Marine accused

Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano could face the death penalty if convicted of charges made against him last week. The charges? Premeditated murder. The facts? He shot two suspected terrorists during a mission in Iraq. The case is frought with second-guessing, and could be a disaster for future combat operations if the charges aren't dropped.
April 2004 was the cruelest month in the Iraq insurgency. It was when the assault on Fallujah took place, as did significant action in Najaf and Sadr City. About one-third of the 147 U.S. servicemen killed that month were Marines. They were killed in firefights and ambushes, and risked explosive devices in the streets " the kind of attacks that require split-second decisions to survive.

Lt. Pantano was in precisely such a situation south of Baghdad on April 15. He was leading a quick-reaction platoon raiding a house full of weapons. Two suspected terrorists had emerged from the house, got into an SUV and tried to flee. The lieutenant and his comrades shot out the SUV's tires and made the suspects search the vehicle. When the suspects unexpectedly turned toward Lt. Pantano as if to rush him, Lt. Pantano ordered them in Arabic to stop. They didn't. So Lt. Pantano made a split-second decision to preserve his life and those of his men. It turned out the two suspects were unarmed. Lt. Pantano reported the incident to his superiors, who investigated it and accepted his version of the story. He then served several more months with distinction.
Why, then, is he being charged with murder? There's seemingly no good answer.
Lt. Pantano is straight out of some romanticized war story. The 33-year-old Hell's Kitchen native left a six-figure salary in New York to serve his country. His mother says of him, "If he has a fault, it is that he is too idealistic and puts moral responsibility and duty to his country and his men before anything else." For that, Lt. Pantano faces criminal charges that could result in death.
At a time when the military is being stretched, the Pantano case sends all the wrong signals to servicemen. Finding a few good men will only get harder and harder if overzealous lawyers are permitted to intimidate the troops. In any army, that's a losing formula.
Unless it can be shown that Lt. Pantano isn't an exemplary Marine " that is, if new facts come to light showing he and his superiors are misrepresenting what happened on April 15 " we call on the Pentagon to drop the spurious charges against Lt. Pantano. As far as any outsider can tell, he acted in good faith in a life-threatening situation. He shouldn't be punished for it.

This case is a total crock. This guy is a hero and if he's prosecuted it will affect the miltary from here on out. Why not just send these guys out on patrol without weapons? That's what they would effectively be doing if the LT is incarcerated or worse.

from what i read about this, this a crying shame. if this kid is found guilty , what the hell message is that sending our troops? and any other person THINKING of enlising??? i CANNOT believe that this gov't even remotely doubted this officers decision...what a disgrace.
since when does a soldier in combat held responsible DURING COMBAT (an attack) for protecting his life and batalion....
of course this guy felt threatened, he's in IRAQ, 24/7..that's enough for me to feel threatend, even if the iraqi's are handing out lemonade

I THINK NEXT WEEK THEY WILL BE AIRING ON "PBS" STATION, A DOCUMENTARY ON IRAQ, CALLED "FRONTLINE -AMERICAN SOLDIERS" (something like that)..
SHOULD BE INTERSTING, TWO SEPERATE NIGHTS. ONE VERSION WON'T BE CENSORED THE OTHER WILL BE.

CATHY THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS, THIS IS WHAT I TRIED TO GET ON HERE UNDER TOPIC 'SEE THIS'- I NEVER HAD TIME TO GET BACK TO IT, BECAUSE OF THE STATE OF MIND I HAVE BEEN IN.

I AM JUST SO SICK OF THE IDIOTS IN THIS COUNTRY, CRITICIZING THE MILITARY FOR EVERY FART. I HAVE A GOOD IDEA. ALL OF OUR MEN WHO LOST THEIR LIVES OR LIMBS, WE GO LOOKING FOR WHO DID IT, AND QUESTION THEIR REASONS WHY, THEIR INTEGRITY, AND PUT THEM IN PRISON FOREVER. HOW ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE OTHER SIDE HERE, ARE OUR AMERICAN SERVICE PEOPLE EXPENDABLE? DOESN'T ANYONE GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THESE GOOD YOUNG PEOPLE? OR ARE WE AFRAID OF HOW WE LOOK TO THE WORLD, (THEY HATE US ANYWAY) OR ARE WE AFRAID OF THE GOOD OLE ACLU? THIS IS SO SICK, IT'S NOT FUNNY. NOBODY SHOULD SIGN UP FOR THE MILITARY EVER AGAIN. AND IF THERE IS A DRAFT, THEN LEAVE AND GO TO CANADA. WE HAVE GOT TO STAND BY OUR TROOPS.

Apparently these troops were on patrol with the LT in question in the lead. All of a sudden these two Iraqis came charging at them. Their first response, obviously, was too shoot these two guys to protect themselves. They could have had guns, knives or they may even have been suicide bombers with C-4 strapped around their waists. These guys were the enemy. These troops did what you or I or anyone else would have done. They opened fire and took those two Iraqis down. They did what they are trained to do. The only crime here was the fact that they are trying to prosecute LT Pantano. Semper Fi.

The military usually looks out for its own. In the case of the prison abuse convictions, they were protecting the officers so they let the enlisted man take the fall.

I am sure a military jury will give this Lt. a limited fair trial and determine what is just in their minds.

If Iraq is now a democratic country, the officer should be tried by an Iraqi jury.

quote:

Originally posted by herb m:
[qb]The military usually looks out for its own. In the case of the prison abuse convictions, they were protecting the officers so they let the enlisted man take the fall.

I am sure a military jury will give this Lt. a limited fair trial and determine what is just in their minds.

If Iraq is now a democratic country, the officer should be tried by an Iraqi jury.[/qb]

ARE YOU SAYING OUR MILITARY MAN SHOULD BE TRIED BY AN IRAQI JURY? PLEASE TELL ME THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING,BEFORE I BUST A GUT HERE. I SAY TRY EVERY IRAQI 'INSURGENT' WHO KILLED OR MAIMED EVERYONE OF OUR PEOPLE. WHERE IS THE CRY FOR THAT? DAMN AMERICA HATERS, AND HATERS OF RELIGION FREAKS.

FATKAT--- ROTF LMAO......DID YOU EVER?????

IT'S AMAZING HOW SOME CAN INTERPRET FACTS....
PERFECT EXAMPLE HERE OF "FU*K AMERICA, SUPPORT ALLAH"...

Two Muslims are sitting in a Gaza Strip Tease Bar chatting over a pint of fermented goats milk,....
One pulls his wallet out and starts flipping through pictures and they start reminiscing.

"This is my oldest son, he's a martyr."

"You must be so proud" says the other.

"This is my second son. He is a martyr also."

"A fine looking young man", replies his friend.

After a pause and a deep sigh, the second Muslim says wistfully,

"They blow up so fast, don't they?"

I believe that a military person that commits a crime in another country is tried by that other country.

hahahahaha

quote:

Originally posted by herb m:
[qb]I believe that a military person that commits a crime in another country is tried by that other country.[/qb]

THESE ARE OUR FELLOW AMERICANS, THEY ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES EVERYDAY TO PROTECT US. YOU ARE THE BIGGEST MORON THAT EVER LIVED. AND IF ANYONE DOESN'T LIKE THE FACT THAT I AM SAYING THIS, WELL TOO BAD, THIS GUY IS A DIRECT THREAT TO THIS COUNTRY. THAT'S MY OPINION, AND I'M ENTITLED TO IT. IT HOPE HE IS JUST MAKING THIS SHIT UP TO ENRAGE OTHERS AND THAT HE REALLY DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL SHOULD BE TRIED BY FOREIGNERS. DAMN FOOL YOU ARE HERB.

fatcat, are you sure your name is not fathead. The soldiers are risking their lives, but not to protect us. I do not feel threatened by the Iraqis. Tney were not a threat when we invaderd. The troops are fighting because Bush ordered them to fight. I still don't understant why you morons cannot accept the fact that a crime in another country has to be tried by that country. We try foreigners here, unless they have diplomatic immunity. You people are a bunch of fascists. I am the true American, not you.

Am I making you mad now. Do you want me to be arrested as a traitor.

Cathy this is outrageous, and they wonder why people don't stand behind their government. Who brought these charges, and why do they now question his action? This really is disgraceful.If what I am reading is true, then I would want to investigate the superiors who brought the charges.What does Rumsfield have to say? And Herb, don't be an ass, he is to be tried here if at all, not Iraq.
Unbelieveable!!!!!

Norie, of course he will be tried by a US. military court. U.S. is still in control of the Iraqi governemt.

FATKAT,
it's really unbeleivable..i notice a few bleeding hearts here are THE COLDEST ICE-AGE WOOLY-MAMOTH PEOPLE imagineable underneathe it all....
their hearts NEVER bleed for the american though..right away it's BUSH's fault??
they're balless slime, who don't have HALF A BALL to give up their american citinsenship..i would personally pay their fair out of here.
AND, notice how they move to small AMERICAN towns FAR FAR away from all the muslims and blacks that they love so much..
let me stop now...

8 more years!!!!!!!!(not 4)
choke on it---

quote:

Originally posted by CATHY13:
[qb]FATKAT,
it's really unbeleivable..i notice a few bleeding hearts here are THE COLDEST ICE-AGE WOOLY-MAMOTH PEOPLE imagineable underneathe it all....
their hearts NEVER bleed for the american though..right away it's BUSH's fault??
they're balless slime, who don't have HALF A BALL to give up their american citinsenship..i would personally pay their fair out of here.
AND, notice how they move to small AMERICAN towns FAR FAR away from all the muslims and blacks that they love so much..
let me stop now...

8 more years!!!!!!!!(not 4)
choke on it---[/qb]

YEAH, I NOTICE WHERE THEY LIVE, AND THIS ONE IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE. DO YOU AGREE CATHY, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ALL OF THE 'INSURGENTS' WHO KILLED OUR TROOPS BROUGHT UP ON CHARGES TOO? HEY, WHY ONLY LOOK AT AMERICANS, AND TO THINK OF PROSECUTING OUR OWN SOLDIERS AND PUT THEM IN PRISON, IS UNTHINKABLE, EXCEPT IF YOU'RE A SCHMUCK LIKE YOU KNOW WHO. THE GOOD OLE ACLU AND OTHERS LIKE SCHMUCK BOY, ARE WATCHING EVERY SINGLE MOVE OUR TROOPS MAKE. THEY ARE A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THEMSELVES AND THIS COUNTRY,THEY ARE TRULY THE ENEMY WITHIN.