The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Knock Yourself Out, Mr. President

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The Spectacle Blog

Knock Yourself Out, Mr. President

By Paul Beston on 5.31.06 @ 5:48PM

A group of Marines, if an ongoing investigation finds that their killings of Iraqi civilians in Haditha were actually akin to murder, face the most severe of punishments. As Dave notes below, certain segments of the media are all too eager to reach negative conclusions in the matter. What does the President have to say about it? Granted, he can’t opine on the innocence or guilt of the Marines, but how about a statement of support for who they are and the conditions they are laboring under in Iraq, which included losing one of their own to one of the ubiquitous roadside bombs in the area they were patrolling? How about publicly stating some equivalent of Rudy Giuliani’s position regarding the NYPD – that they should be given the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise? How about a ringing defense of the Marine Corps, a reminder of what Americans owe them, and a stern rebuke to the media for its transparent eagerness to create another scandal in Iraq, one that will directly impact the safety of the men fighting over there?

Nah. The President says “I am troubled by the initial news stories,” as generic a statement as can be made. He stresses that there will be punishment for those who are guilty. He talks about Marine pride, but only in the context of saying, again, that they will be sure to punish the guilty. There is no message of reassurance for the Marines in harm’s way, but there is plenty for the Arab world and the American media. Pathetic.

topics:
Iraq