am reminded of one of the semi-humourous Niven's Laws: "Never throw shit at an armed man." And the commentary to it: "Never stand next to someone who is throwing shit at an armed man."

Both laws apply here. Darwin will take care of the terrorist problem, eventually. If they didn't want to get shot, they had two choices: Leave the area, or warn the troops. They did neither. Tough cheddar.

The article qoutes the witness as saying the Marines came directly after the IED went off, and then killed her family. The Marine spokesman says they searched the area for five hours looking for insurgents. If they shot a house full of people, someone would have heard the gunfire, or reinforcements would have found them soon after they entered the area OR at a minimum found the crowd gathered to gawk at the massacre.

When the time lines get closer together, then we may learn all we need to know. However, IF they actually did this, I'll lend the USMC 100' of rope I have laying around.

"If they didn't want to get shot, they had two choices: Leave the area, or warn the troops. They did neither. Tough cheddar."

Would that rule apply to the children too?

"If they didn't want to get shot, they had two choices: Leave the area, or warn the troops. They did neither. Tough cheddar."

Would that rule apply to the children too?

No it doesn't apply to children, however, you think there is EVER gonna be another easy hijacking in the US? It is a shame that the Iraqi's didn't learn the lesson of fallujah that STARTED this lesson, it should have been the last of "if you give into terrorism, you will only be a victim" then, it is the fault of the adults, NEVER! in my LIFE will I be shot in the back of the head, unless the trigger puller is a uniform wearing fraud. NEVER.

FIGHT! STRUGGLE, oppose the tyranny that would destroy you. Even if it is a government. You can't "fall" unless you actually stand, STAND, is the lesson of this.

Not saying this is what happened, but I'm surprised that someone hasn't manufactured this sort of incident before this. Particularly since one faction doesn't shrink from killing another faction's women and children.

"No it doesn't apply to children, however, you think there is EVER gonna be another easy hijacking in the US?"

Er... How does one go from this story to hijacking of airliners and then into a rant about tyranny?

Get back on your meds.

No matter what it is, it's not "another My Lai", because there's already an investigation going on, and not even the suggestion that any such activity is "under orders".

(I do like how they got a nice, long, inflammatory quote... from someone who claims he heard it from his 15 year old niece. Whose vantage point and source of the knowledge are completely unquestioned, oddly. This is reporting?

In fact, er, it looks like everything about this other than the investigation is hearsay. A city council member reports what "hospital officials and residents" told him, about where people were shot. Though of course, nothing about whether or not the "hospital officials" know who shot them, or anything about, say, a recovered bullet or two.

Then again, the report of 2 HMMWVs carrying 24 bodies in addition to the American crews seems ... unlikely. They're not exactly cargo vehicles.)

If there's truth to the Time report, I want those involved sent to prison for approximately forever, or executed, if the UCMJ allows it.

However, I don't take Time or AP reports on hearsay as gospel - especially reports that're almost all at one or two removes from the witnesses. If "Time's investigation" is of as high quality as they want me to think, I want it published in detail - and the evidence provided to the military tribunal for prosecution. This level of innuendo and hearsay, however, reads as a hatchet job.

Phil,

Who was responsible for those children? Their parents, right?

And what is the primary object of any animal that wants to have its genes transmitted? Right. It's PROTECT THE YOUNG AT ALL COSTS.

They didn't. Their genes will no longer be in the pool. Evolution in action. Tough.

"And what is the primary object of any animal that wants to have its genes transmitted? Right. It's PROTECT THE YOUNG AT ALL COSTS.
They didn't. Their genes will no longer be in the pool. Evolution in action. Tough."

Kids die and you say "tough"?

You're a looney, you know that?

Here, I'll spell it out for you: if we Americans want to think that we are better than everybody else, then we must ACT better than everybody else. That means that--get this--we DON'T SHOOT CHILDREN even if their parents aren't smart enough to hurl themselves in front of the fifty caliber bullets flying their way. And it also means that if we screw up, WE PUT PEOPLE ON TRIAL.

Unfortunately, recent history is not encouraging. We've seen that nobody higher than the rank of sergeant gets held accountable for their actions unless it's sexual harassment.

Phil,

I respectfully suggest that almost anyone and anything is better than those who not only blow up women and kids, but use brainwashed kids to do it. Or weren't you aware that a significant proportion of suicide bombers are minors by Western standards?

IF it happened the way it's been reported, of course I don't condone mowing down children with machine guns. But soldiers are human, and shit happens, and if you insist on bringing your kids into a war zone with you then don't cry about it when they get killed.

And if they weren't the bombers' kids, what were the people around them doing while they were setting up?