The Haditha Conspiracy

By: James E. Stoll, 6/03/2006

Let’s suppose that you are one of those fearless elected leaders of this nation who voted to send our children to a God forsaken place in the world, to fight a war with a political agenda, in a land that is populated by a people who believe it is their God-given duty to blow themselves up in the midst of crowded markets, or other gathering places, with the sole purpose of killing as many innocent men, women and children as possible. A land where one cannot distinguish friend from foe. Let’s also suppose that you are one of those fearless leaders who approved the “rules of engagement” for America’s forces, knowing that the enemy’s only rule is the oldest rule in the history of warfare: “Do whatever it takes”.

As you contemplate the much reported “horrible atrocities” committed by our valiant warriors in a war they did not choose to fight, while sitting in your comfortable easy chair, in your air conditioned office, with hot coffee and fresh donuts available on demand, surrounded outside by concrete barriers and protected by your own private police force, why don’t you try to envision yourself as one of those warriors, living as they live, enduring as they endure, fighting their battles as they fight them, in the place where you sent them, under rules in which they had no say in the writing.

It is 6:00 AM and your company has been ordered to patrol a small city named Haditha, in the midst of an area that is known to be a hotbed of insurgent activity, to seek out and destroy as many insurgents as you can locate. Your company, consists of 16 marines, ages 19 and 20, led by an “experienced” Staff Sergeant, age 21, who is the senior rated person in the patrol and therefore, in command. You are traveling in two lightly armored Humvees, which are known to have a soft underbelly. Each member of your company is wearing full body armor, carrying automatic weapons, rocket propelled grenades and hand grenades. Each member also carrys 60 pounds of ammunition, medical supplies, emergency rations, water and radios, in the event that their vehicle is disabled and/or they are forced to fight on foot. It is early and rather cool this morning, just under 110 degrees. But, God it’s hot under all this friggin’ gear. You are soaking wet.

As you penetrate deeper and deeper into the maize of the city, on its narrow dirt roadways, you realize that you are subject to surprise attack from any direction, including the rooftops. There is virtually no one visible on the street, but it’s early and all seems calm. Then suddenly, hell erupts all around you. A huge explosion, smoke, fire and debris everywhere. Your Humvee is ripped apart and disabled. Your comrade, sitting across from you is cut in half, his blood and body parts splattered all over you and your compartment. You, and your comrades who are still living, are now sitting ducks. An IED, buried in the dirt roadway, has exploded. Did the civilians know the IED was there? Of course they did. Would they warn you? Of course not. You’re mad and scared and you didn’t notice the temperature as it passed 115 degrees F.

Fearing a trap, by an enemy with a history of almost always fighting with civilians, women and children as human shields, you know that your company must respond quickly, if you hope to stay alive. But wait. First, your “experienced” Sergeant must ascertain what level of force is permissible in this situation, under the latest rules of engagement. You can attempt to withdraw on foot, using the remaining operable vehicle as cover, knowing that, if you are successful, your company will likely be labeled as cowards in the face of the enemy. You could exit the vehicles and approach the buildings on either side of the street on foot, knowing that you and your company would be little more than targets in a shooting gallery. Now you see another vehicle pull into the middle of the street behind you and stop, blocking your retreat. Then, shots ring out from a building on one side of the street and the die is cast. You know you are in a trap and the only alternatives left are to either kill or be killed. So be it. The only rule of this engagement is now : Stay Alive.

The Sergeant in command orders the operable vehicle to move tight against the buildings from which the shots were fired, with that squad exiting the vehicle to take cover against the wall of the buildings. He orders the survivors of your squad to exit your vehicle and take cover against the building wall on the other side of the street. Both squads assign sharpshooters to watch the roofs on the opposite side of the street. The vehicle blocking the street behind you suddenly starts to back up and both squads cut it to shreds, until it stops, killing all of its passengers. The squad on the side of the street from which shots were fired are now ordered to start kicking in doors, first spraying the inside space with automatic weapons fire and then throwing in grenades before entering the rooms. The insurgents, who planted the IED and set the trap, have all melted away, out the back doors, taking their guns with them. Your company is left holding the bag with one dead marine and a bunch of dead civilians, women and children who had been used, as cover, by the insurgents.

You know now that the object of the engagement was never to kill one company of Marines. It was intended to trick you into believing that you were in a trap, forcing you to take actions based on that belief, thereby causing you to commit what could later be proclaimed by the masses, the media, and friendly government figures around the world, as a massacre, to be condemned by all as a “horrible atrocity”. Image conscious U.S. leaders will then finish the job by either executing the valiant warriors who were suckered and had fought only to save themselves, or by jailing them for the rest of their lives.

Quit trying to be so apologetic and think about it. Your problem is that you cannot believe that a people like these people exist. Until you do, our valiant warriors will forever face triple jeopardy, wherever you send them: The environment, the enemy and their nation’s respected leaders. There is no honor in defeat. There is no justice in victory. War is Hell.